Natural Birth

Can you please view my birth plan?

Y / K Birthing Plan

This is our first child together, and we are looking forward to having a natural birth. We would like to direct, but know we cannot control, our childbirth experience. Let us know right away if you think we need to change plans, and why the change is necessary. We would like to be part of the decision-making team and to be consulted about and asked for our consent before any medical procedures is performed. In addition we would like any medical procedure explained as it is performed. We fully realize that emergencies can happen, and that in the case of an emergency, the health care team will take the best steps for our family.

Birth Team

It is important to us that we remain together at all times during the labor and delivery and after (Vaginal or Cesarean)

While we understand and can appreciate the need for training and teaching, we highly value our privacy and would like to keep the birth team to a minimum number, which excludes residents, trainees, and other nonessential personnel.

Besides the father other people who might be present are her mother, and sister Jamie and Briana. All other family visits will occur after labor and delivery.

Environment

Would like the lights dimmed, doors kept closed, and as few strangers as possible are present (no residents please).

 Would like to remain mobile for as long as able. We would also like to be free to try different positions for pushing, including squatting or kneeling if it is comfortable.

Medications/Procedures

We would like to try to avoid all medications during the birth, and instead use relaxation, heating pads and massage for pain relief. Please do not offer medication unless it is requested. We understand that some interventions may be necessary for the health of mom and baby, but we request the opportunity to accept or refuse any procedure except in the case of an extreme emergency.

We would prefer external fetal monitoring as required by the condition on the baby. We would like to avoid internal fetal monitoring unless it is specifically medically indicated.

If labor slows to the point that induction might be necessary, we would like at least 30 minutes to try natural methods of induction before any drugs are considered. However, if neither the mother nor baby are in distress, we do not want chemical induction.

If there is evidence of fetal distress on the external fetal monitor, we would like this to be verified with an internal fetal monitor before any action is taken.

We request that an IV be administered only if necessary.

We prefer not to have an episiotomy unless an existing tear is threatening to become severe. Local anesthetics is permissible for performing and repairing an episiotomy.

We would like to avoid catheterization and instead be able to walk to the bathroom or use a bedpan.

Pushing and Delivery

As long as baby and mother are fine we would like to be free of time limits on pushing.

Prefer option of self-directed pushing to help ease the baby out slowly to reduce or avoid tearing the perineum.

If pushing is not progressing efficiently, the mother would like to be reminded that sometimes, changing positions helps.

Forceps are preferable to vacuum extraction, BUT prefer to avoid both if possible.

In an Emergency

If a cesarean section is required, we would like the father to be present during the surgery.

Prefer regional anesthesia or discuss further anesthesia options with her.

 Low-transverse incision on my uterus and abdomen. 

After the Birth

We prefer baby to be placed on mother?s chest upon delivery (Vaginal or Cesarean).

Father would like to cut the cord.

Mother would like to nurse immediately after delivery if possible (Vaginal or Cesarean).

Prefer to avoid routine administration of Pitocin after the birth if possible. If a procedure is necessary please explain it to us.

Baby Care

Prefer non-irritating eye agent, such as erythromycin or tetracycline, as late as possible.

Prefer all routine procedures done in our room after initial bonding time if possible or father present with baby at all times. Please discuss any newborn procedures before they are performed.

We prefer that the baby be gently wiped down with a soft cloth to remove fluids, and wrapped in a blanket.

Prefer use of oral Vitamin K is possible.

If baby is not well we would like to:

Accompany baby or have the father accompany baby, if transported to another facility.

Breastfeed exclusively or provide the mother?s expressed milk.

Have all procedures explained before/as they are performed as our baby?s condition permits.

 

Re: Can you please view my birth plan?

  • It's great! But the one thing I have heard is that you wanna keep your birth plan under a page. :-( Lots of info. 
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  • My OB recommends that our birth plan fit on an index card. I know that you are trying to be polite and not sound demanding by writing everything in complete sentences with lots of qualifiers like "we understand that....but please..." but ultimately, so that info gets conveyed to everyone maybe give this long, drawn out one to your OB ahead of time but just have bullet points with just the facts to give to L&D when you go in. No ones feelings will be hurt by things like - no residents, -father will remain with baby at all times, etc.
  • Good lord that's long.

    Point form. Cut the fluff. Be nice in person, be brief in writing. You can give this one to  your DH, but neither your doctor nor your nurses want to read something this long.

  • It looks like you've been very thorough with your plan. The only suggestion that I could make is to shorten it up (one page) and keep your sentences to the point. You want them to be able to read it quickly, and I even recommend highlighting three of your "key points" so that their eyes will be drawn to those areas that are the most important to you.

    Since you may not be able to put everything on one page, make sure your support person for labor knows everything on your birth plan, so that they can speak for you for any items that you aren't able to include. :)

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  • I know its long :  I am having a hard time not writing complete sentences. I figured me and SO would make sure to voice most of this often or when the time arise but it's so hard to shorten!

     Thank you all for the responses! I'm going to edit! 

  • I would highly suggest trimming this down.  I think bullets work better than sentences and try to stick to one page.

    I would chop that entire first paragraph.  I just did one sentence telling them we hoped for a med-free birth and thanked them for making every effort to make that possible.

    Here's some examples of what you could scale back on:

    Under Medications/Procedures:

    1st paragraph, just say, "Please do not offer pain medication, we know what is available and will ask for them if needed."

    2nd paragraph: I would say, "We request Intermittent Monitoring" or "We request external continuous monitoring."

    I would get rid of that whole third paragraph.  If labor has slowed to that point, you should be able to advocate for yourself or your partner should be able to speak up for you.

    I would also eliminate the part about catherization, check with your doc, but I don't think they do that unless you have an epi.

    This is just to give you an idea of ways to shorten it.  You could definitely go through and do more trimming than I have listed here.     

  • You've articulated everything really well, however, the hospital unfortunately doesn't appreciate a well written birthplan as much as they do a short and to the point one. I would suggest keeping it under a page and use bullet points to highlight the most important things to you. Good luck!
  • Hi!!

    Beautiful birth plan - mine is just as long, but because we have a midwife, I'll be able to go over it with her before hand. Like the other ladies said, if you're birthing in a hospital the nurses and doctors might prefer something shorter.

     Someone already commented on the fact that if you end up having to have a C-section you might not be able to have the baby placed on you right away, or to feed immediately after. The only suggestion I have would be to consider requesting that in this case, your partner does the skin to skin for you. There has been lots of research showing that skin to skin with the father after birth has a great deal of benefits too. That is of course, if your husband doesn't mind stripping off his shirt in front of the nurses ;)

    Just something to think about. Other than that, looks great - I hope everything goes just the way you want it to. :) 

  • Looks great. I'm just curious, why do you prefer forceps to vacuum if necessary?
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