Natural Beginning Birth Center Blog

A birth plan is a document that tells your healthcare provider and delivery team your wishes and preferences for your childbirth and early postpartum period.  The birth plan is not a legal contract but a written outline of your desires.  It serves as an opportunity for the expectant parents to consider and communicate their ideal birth experience. Because childbirth doesn’t always go as planned, it is important to remain flexible and know that the plan may need to change for you and your baby’s health and safety. There are many tools and sample birth plans available online and on our website to help you create your birth plan. Some things you may wish to consider include: Who will attend your delivery Methods and medications preferred for induction or augmentation of labor Methods, techniques and medications preferred for pain management Fetal monitoring preferences Eating and drinking during labor IV access or saline lock Position for deliv...

In 2013 we saw 1500 births, of these only 13% were primary cesarean section.  Additionally we had an 82% VBAC success rate and 67% of patients planning birth without an epidural were successful. 4th Quarter Birth Statistics October 68 deliveries 55 vaginal 13 c/s (7 repeats) November 57 deliveries 46 vaginal 11 c/s (9 repeats) December 66 deliveries 50 vaginal 16 c/s (6 repeats) ***Our December stats included 4 unsuccessful planned vaginal deliveries and 12 scheduled c-sections planned prior to labor for breech, placenta previa, repeat cesarean and other specific situations***

Get Ready for Birth!  In-House Childbirth Classes exclusively for OBGYN North Patients  Classes facilitated by Shelley Scotka, certified Childbirth Educator and Birth Doula Prepared Childbirth    $200 for a four week series Tuesday evenings, 6:30-9:00pm This class is perfect for first time parents who need a comprehensive preparation for childbirth. We'll cover the physiology of labor and delivery, recognizing signs of labor, when to call your care provider, and the normal stages of labor. We'll learn and practice with your support person a variety of methods to cope with labor pain including breathing, relaxation, visualizations/meditation, touch and massage, positioning, and water therapy. We'll discuss what happens at the birth both in a hospital and birth center setting. What if medical interventions become necessary? We'll look at the possible interventions that are common, and cover the risks and benefits of each, including cesarean birth. We'll a...

Our bodies need folic acid all the time, but never more so than during the early weeks of pregnancy. Taking a daily prenatal vitamin with the recommended 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid before and during pregnancy can help prevent birth defects in your baby's brain and spinal cord.  Folic acid, which is also called folate, is a B vitamin. Folic acid plays an important role in the production of red blood cells and helps your baby's neural tube develop into her brain and spinal cord. Birth defects occur early in pregnancy, within the first 3-4 weeks, so it's important to have folic acid in your system during those early stages when your baby's brain and spinal cord are developing. The CDC recommends that you start taking folic acid every day for at least a month before you become pregnant, and every day while you are pregnant. However, the CDC also recommends that women of a childbearing age take folic acid every day, so you'd be fine to start taking it ev...

November is National Prematurity Awareness Month and we wanted to provide a little more information about premature birth, as well as offer support for women facing certain risk factors. A premature birth refers to a baby that is born at least three weeks before their due date. Important growth and development milestones occur throughout pregnancy, but even more so in the final months and weeks. Our hope is that through proper care and education, our patients can see their due dates and go home with healthy, full-term babies. Although babies born very preterm are a small percentage of all births, these very preterm infants account for a large proportion of infant mortality rates. More infants die from preterm-related problems than from any other cause. Some premature babies require special care and spend weeks or months hospitalized in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Those who survive are at risk of facing lifelong problems such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy,...

On Friday, October 25, Dr. Sebestyen received the award for best OB/GYN (patient’s choice) at the Austin Birth Awards. This is the third year in a row she has received this honor and we’re so proud to share the news! A big thank you to all of our patients for supporting her nomination and voting for Dr. Sebestyen. This type of recognition is true confirmation that our efforts are appreciated and valued in our community. The Austin Birth Awards feature a list of qualified professionals in many service areas related to birth and parenting. All finalists were nominated by those in the community who have personally experienced great service and outcomes from birth related service providers. This year nominations were accepted from June 1, 2013 through July 15, 2013 and final voting on the top four finalists ended on October 15, 2013 at midnight. The 3rd Annual Awards Ceremony & Gala took place on October 25, 2013 at the Carver Museum Theater & Reception Area at 7p.m. The Aus...

As many of you know, on September 2 we opened our new birth center, Natural Beginning. We’ve been busy with births and getting settled into our new space, but we wanted to take the opportunity to share this incredible new option with our current and future patients.  On Friday, November 8th, we are opening our doors from 4p.m.-7p.m. and inviting the community into the birth center to see our new space and celebrate alongside our team of midwives as well as the physicians from OBGYN North.  Please feel free to share this open invitation with your friends, we’ve been looking forward to opening our doors to the public and sharing Austin’s newest birthing option with the community!  Thank you for your support and we’ll look forward to seeing you soon!