Birth Plans?
I've never gone into L&D before with a birth plan...and it's been a number of years since my last birth.
I'd like to do things differently, and have a short list of very flexible things that are more comfort and post-baby related, along with my preferences for natural birth (at least what I'm "aware" of being able to ask).
At this point, and I realize I'm pretty far along, but I've recently switched OBs so that I can have a natural birth (our state is #1 for c-sections) and want to go in with a birth plan. Now, I'm aware that it has to be somewhat fluid to allow for the unexpected...but I'd really like to know if there's a site or book or something with sample birth plans just so I'm aware of all the angles I need to consider (and pick and choose from).
Any recommendations? or does anyone have their birthplan online to share?
TIA
Re: Birth Plans?
Here is mine. You can get an awful lot on one page. I will say that the hospital conveniently lost our birth plan and when we did end up with an unplanned c/s due to fetal distress DH forgot his copy in all the rush and he also forgot what was on it. My hospital was not very NB friendly, so mine is very detailed. If you have a more NB friendly hospital you may not need to be as thorough. I had planned to be in a birth center, and my midwives were NB friendly, but the hospital where they had priveleges was terrible. My requests were followed until the c/s (where I was allowed to have both arms free) and the part of my birth plan covering postpartum was completely disregarded. So, I'd research those policies. I, like you, was mostly concerned about the after care and being with my baby and that was the part that ruined the experience for me.
We understand that certain emergency or other medical circumstances may not allow for the accommodation of the goals listed below.
Hospital Labor Goals
We plan to have present at the labor and birth: Midwife, father, and doula.
Except in the case of an emergency, we ask that we be given the opportunity to accept or refuse any procedure or medication.
We ask that non-chemical induction methods be tried first: walking, breast stimulation, position changes, etc. If chemical induction is needed we would prefer to start at the lowest dose possible.
Please do not offer pain medication. The mother will ask for it if needed.
The mother would like the opportunity to be up out of bed as much as possible during labor, depending on her needs.
The mother prefers not to have an IV unless medically necessary.
The mother prefers not to have a catheter unless medically necessary.
The mother prefers to use intermittent fetal monitoring according to ACOG guidelines.
The mother would prefer to have minimal vaginal exams.
The mother would like to eat and drink at her discretion.
The birth environment is important to us. We ask that lights be kept dim, noise be kept to a minimum, and the door be kept closed for privacy.
Delivery Goals
The mother would like to push at her own pace and wait for the urge to push even if fully dilated.
The mother prefers not to have an episiotomy unless determined to be medically necessary. She would first like to try perineal massage, support and warm compresses.
We would like to have the baby placed on the mother's chest with skin-to-skin contact immediately after the birth and for the first 1 to 2 hours following the birth.
We would like to try to have the baby breastfeed as soon as possible.
Umbilical Cord
We would like the umbilical cord to stop pulsing before being cut.
Please offer the father the opportunity to cut the cord if he so desires at the time.
Newborn Care Goals
Please delay the eye medication and vitamin K shot until we have spent some time with the baby.
All necessary newborn procedures should be done either while the baby is on the mother?s chest or on the bed.
Breastfeeding Goals
We would like to establish breastfeeding. Please do not offer any bottles to the baby without parents' notification of a medical need.
Cesarean Section (if necessary)
The mother would like to be conscious and have one arm free.
The mother would like the father and the doula present.
We would prefer that our baby breastfeed as soon as possible afterward in the recovery room.
We prefer the baby and father remain in the recovery room with the mother.
If the baby must go to the nursery, we would like the father to accompany her.
The mother would like the incision closed with double layer suturing because in the future she would like to attempt a VBAC.
Thank you for taking the time to help us achieve a natural childbirth for our first baby, Rosemary Caroline!
https://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/labor_birth/article/birth-plan-considerations
At the end of the article, there is a link to an interactive birth plan. This is what I used.
With DS, I didn't write one because my midwife and I talked a lot about things before hand (several appointments worth- and most of them went over on my time) and she said that the hospital would probably lose it on purpose or flat out not read it.
With this child, I won't have a birth plan at all. The midwives at the Birth Center I will deliver at doesn't accept them. They are very hands off anyway. I can bring a list of things that might help or a list of things I might want, but not a birth plan. They don't even do episiotomies unless there is a critical need for one. They don't call in an OB for a vac-assisted, forcep assisted or c-sec until all other means are exhausted. The Birth Center has a zero percent c-sec rate (because they can't do a c-sec... you're sent across the hall to the reg L&D), but only 5% of patients that attempt a birth in the Birth Center end up with a c-sec. That's SUPER low... so I trust that I don't need a birth plan with this one...