Is a birth plan really needed?

MamaG1231 · October 2012

I can not, for the life of me, remember what was on my birth plan last time.

Whatever it was - i remember them saying "yes, this is all standard stuff."

So - beings that I really don't want anything special...do I need a birth plan?

If i do, I think it would include things like:

-dim lights (which I would easily tell them at the time)

-dad handles guests

-no pain meds unless I req them (which I am confident in my ability to not be pressured into them early and really I plan on getting an epi ultimately)

-i plan to bf (which I know they will have asked anyways)

this decaf life · October 2012

I'm not doing one because pretty much everything I've seen on them is standard these days. Plus I don't see a reason to line out everything because if it doesn't "go according to your plan" you're more likely to feel like you failed in delivery.

choppinbroccoli22 · October 2012

As you know, it goes on the front of your chart. So, any shift changes will read it.

More than that, I think it's an exercise in becoming informed yourself of all your options, and making decisions that you have made ahead of time so that you're not making them in a rush or in a fog. It's also a conversation starter between patients and their doctors.

For you, who are clear on what you want and don't want, and don't feel vulnerable to pressure, I don't see why you would HAVE to write one this time.

persephonerose · October 2012

Our OB gave us a standardized form with a check list on it. It was pretty much do you want us to offer drugs, do you want the lights dim, ect.

The only thing I added, was the medications I am allergic too and my allergy to adhesive so they wont put tape on me. Which was just an extra precaution since all that is already in my chart.

sschwege · October 2012

If all of your requests are standard then I don't see a need to write one.

I am using the same one I wrote last time because some of my requests are not standard.

happytobemrs.m · October 2012

Not doing one. Me or DH will communicate our needs when necessary.

schmucac · October 2012

We have a birth plan just because there are certain things we want/do not want to happen.

For instance, we want the cord to finish pulsating before clamping and cutting, and neither DH nor I want to be asked to cut the cord. Since we have it written down and have discussed it with our doctor, if all goes well, our wishes regarding our daughter's cord will be upheld.

Many of the things we hope for are on record and are standard for our hospital (no pacifier usage, LO stays in our room 24/7, immediate skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding only, directions with visitors, etc.). It's nice for us to have everything we hope for in front of the staff at the hospital because it will create less confusion and require less questioning while we're in the process of welcoming our little girl into the world.

LoveBeingAWife33008 · October 2012

No. If you want something or don't want something, just ask.

yinyang124 · October 2012

The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Todd&Laura · October 2012

We had a good laugh over mine in L&D last time. I'm very type a. Seeing that I couldn't control everything at that point was a good introduction to motherhood.

Kingston54 · October 2012

I didn't have one last time and don't this time either!

mbredin · October 2012

I actually have been wondering what people mean by med students. I have been seeing it a lot on birth plans. Do you mean a med student or an intern/ resident? Do you want no other doctor but your doctor? If going to a teaching hospital I would clarify.

AimeeL85 · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was curious about this, too. I remember at some point in my delivery they asked if they could bring the med student in to watch. I said I didn't care - at that point they could have brought in anyone they wanted, I just wanted the baby out lol.

OP, I don't think you need one unless you have special requests that you think it would be helpful for them to know beforehand or that you think you might not be able to communicate well at the time. I didn't have one with DS. This time I don't really have one either, except this new hospital I'm delivering at has everyone fill out a standard birth plan form. The only thing I requested this time around was delayed cord cutting.

sbevmc09 · October 2012

AimeeL85:
SmileyGirl18:
yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.
I was curious about this, too. I remember at some point in my delivery they asked if they could bring the med student in to watch. I said I didn't care - at that point they could have brought in anyone they wanted, I just wanted the baby out lol.

Depending on the situation some people might just want a minimum of people in their room at any given time period so I could see asking that there be no students in there to observe or perform things while the OB/CNM watches. It's superfluous if you're trying to keep traffic to a minimum. I was like you last time, I didn't care or notice who was in the room. This time, while I have no actual problem with students/teaching hospitals, I'm planning to use Hypnobabies and it does require a lot of concentration so I'm hoping to keep the traffic in and out of my room to a minimum and just keep things very intimate so that everyone in the room in on board with my plans.

