Q&A

How to Prep for Giving Birth, According to a Philly Expert

Brittany Sharpe McCollum, founder of Blossoming Bellies Wholistic Birth Services, shares her tips for an empowering labor and delivery.


/ Photograph by Tammy Bradshaw

Brittany Sharpe McCollum, childbirth educator and founder of Blossoming Bellies Wholistic Birth Services, shares her tips for an empowering labor and delivery.

I want to make a birth plan. What should be on it?

Make two. The first, for your nonclinical support (partner, doula, etc.), can be more in-depth and include things like labor positions, comfort techniques, and playlists. The other, for your provider, should be concise: Request informed consent every step of the way and a nurse familiar with low-intervention birth. The first encourages active involvement in decision-making, while the second may help you get a nurse familiar with trauma-informed care and an individualized approach to birthing.

How do I count contractions?

Contractions are counted from start to start. If a contraction is one minute long and there is a three-minute break before the next one, then they are actually four minutes apart. When this has been happening for an hour, the person is in a 4-1-1 pattern — four minutes apart, one minute each, and happening consistently for one hour — which may indicate­ the start of active labor.

Do I have to labor on my back?

Absolutely not! It is your legal right to give birth in the position of your choice, and research shows that being on your back can lengthen the labor and decrease blood flow to the baby. Other positions you can try include lying on your side, sitting in the bed, kneeling and leaning over the back of the bed, sitting on a birth ball, being on all fours, and standing/semi-squatting.

How can I manage labor pain?

Move your body with the contractions — like rocking side to side or front to back, or doing hip circles — and rest in between, while someone massages or applies counterpressure to your lower back. Doing so can help release endorphins and encourage labor progress. Also, an epidural can decrease the discomfort of contractions, but relief isn’t always guaranteed.

What’s your top tip for having a positive birth?

Educate yourself! When you better understand the process and your options, you can be more involved in the experience. And knowing what questions to ask and communicating effectively with your provider can lead to greater birth satisfaction.

 

Published as “Ask the Expert: Labor of Love” in the February 2025 issue of Philadelphia magazine.