Natural Birth

my birth-preferences draft -feedback please...

We are meeting on Sunday with our doula to go over our birth preferences for our hospital birth.

here's what i've got so far... feedback?

 

Our ideal plan is to have a natural, med-free childbirth without any interventions. However, our baby?s health and well-being are of PRIMARY importance to us. Therefore, we are aware that complications can arise are we are very willing to discuss any interventions that our health care provider determines to be necessary.

 

Preparation - If an IV line becomes necessary, we would prefer a saline lock to be placed in the mother?s forearm (for maximum mobility), if possible.

 

Monitoring - If there is no sign of fetal distress, we would prefer intermittent fetal monitoring with a portable monitor. The mother would prefer the freedom to walk around and change positions as much as possible.

 

Pain Control - We plan to handle pain with relaxation, massage, and water. Please do not offer chemical pain relief of any kind. We know to ask for it if we change our mind.

 

Environment  - We have prepared for a med-free birth using the Hypnobirthing method. For that reason we ask that the lights be kept dim, noise be avoided and the door closed for privacy. We will bring our own music, and the mother would like to wear her own clothes during the birth. Please refrain from asking the mother any questions during contractions, so that she may fully concentrate on her relaxation techniques.

 

Equipment - We would like the following equipment available to us in the birthing room: Birthing ball, Birthing chair/stool, Jacuzzi tub, squat bar/kneeler

 

First Stage of Labor - We plan to labor at home (with the help of our doula) during the first stage of labor.  We prefer for labor not to be chemically augmented in anyway. If augmentation is deemed medically necessary, we would like the opportunity to discuss the options with our care provider and doula before any medications are administered.

 

Second Stage of Labor (Pushing) - I would prefer not to push lying down and would like to try different positions during pushing, including use of the squat bar and/or birth stool. I would like to wait to push until I feel the urge, even if I am fully dilated. I would like to push at my own pace, without counting/coaching from hospital staff. I would like to be able to touch the baby?s head when he crowns and to pull my baby onto my chest as he is born. I would like a mirror present during pushing.

 

After Birth - We wish to nurse our son immediately. We ask that any evaluations be done while the mother is holding him, or delayed for 45 minutes so that mother/baby have had a chance to bond skin-to-skin. We also ask that the cord not be cut until it stops pulsing. We ask that we be given the option to see the placenta before it is discarded.

Special Circumstances - If Cesarean becomes necessary, the mother would like to be conscious, the father would like to be present at all times and we still prefer for our son to be nursed immediately, and for all evaluations to be done in the presence of the parents.

 

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Re: my birth-preferences draft -feedback please...

  • It reads nice and simple. Not complicated or with an over abbundance of requests.

    And I hope you don't mind - I liked it so much that I copied and pasted it to use as a template for when I work on my plan this weekend (we're doing Hypnobirthing as well).

  • i would add to the c sectoin part that you want multi layer suturing so that you can have a vbac next time.
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  • imageSpinFreak13:

    It reads nice and simple. Not complicated or with an over abbundance of requests.

    And I hope you don't mind - I liked it so much that I copied and pasted it to use as a template for when I work on my plan this weekend (we're doing Hypnobirthing as well).

    of course!

    now i have some preferences laid out for newborn care (once we are transferred to post-partum unit) should i print those out on a separate sheet and give those to the nursery nurse once we're settled in? (such as no formula, no hep B vax, etc)

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  • imageDeAnna&DavidRyder:
    i would add to the c sectoin part that you want multi layer suturing so that you can have a vbac next time.

    ooh great! thanks!!!

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  • imageMrs. TLC:
    imageSpinFreak13:

    It reads nice and simple. Not complicated or with an over abbundance of requests.

    And I hope you don't mind - I liked it so much that I copied and pasted it to use as a template for when I work on my plan this weekend (we're doing Hypnobirthing as well).

    of course!

    now i have some preferences laid out for newborn care (once we are transferred to post-partum unit) should i print those out on a separate sheet and give those to the nursery nurse once we're settled in? (such as no formula, no hep B vax, etc)

    That could be a good idea. But my hosptial has delivery/post partum set up in the same room with a rooming-in policy. Have you inquired about what your hospital prefer?

    That's a question for some of the other veterans out there...

  • our mother/baby unit is separate from the L&D side, so it would be a different set of nurses. I'll ask but i'm thinking its best to keep those two separate. ill ask the birth coordinator next time i see her (i work there so i get to talk to them a lot more than the average person)

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  • I would put anything about immediate baby care (such as eye goo and things like that) on a separate sheet and attach to the warmer in your LDR room. I would then make a separate baby care sheet to put on the bassinet when you get to PP. Ours hung on top of the nurses sheets that were on a clip board on his bassinet. And it was really wrinkled so I KNOW they read it!