As far as necessity of birth plans, if you have preferences that go against the norm of your hospital I think having a written plan is important. You're going to have your focus on a lot of other things and aren't going to want to have to answer a lot of repetitive questions. I had planned on being a lot more verbal/vocal last time and it just wasn't possible (I'm sure everyone has a different experience though) so I think it's important to have your wishes documented in your file to make things easier on everyone. Also, I'm sure that most people who write up their preferences understand that not everything about labor and delivery can be controlled, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't desire your preferences and plan for a normal delivery.

landosmommy · October 2012

No, they are not necessary. But it is a good idea to have an idea of what you want to do/happen.

bobbyme · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't care about med students--in fact, I am all for it! However, I will be delivering at the main teaching hospital connected with my H's medical school, so he and/or I will know many of them med students. Which I feel is awkward. So for that reason alone I will request no students.

RissKay · October 2012

bobbyme:
Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't care about med students--in fact, I am all for it! However, I will be delivering at the main teaching hospital connected with my H's medical school, so he and/or I will know many of them med students. Which I feel is awkward. So for that reason alone I will request no students.

THIS would be one awkward situation!! Totally don't blame you for wanting to not have any in the room with you there.

I'm writing one, but it's not going to be anywhere near as elaborate as I was thinking it was going to *have* to be. I had originally gone in to this with the mindset that I would HAVE to lay down the law in order to get what I wanted, but I've realized that I don't have to have "My music playing at X volume" on the birth plan, because they have an iPod docking station there IN the room anyway. It's stuff like that I'm going to leave off. Other things, like delayed chord clamping and no visitors for the first hour are things I'll write on the birth plan. (my hospital has no visitor hours; you can basically have whoever whenever.)

mbredin · October 2012

I am a nurse and I work with gynecology oncology patients. I work with all the residents that also do labor and delivery. I've had to get transvaginal ultrasounds from residents that I work with because it was after hours so I was in L and D triage. Male residents actually. They were very professional and I don't think they really thought about it in the moment. But I can definantly see how you would feel awkward.

yinyang124 · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I already had to have a lot of people in the room because I had twins. 2 NICU teams of 5 people each, 2 nurses, 2 anesthesiologists, my MFM, 2 residents and my husband. I just didn't want extra gawkers.

doremi29 · October 2012

We won't be doing one. I feel like we handled everything pretty well the first time around and ::crosses fingers:: if this time goes similarly, I trust that DH can let them know my needs in times that I can't. That being said, we're not picky with how the delivery goes aside from reeeeally wanting a vaginal delivery and perineal massage during delivery by the OB (with oil), but that's what she does anyway, so I'll probably just mention it ahead of time and go from there.

laurakaz13 · October 2012

I knew what I wanted and they listened to me. I didn't write anything down.

mrsodonnell12 · October 2012

sschwege:

If all of your requests are standard then I don't see a need to write one.

I am using the same one I wrote last time because some of my requests are not standard.

This. If there is anything you want that is not standard, I would make sure they put it in your chart. I cant imagine answering questions in regards to my preferences in the middle of labor.

BuckeyeBride200 · October 2012

I had one, but left it at home! I'd already shared it w/ my OB. My hospital is very "baby friendly" so my requests were all standard for that hospital. My nurse asked me about my plan, and I verbally told her everything. For me, the birth plan helped me know what I wanted, and I was able to communicate that. It gave me more confidence to have a plan in mind and to know that my OB supported me. It sounds like you know what you want, and that you'll be able to verbalize that without a written plan. GL!

Mrs.DeliaMarieP · October 2012

Nope. I think that unless you plan to do special things like delayed cord clamping, or something else that goes against the "norm," there is no reason to have a birth plan.

dodo1202 · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

My MFM has already told me that I'll only have faculty member and senior residents because of HR. Also, I didn't have good experience with medical student last time when I went to triage for emergency. My MFM also understood that medical students, not residents/interns, don't know how to communicate with patients yet.

When I talked to my MFM about birth plan, he also told us that everything is standard and they will verify everything with me verbally first before proceed.

mrsodonnell12 · October 2012

yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Thank you! I need to add this to my birth plan. I do NOT want extra people in the room including students. I am all for students in a normal situation, but I want it quiet with as few people as possible or I KNOW it would slow down my labor and I do not want that. I will be adding this to my birth plan!

