Most patients have specific expectations about their labor and delivery.
Some women feel they were excluded from the decision-making during previous intrapartum experiences. Often the family physician can accommodate these requests. Sometimes these expectations, however, cannot be accommodated by existing hospital policies. A good way to elicit the patient's preferences is to begin by explaining the early symptoms of labor and the hospital's policies pertaining to labor and delivery. Then ask about the woman's expectations for monitoring, anesthesia, breast feeding, etc.