    BTW - sounds really really good!

    The Knot won't share my Bump Siggy, so here's the low-down: 4/27/07 - Got engaged! 8/31/08 - Got married (to my best friend)! 12/30/08 - Got Pregnant! 9/3/09 - Welcome to the world, Elias Solomon! 8/16/10 - Got Pregnant, again! 5/14/11 - Welcome to the world, Talia Hadassah! 1/14/12 - Ready or not, here comes #3 (EDD 9/27/12)
  • It all sounds really good, but just a word of advice (that people keep giving me) - cut out as much as possible, to make it easy to glance through. If, for any reason, the staff is under pressure / hurried, you want anyone who is with you to be able to glance at the sheet quickly and make sure they are acting in accordance with your preferences.

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  • imageArielle27:
    It all sounds really good, but just a word of advice (that people keep giving me) - cut out as much as possible, to make it easy to glance through. If, for any reason, the staff is under pressure / hurried, you want anyone who is with you to be able to glance at the sheet quickly and make sure they are acting in accordance with your preferences.

    so what should i take out?

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  • There's way too much on your list.  They won't read it.  Keep it simple and use bullet points.

    -saline lock if IV needed

    -prefer interminttent fetal monitoring

    -do not offer drugs, we will ask if we want them

    Cut out your environment section.  Just do what you want with the room.  They aren't in there much anyways once they get you settled in, so don't worry about that.

    Your equipment sections isn't needed.  Contact your hospital about what equipment is available and just ask for it as needed.  (Our hospital only had so many rooms with baths, so if we wanted one we had to ask for it when we called to say we were coming in).

    You don't need the first stage of labor section.  If you are doing it at home, why do they need to know about it?  They will have to tell you when they give you labor inducing meds.  You can just refuse them then or put in a bullet point saying that you would prefer to avoid them.

    As for the second stage, speak to your doctor about what they do and what the hospital will allow.  If your doctor knows what you want beforehand this will make it easier.  I could tell you by the time it was time to push I couldn't think straight.  The doctor told me what to do.

    All c-sections are conscious unless it is an extreme emergency.  Plus I believe there is a certain part of the surgery prep your DH can't be at, and that's usually hospital policy.  (I didn't have a c-section, so don't quote me on that one).

  • imageMrs. TLC:
    imageSpinFreak13:

    It reads nice and simple. Not complicated or with an over abbundance of requests.

    And I hope you don't mind - I liked it so much that I copied and pasted it to use as a template for when I work on my plan this weekend (we're doing Hypnobirthing as well).

    of course!

    now i have some preferences laid out for newborn care (once we are transferred to post-partum unit) should i print those out on a separate sheet and give those to the nursery nurse once we're settled in? (such as no formula, no hep B vax, etc)

    You will need to make the newborn care preferences known and IN WRITING when you check in at the hospital.  WHen I was mid-labor with DD and arrived at the hospital I had to sign abotu three forms and have it CLEARLY marked that i did not want the Hep B vax administered.  They so rarely get patients who skip it, the nurses didn't even know what forms I really needed.  I also remember ahead of time specifying no pacifier or formula.  That ended up being good b/c DD was a big baby and therefore they automatically checked her bloodsugar and were pushing formula when she was just 2 hours old. 

  • imageMrs. TLC:

    imageArielle27:
    It all sounds really good, but just a word of advice (that people keep giving me) - cut out as much as possible, to make it easy to glance through. If, for any reason, the staff is under pressure / hurried, you want anyone who is with you to be able to glance at the sheet quickly and make sure they are acting in accordance with your preferences.

    so what should i take out?

    Yes, make it bullet points and easy to read like: 

    - Hep lock IV

    - Do not offer any pain medication

    - Allow cord to finish pulsing before cutting

    And I'd put only the things that aren't easy for you to control on the list.  So, I'd take out the music/dim light thing, b/c you'll be able to turn off your lights and turn on your own music, the nurses don't really need that info as much as they need to know not to ask you if you want an epidural, etc. 

  • I think it could be made a little bit more concise, but that is up to you.  I would add 2 things to the c-section part.  1) Double sutures so you can have a VBAC later and 2) Don't cut the cord until it stops pulsating.  A lot of people don't realize that this is still possible with a c-section.  Good luck!
  • I like it! As others said, nice and simple. It has a lot of the same content as mine did and it worked out well.
    fraternal twin boys born january 2009
  • My babies roomed in with me the whole time, and I put our preferences for their care on the same sheet as my birth plan.
    fraternal twin boys born january 2009
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