Randa&Jerm · October 2012

I never had an official one written down or anything. Just what I had talked with my dr before hand and would tell nurses on shift. No narcotics and let things go naturally and non invasive as possible. I will probably get an epidural again though.

I don't want anyone in the room but DH when I am in labor, but my family and friends know and respect that. I will call them or let them know otherwise when its ok to come visit after baby is born.

Everything else I would want is pretty standard with our hospital where baby never leaves the room unless there is an extreme medical need.

doggiemom4 · October 2012

I ask my doc all the time about this. She told me that as soon as I step foot into the hospital my birth plan could go flying out the window. She also told me to look at it with an open mind and not to stress myself out about the little things and that the nurses will accommodate any change or suggestion I may have at the time and if I end up changing my mind about whatever I told them.

That being said, she told me if there were specific things I wanted, then by all means let my nurses know and mull it over with DH so he can be sure that if something were to happen out of the ordinary he knows what's going on. I am very adamant about BFing (even in the case of c-sec and the given amount of time for my surgery), DH being there to hold DS first (if in case of c-sec), and getting DS circ'd at the hospital after he arrives.

HTH.

jennygirlmt · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was about to question this to. How in the world are they supposed to learn? A med student stitched me up and did a fabulous job. Obviously I had to consent to her being there and then for her to stitch, but my Ob was right next to her and I thought it was a great opportunity for her. Obviously if you don't want her to be involved is one thing, but to not be able to watch?

chicagobridelibby · October 2012

Originally, I thought that I would, however, not that I have had a chance to see how things are done at the hospital I will be at, I realize that it is not necessary. I think the best think about a birth plan is that it gets you to think about what you want, in advance.
I am, however, a strong believer in my doctor. I trust him; he has been to medical school. Our thoughts about birth are similar. I know he will do what is best for my baby and me.
As for medical students, I am all for it. I believe in teaching hospitals, and have always had the best experiences at them. I would not choose to give birth at a University hospital if I did not. I suppose that I feel like, if there is anything I can do to get the future care-takers of the world ready, then, let's do it. Mostly residents just observe anyway, so it isn't as though that would bother me.

mrsodonnell12 · October 2012

jennygirlmt:
SmileyGirl18:

yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was about to question this to. How in the world are they supposed to learn? A med student stitched me up and did a fabulous job. Obviously I had to consent to her being there and then for her to stitch, but my Ob was right next to her and I thought it was a great opportunity for her. Obviously if you don't want her to be involved is one thing, but to not be able to watch?

Because it can effect your labor- it can hinder your progress. Some people are comfortable with a crowd, others arent.

BLPL101 · October 2012

One of my closest friends is a postpartum nurse and she told me absolutely do not bring in a very detailed birth plan. She said when pregnant women come in with very long, detailed birth plans, they write C-Section on them. I was a bit shocked when she told me that.

mrsodonnell12 · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
mrsodonnell12:
jennygirlmt:
SmileyGirl18:

yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was about to question this to. How in the world are they supposed to learn? A med student stitched me up and did a fabulous job. Obviously I had to consent to her being there and then for her to stitch, but my Ob was right next to her and I thought it was a great opportunity for her. Obviously if you don't want her to be involved is one thing, but to not be able to watch?

Because it can effect your labor- it can hinder your progress. Some people are comfortable with a crowd, others arent.

No offense, but that makes no sense. Your body is not going to stop laboring because there are few people in the room. Do you honestly think that a contraction or progress is going to stop because someone walks into the room? Seems a little silly.

Wow..... I think you should maybe do some research before you post snarkiness at others. It 100% can effect your labor and it 100% can slow or stop your labor.

mrsodonnell12 · October 2012

BLPL101:
One of my closest friends is a postpartum nurse and she told me absolutely do not bring in a very detailed birth plan. She said when pregnant women come in with very long, detailed birth plans, they write C-Section on them. I was a bit shocked when she told me that.

That is seriously disturbing and makes me SO thankful to go to the hospital I go to. They have an appt specifically to write the birth plan out in detail.

Lady*Timot · October 2012

When DH was in Nursing school he was lucky enough to be one of the two students in his entire class to watch a live birth. He still says it effects him today, the mom/baby had issues so he was also able to see how the NICU team operates and does assessments.

