Brooke is a 28-year-old woman having her first baby. She has worked as a nurse on a labor and delivery service for the past 3 years. She didn’t take a preparation for childbirth class because she felt...

Brooke is a 28-year-old woman having her first baby. She has worked as a nurse on a labor and delivery service for the past 3 years. She didn’t take a preparation for childbirth class because she felt no material would be presented she didn’t already know. She doesn’t feel she needs a doula because she has had so much experience with women in labor. Her husband will be with her during labor.

1. Brooke’s husband asks you at a prenatal visit if he should time contractions in labor with his watch or by the wall clock. Also, he asks if it will be all right if

Brooke drinks coffee during labor. Why do you think he’s asking so many basic questions?

2. Brooke’s mother tells you she knows she can’t be with Brooke in labor but she wants special permission to hold her new grandson before he’s taken away to a nursery. She also wants to make it clear she needs to do that before her ex-husband or his “fluffy” girlfriend have a chance to hold the baby. Does Brooke’s mother understand the options available to her in a mother-friendly hospital?

3. Brooke doesn’t seem to have shared much information about labor with her family. Can you assume this is because she’s so independent she wants to manage her labor by herself, or would you worry she doesn’t have a strong support system?