Natural Birth
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Any Bradley moms have a birth plan I can look at?
Or other moms I suppose it doesn't really matter. 
I am just wanting some more ideas for my birth plan. If the question is asked all the time I'm so sorry, I'm not usually on here.
Thanks in advance!
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Re: Any Bradley moms have a birth plan I can look at?
Here you go, plus my notes post-partum. That said, I feel that birth wishes are best used as a tool for the parents to plan and communicate. A medical team may or may not read them, not because they don't care, but because this can/should be conversational and because so much has to come up in-the-moment based on reality of that situation
Birth Wishes--xxx, xxx, and Baby Boy xxxxx
Doula: xxxxx ? OB: xxxx ? Pediatrician: xxxxx
After dealing with pregnancy loss and infertility, we are so excited to finally meet our precious baby! We are looking forward to a low-intervention, medication-free birth, though our number one goal is a healthy mom and baby.
Internal Exams:
? I would like no internal vaginal exams, within reason, during my labor until I have an urge to push some flack on this. I did request some exams since my labor was so long and LO eventually was in distress
? During a medically necessary vaginal exam, please leave my membranes intact this was respected
Pain medication:
? Please do not offer pain medications. We will request them if desired. This was respected but to the point of talking about a c-section rather than mentioning that an epidural could loosen my pelvis enough that LO could come vaginally.
Labor:
I would like to?
? Walk around and move as I wish no problem
? Have minimal fetal monitoring had to do 15 min every hour (until LO went into distress) it was a giant pain because it got me out of relaxation and into the bed which was a miserable position for me and just expended physical and emotional energy. I did better when we could do the monitoring while sitting on a ball. Also, I would delay if I was in the water relaxing.
? Get in whatever position feels right some flack on this in the bed
? Utilize the tub for pain-management yes
? Avoid positions that exacerbate my pubic separation (e.g., side-lying and other asymmetrical positions)
? Have no limits on laboring or pushing time no limit on labor, pushing was timed and traumatizing because LO was in distress
? Push instinctively, not guided I ended up needing pushing coaching
Episiotomy:
? I prefer to tear naturally. However, to help prevent tearing, please apply: hot compresses, oil, perineal massage did this , encourage me to breathe properly for slower crowning did not do this. The dr encouraged very stressful pushing (tied to LO?s distress)
? If I need an episiotomy, I prefer a pressure episiotomy.
? Please use a local anesthetic for repairs. Not sure what the dr did
Birth:
? I would like the option to use a mirror to view the birth the doula helped with this
? I would like the option to touch baby's head as he crowns not offered, but tied to distress
? If possible, offer Dave the option to help ?catch? not offered, but tied to distress
After Baby is Born:
? Postpone all interventions, barring an emergency not offered, but tied to distress
? Immediate skin-to-skin contact LO got to be on me briefly before going to the table (tied to distress)
? Wait for the umbilical cord to stop pulsating before it is clamped we decided not to wait even before distress played in.
? Offer both Dave and I the option to cut the umbilical cord not offered, possibly tied to distress
? Give us ample time for breast crawl, breastfeeding, and bonding respected once LO was back from the table
Third Stage/Placenta:
? Spontaneous delivery of placenta without the use of Pitocin or controlled traction on the umbilical cord I do think she pulled, but was very out of it and much more concerned with LO. We did pit when it seemed I would hemorrhage
? I would like the option of taking home the placenta totally disregarded, even in opposition to state law.
Infant Care:
? Delay eye prophylaxis and vitamin K until breastfeeding and bonding are complete. I would like to hold baby during these procedures. Changed our mind because of the distress and did it immediately
? Barring an immediate health concern, Hep B vaccination will be done in the pediatrician?s office respected & ended we up deciding to delay it indefinitely
? Do not bathe baby we got major flack from the nurses on this, but we held firm and bathed him ourselves when we were home. We had planned to do it ourselves in the hospital, but I was not physically up for it.
? Do not circumcise baby respected
? We will provide cloth diapers respected
? Baby is to be exclusively breastfed. Please do not offer pacifiers or artificial nipples. Respected until we learned LO was not latching, then we used a nipple shield and they encouraged us to use a smidge of formula in the shield to entice LO
---------------end of page without my notes----
We didn?t turn this page in, but we had it on hand
C -Section:
? Dave would like to be present at all times during the c-section.
? I would like to remain conscious during the procedure.
? I would like baby to be shown to me immediately after he is born.
? I would like to have contact with baby as soon as it is possible in the delivery room.
? I prefer to have a hand free to touch baby.
? If baby has any problems, I would like Dave to be present with him at all times, if possible.
? I would like all newborn routine procedures to be performed in my presence.
If my baby's health is in jeopardy, I would like
? To be transported with my baby if possible.
? Dave to go with the baby. Dave went to the table for triage (it was in our room)
? To breastfeed or express my milk for my baby.
? To have as much bodily contact with my baby as possible.
? To be offered a room at the hospital for the duration of my baby's stay (within reason).
Induction:
? As long as the baby and I are healthy, I would like to have no time restrictions on the length of my pregnancy.
? If NST observation becomes necessary after my due date, I support this procedure.
? If induction becomes necessary, I would like to try natural induction techniques first: breast stimulation, walking, castor oil, sexual intercourse
? If medical induction becomes necessary, I prefer to try: stripping membranes, then prostaglandin gels, then a low-dose of Pitocin
? If my water breaks before I go into labor, I would like to have no time limits and talk about alternative treatment such as antibiotics.
More Green For Less Green
Just wanted to say that if you're having your baby in England, you'll find the midwives much more tolerant of natural birth and preferences. I had our DD in Huntingdon, Cambs. and, if anything, they really discouraged the use of epidurals. Obviously, it will depend on the hospital you deliver in, but from my experience the hospitals there are much less "medical" than they are in the US. I actually WANTED an epidural but they kept trying to talk me out of it.