(of course he says jokes that he slept though his OB classes so he's no help to me...haha)

I would let students watch me but again like PP's have said it's a personal thing. I know that my hubby is a better nurse for watching and not everyone gets to.

jobiann · October 2012

I'm not doing one, I trust my doctor 100% to take care of my and my baby. I've done my research, I know what I want and what my options are but I don't feel the need to write it up and hand it to my doctor/nurses. They know how to do their job...they do it every day!

sschwege · October 2012

mrsodonnell12:
SmileyGirl18:
mrsodonnell12:
jennygirlmt:
SmileyGirl18:

yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was about to question this to. How in the world are they supposed to learn? A med student stitched me up and did a fabulous job. Obviously I had to consent to her being there and then for her to stitch, but my Ob was right next to her and I thought it was a great opportunity for her. Obviously if you don't want her to be involved is one thing, but to not be able to watch?

Because it can effect your labor- it can hinder your progress. Some people are comfortable with a crowd, others arent.

No offense, but that makes no sense. Your body is not going to stop laboring because there are few people in the room. Do you honestly think that a contraction or progress is going to stop because someone walks into the room? Seems a little silly.

Wow..... I think you should maybe do some research before you post snarkiness at others. It 100% can effect your labor and it 100% can slow or stop your labor.

It may seem silly to you, but it is absolutely true, not just of humans, but all mammals. Think about an animal giving birth in nature, if they don't feel safe they can stall labor for hours or even days in some cases. It makes sense, would it be a good idea to give birth in a potentially dangerous situation?

Here's an interesting abstract that explains it better than I do:

In nature, when a laboring animal feels threatened or disturbed, the stress hormone catecholamine shuts down labor. Similarly, when a laboring woman does not feel safe or protected or when the progress of her normal labor is altered, catecholamine levels rise and labor slows down or stops. This column discusses the importance of providing labor support that respects the woman's privacy, protects her from unnecessary interventions, insures her safety, and allows her to trust her inherent ability to give birth normally.

Here's the link:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595201/

I'm all for students learning and don't have a problem with extra people in the room, but some people do and that should be respected.

sschwege · October 2012

BLPL101:
One of my closest friends is a postpartum nurse and she told me absolutely do not bring in a very detailed birth plan. She said when pregnant women come in with very long, detailed birth plans, they write C-Section on them. I was a bit shocked when she told me that.

This makes me sad, but not all hospitals are like this.

My MWs encourage their patients to write one, bring it to a regular visit, review it together, then post it in their file, along with asking you to bring another one to the hospital just in case. Mine was followed as best they could and afterward they pulled it from my file and asked if they could keep it (not sure why they wanted to keep it, but obviously it didn't get lost and it certainly didn't have c-section written on it!).

ForeverEverAfter · October 2012

I'm not doing a detailed one, but I'm going to have my big points written for DH to communicate to the nurse assigned to me. I'm also in the 'no students' camp. It's not just medical students that watch births, but nursing and paramedic students too. It can be a crowd. I'm pro-students in general, I let them try IVs on me when I was in ER, and they're more than welcome to access my chart and assess me before and after, but labour and delivery to me is personal. I only want my DH and necessary staff present, not even my mother. I'm a shy person, and I'm an ER nurse at this hospital, so would feel awkward if a room full of people I know saw me giving birth. The only other non standard things I'm requesting are delayed cord clamping, delayed eye ointment and not washing the baby's hands. Our hospital already does skin to skin and defaults to breastfeeding.

sschwege · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
sschwege:
mrsodonnell12:
SmileyGirl18:
mrsodonnell12:
jennygirlmt:
SmileyGirl18:

yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was about to question this to. How in the world are they supposed to learn? A med student stitched me up and did a fabulous job. Obviously I had to consent to her being there and then for her to stitch, but my Ob was right next to her and I thought it was a great opportunity for her. Obviously if you don't want her to be involved is one thing, but to not be able to watch?

Because it can effect your labor- it can hinder your progress. Some people are comfortable with a crowd, others arent.

No offense, but that makes no sense. Your body is not going to stop laboring because there are few people in the room. Do you honestly think that a contraction or progress is going to stop because someone walks into the room? Seems a little silly.

