10 Things to Know Before Giving Birth: A Long Island Maternity Photographer’s Guide

If you’re expecting a baby on Long Island, you’ve probably spent months preparing for the big day—choosing a hospital, talking with your doctor or midwife, setting up the nursery, and making lists of everything you’ll need for your newborn.

But preparing for birth isn’t only about packing your hospital bag.

There are so many little things about labor, delivery, and those first moments with your baby that you may not think to ask about until you’re already in the middle of it.

As a Long Island maternity photographer, I spend a lot of time with expecting parents during this exciting season of life. While your doctor or midwife is the right person to answer medical questions about your pregnancy and birth, there are plenty of things that are helpful to know and discuss before your baby arrives.

Here are 10 things to add to your birth-preparation list.

1. You may have more birth-setting options than you realize

When you picture giving birth, you may automatically imagine a hospital delivery room. But depending on your pregnancy, medical history, and care team, there may be different birth settings available to you.

Some families consider hospitals, birth centers, or planned home birth with an appropriately qualified midwife.

The right option is personal and depends on your individual circumstances. Talk with your doctor or midwife about what is medically appropriate for you and what options are available where you live.

Question to ask your provider:
What birth settings are available to me, and which options are appropriate for my pregnancy?

For Long Island families, it’s worth researching your options early so you have time to understand what each setting offers.

2. An epidural isn’t the only way to manage labor discomfort

An epidural is one option for pain management during labor, but there are other approaches that may be available depending on your circumstances and where you’re giving birth.

Your provider may be able to discuss options such as medication, nitrous oxide where available, movement, breathing techniques, massage, positioning, hydrotherapy, or other comfort measures.

Every labor is different, and your preferences may change once you’re actually in labor.

Question to ask your provider:
What pain-management and comfort options are available during labor where I plan to give birth?

3. Your birth environment can make a difference in how you feel

Birth is a major life event, and the environment around you can affect how comfortable and supported you feel.

If your hospital or birth setting allows it, you may be able to bring familiar music, a playlist, a favorite pillow, calming scents, photographs, or other small items that make the space feel more comfortable.

Ask your care team what is permitted before you arrive.

Question to ask your provider:
What can I bring into the delivery room to make the environment more comfortable?

And don’t underestimate the little details. Sometimes a familiar song playing quietly in the background can become part of the memory you carry with you for years.

4. Water may be one of your comfort options during labor

Warm water can feel relaxing during labor, and some hospitals and birth centers offer showers, tubs, or other water-based comfort options.

Availability varies, so don’t assume your chosen birth location offers a birthing tub or that you’ll automatically be able to use one.

Question to ask your provider:
Does my hospital or birth center offer hydrotherapy, showers, or tubs for labor?

If this is important to you, ask about it during your hospital tour rather than waiting until you’re in labor.

5. Yes, you might poop during labor—and nobody is going to be shocked

Let’s talk about one of the things many first-time moms worry about but don’t necessarily want to ask about.

You may poop during labor.

And that’s completely normal.

Your nurses, doctors, midwives, and birth professionals have seen it all. It is not something you need to be embarrassed about.

When you’re giving birth, your medical team is focused on you and your baby—not on whether something embarrassing happened.

So don’t let this particular fear take up too much space in your head.

6. You may be able to labor and give birth in different positions

There isn’t necessarily one position you have to stay in throughout labor.

Depending on your circumstances, your care team, and any monitoring or medical interventions you’re receiving, you may be able to move between positions such as standing, sitting, kneeling, side-lying, hands and knees, or using a birthing ball.

Question to ask your provider:
How much freedom will I have to move and change positions during labor?

If you have specific preferences for your birth, add them to your birth plan and discuss them with your care team ahead of time.

7. A doula can provide a different kind of support

Your medical team and your doula have different roles.

A doula can provide continuous emotional, physical, and informational support during pregnancy, labor, birth, and sometimes the postpartum period.

Some families hire a doula specifically for birth support, while others want support during pregnancy or after the baby arrives.

If you’re considering a doula, ask your provider whether they regularly work with doulas and whether they have recommendations.

Question to ask your provider:
Do you regularly work with doulas, and are there local doulas you recommend?

For Long Island families, meeting with potential doulas early can give you plenty of time to find someone whose approach feels right for your family.

8. Eating and drinking during labor depends on your individual situation

You may have heard completely different stories from friends about whether you can eat or drink during labor.

That’s because the answer can depend on your medical circumstances, your labor, your planned or potential procedures, and the policies of your birth facility.

Rather than relying on someone else’s experience, ask your own provider.

Question to ask your provider:
When will I be allowed to eat or drink during labor, and when might that change?

This is also a great question to ask during your hospital or birth-center tour.

9. Your mindset and preparation can be part of your birth experience

Birth preparation isn’t only about buying tiny clothes and packing a hospital bag.

Many expectant parents spend time learning breathing techniques, practicing relaxation, taking childbirth education classes, creating a birth plan, practicing mindfulness, or simply talking through their hopes and concerns with their partner and care team.

You don’t have to have a perfectly detailed birth plan.

Think of it as a way to communicate your preferences—not a guarantee of exactly how your labor will unfold.

Question to ask your provider:
Are there childbirth education classes or other resources you recommend before delivery?

10. Your birth may not look exactly the way you imagined—and that’s okay

Maybe you’ve pictured a peaceful vaginal birth.

Maybe you’re planning a scheduled C-section.

Maybe you’re hoping for one experience but staying open to another.

Birth doesn’t always follow the plan.

A Cesarean birth can be planned or become necessary during labor depending on the circumstances. Your doctor or midwife can explain the situations in which a C-section may be recommended and what to expect if one becomes part of your birth experience.

Question to ask your provider:
Under what circumstances might a Cesarean birth be recommended, and what should I know ahead of time?

The most important thing is to go into birth informed, supported, and prepared to meet your baby.

And don’t forget to prepare for the part that comes after birth

There is so much focus on pregnancy and labor that it can be easy to forget how quickly everything changes once your baby arrives.

Those first days and weeks can feel like a blur.

The tiny fingers.

The sleepy stretches.

The way your newborn curls into your chest.

The first time you hold your baby at home.

And suddenly, the pregnancy you’ve spent months experiencing is over.

As a Long Island maternity photographer, one of my favorite parts of this work is helping families preserve this season before it disappears into the beautiful chaos of newborn life.

At Babybare, maternity sessions are designed to create artistic, timeless photographs that document you—not just your pregnancy.

If you’re looking for a Long Island maternity photographer for your pregnancy portraits, you can explore the maternity portfolio and learn more about planning your session.

Explore Maternity Session Info

And if your baby has already arrived, you can also explore newborn photography on Long Island and see how we can document those first precious days together.

Your birth story is just the beginning.

The photographs you create during pregnancy and after your baby arrives become part of your family’s history—images you’ll be able to return to long after these tiny days have passed.

CONTACT for more information about our maternity and newborn sessions!