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Giving Birth With A Physical Disability: 3 Things You Need To Know

6 August 2015

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Many women look forward to the birth of their first child, but the labor and delivery process can be intimidating for women who have a physical disability. If you have a disability that limits your mobility, it's important to start thinking about the birthing process early in your pregnancy.

Here are three things you should research before you give birth to your first child when you have a physical disability.

1. Make sure your hospital can accommodate your disability during delivery and recovery.

If all goes smoothly with your delivery, you can plan to spend 24 to 48 hours recovering in the hospital. Difficulties during childbirth could extend the amount of time you spent recuperating. While hospitals are certainly equipped to allow wheelchairs, many maternity wards are not designed with mobility issues in mind. 

Since you will need to attend to your basic hygiene by showering and using the restroom, be sure that your hospital has a room in the maternity ward that can accommodate your needs. If a roll-in shower is not available, make arrangements to have adaptive devices (like a shower seat and lift) in place when you arrive in your room.

2. Talk to your doctor about your birth plan.

Having a birth plan in place prior to delivery is essential for women with mobility issues. Some doctors will try to convince expectant mothers with physical disabilities that a C-section is the only way to safely deliver a child. The fact of the matter is that the uterus and cervix are controlled by the autonomic nervous system. This means that once a stimulus is introduced (like the impending birth of your child), the uterine muscles will involuntarily contract to facilitate the birthing process.

Even if your disability prevents you from having voluntary control over the abdominal muscles that aid in pushing during labor, you can still safely deliver your child without relying on a C-section.

3. Provide your anesthesiologist with images of your spinal cord.

If your physical disability is caused by an injury to the spinal cord, this could affect the way your body responds to anesthesia. By taking the time to meet with the anesthesiologist that will be administering your epidural during labor, you can ensure that the anesthesiologist has time to perform the necessary research to dose you properly.

Having images of your spinal cord on hand can be beneficial in helping your anesthesiologist create a plan of action that will keep you and your baby safe and comfortable during labor and delivery.

Having a physical disability doesn't mean you have to stop planning to have a family. Labor and delivery are possible for women with physical disabilities, you just need to ensure that your maternity room is equipped with the adaptive equipment you need, that you have discussed your birth plan with your doctor, and that you meet with your anesthesiologist early on to facilitate the safe administration of an epidural.

Unfortunately, if your doctor finds that giving birth will endanger both you and your baby, you can look into family planning services like Abortion Care to help you in your situation. 

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