Wow..... I think you should maybe do some research before you post snarkiness at others. It 100% can effect your labor and it 100% can slow or stop your labor.
It may seem silly to you, but it is absolutely true, not just of humans, but all mammals. Think about an animal giving birth in nature, if they don't feel safe they can stall labor for hours or even days in some cases. It makes sense, would it be a good idea to give birth in a potentially dangerous situation?
Here's an interesting abstract that explains it better than I do:
In nature, when a laboring animal feels threatened or disturbed, the stress hormone catecholamine shuts down labor. Similarly, when a laboring woman does not feel safe or protected or when the progress of her normal labor is altered, catecholamine levels rise and labor slows down or stops. This column discusses the importance of providing labor support that respects the woman's privacy, protects her from unnecessary interventions, insures her safety, and allows her to trust her inherent ability to give birth normally.
Here's the link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595201/
I'm all for students learning and don't have a problem with extra people in the room, but some people do and that should be respected.
Ok, THIS makes sense about someone feeling threatened and physical reactions. Strictly not having med students in the room because they affect labor does not. The same reaction could be caused by a nurse, a roommate or anyone else. Who is say having a chatty nurse won't make you feel threatened? If you are that sensitive, your birth plan should list out exactly what upsets you, not just a certain group of people.

I think it stands to reason that for some people, the more people you have in the room the more uncomfortable that will make them. A few months ago I was reading about a woman who was molested as a child and was extremely scared to give birth because she was worried that deliver would bring all that back. This is not the case in this situation, just saying that for some people it could be extremely scary and the more people you add to the equation the more upsetting it might be.

sschwege · October 2012

SmileyGirl18:
sschwege:
SmileyGirl18:
sschwege:
mrsodonnell12:
SmileyGirl18:
mrsodonnell12:
jennygirlmt:
SmileyGirl18:

yinyang124:
The only things I put on my birth plan were no med students in room and to not ask if I want pain meds.

Why no med students? It isn't as if they would be there without a resident or attending.

I was about to question this to. How in the world are they supposed to learn? A med student stitched me up and did a fabulous job. Obviously I had to consent to her being there and then for her to stitch, but my Ob was right next to her and I thought it was a great opportunity for her. Obviously if you don't want her to be involved is one thing, but to not be able to watch?

Because it can effect your labor- it can hinder your progress. Some people are comfortable with a crowd, others arent.

No offense, but that makes no sense. Your body is not going to stop laboring because there are few people in the room. Do you honestly think that a contraction or progress is going to stop because someone walks into the room? Seems a little silly.

Wow..... I think you should maybe do some research before you post snarkiness at others. It 100% can effect your labor and it 100% can slow or stop your labor.
It may seem silly to you, but it is absolutely true, not just of humans, but all mammals. Think about an animal giving birth in nature, if they don't feel safe they can stall labor for hours or even days in some cases. It makes sense, would it be a good idea to give birth in a potentially dangerous situation?
Here's an interesting abstract that explains it better than I do:
In nature, when a laboring animal feels threatened or disturbed, the stress hormone catecholamine shuts down labor. Similarly, when a laboring woman does not feel safe or protected or when the progress of her normal labor is altered, catecholamine levels rise and labor slows down or stops. This column discusses the importance of providing labor support that respects the woman's privacy, protects her from unnecessary interventions, insures her safety, and allows her to trust her inherent ability to give birth normally.
Here's the link:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1595201/
I'm all for students learning and don't have a problem with extra people in the room, but some people do and that should be respected.
Ok, THIS makes sense about someone feeling threatened and physical reactions. Strictly not having med students in the room because they affect labor does not. The same reaction could be caused by a nurse, a roommate or anyone else. Who is say having a chatty nurse won't make you feel threatened? If you are that sensitive, your birth plan should list out exactly what upsets you, not just a certain group of people.
I think it stands to reason that for some people, the more people you have in the room the more uncomfortable that will make them. A few months ago I was reading about a woman who was molested as a child and was extremely scared to give birth because she was worried that deliver would bring all that back. This is not the case in this situation, just saying that for some people it could be extremely scary and the more people you add to the equation the more upsetting it might be.
This makes total sense and I understand in certain situations where it would be difficult to have certain people in the room. My point is that if it an issue, the issue should be outlined in a birth plan, not just simply "no med students."

I see what you are saying, something like, "Only essential medical staff."

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