Who is writing one? What are some of your wishes. I have seen some birthing plan posts on other boards, if we have one on ours i apologize I just haven't seen it. My concern is I don't want to sound like a princess. In nursing school whenever a woman had a birthing plan the nurses would go, "oh yeah she is having a c-section" and kind of laugh unfortunately. I like the idea of having the plan and then also being flexible that things may change and not go according to exactly what I want. My plan is pretty basic, I would like to try for med free and vaginal delivery without pitocin and if need be we make changes. If I need pitocin or a c-section or decide I want and epi then I need it.
Re: Birth plan
Birthing Plan
· Fyi: Baby’s sex is a surprise. If nurse/doctor knows the sex please refrain from saying what it is. Refer to baby as baby and not he/she/him/her.
· Student nurses welcome in room as long as they are respectful and quiet during pushing, I want to help with learning process if I can.
· Please help me achieve a vaginal, med free labor
o Do not offer pain meds or ask about my pain. My husband will come to the nurses if I would like pain medication.
o No epidural unless my husband comes to nursing staff
o No Pitocin or c-section unless last resort/ all other options exhausted or medical emergency. Pitocin preferred over c-section.
o I would like to labor in various positions, move around a lot and use the tub
o Saline lock ok
o Perineal massage preferred over episiotomy
· Husband to cut umbilical cord
· Immediate skin to skin contact
· Breast feeding exclusively- do not feed baby formula.
· Circumcision for boy
· We are choosing to vaccinate baby
In event of C-Section:
o I want to be as alert as possible
o Husband to announce sex of baby to room
o If possible, I would like my chest exposed for immediate skin to skin contact and have skin to skin while the doctors are closing me up.
o Husband wants to cut umbilical cord
My birth plan goes something like this. Labor for as long as I can naturally, get the epi, and try to have a healthy baby, and delivery. However that may happen.
I wanted to try med free, but my pain tolerence is very low.
TTC #1 since 9/2012
BFP #1 2/16/13, EDD 10/13/13, CP 2/21/13
BFP #2 6/2/13
Baby J-Bug 2/8/14 My Wedding Bio from back in the day
Many of these things sound like they'll violate hospital policy. I mean, obviously it varies but some wouldn't be allowed at any hospital I've heard of. I'd ask your doctor.
Specifically the pain thing.. They're supposed to ask. They're supposed to ask how you are and if you want anything. It's part of good patient management. They're not trying to be pushy, but hospitals are graded on asking about pain.
And the csection stuff... Many times no nonstaff is allowed past the drape,l because it would break the "sterile field" and risk you and be a HUGE liability thing. Your H cutting the cord and coming around the drape to be the first to see baby's sex and announce it might not be allowed... And really, even if he's tough and has seen many surgeries, he might feel pretty queasy to see YOUR abdomen cut open. Dh has seen hundreds of procedures and done many dissections and said the only time he nearly passed out was when he caught a glimpse of my incision during my section.
Csextions are pretty darn quick, especially urgent ones. I'd talk to your doctor to find out policies. More reasonable ones are to allow dh to stay with baby, to keep baby in or with you until you're moved to recovery, unrestrained arms, a mirror so you can watch baby come out...
and i asked a lot of questions about my c-section now that i need one... rondack is right, DH crossing the curtain breaks the sterile field. he may be able to cut the cord if it's not an emergency situation.
also, FYI- if you have a c-section and it's an emergency situation, everything on your list will be thrown out the window. (i've asked... it's a real possibility in my near future!) for emergencies they may knock you out completely because it's faster/easier for them to do it that way, and if baby is in distress they won't be having DH cut the cord or even look at the baby- they'll just take him out, cut the cord, and stabilize him ASAP.
that's just what i've learned about emergency c-sections.. i suppose all hospitals could do things differently, but that all makes perfect sense to me so it wouldn't surprise me if it were standard stuff. of course, healthy baby is most important, so IMO it's okay to have other things left out for the safety of the baby.
@djtippietoes I know you have lots of growth scans, do you ask what position he's in every time?
I know I'm a few weeks behind you(32 today) so mine still has more room to move, but this kid flips like, every day. He could be flipped and back by the time you see him!
TTC #1 since 9/2012
BFP #1 2/16/13, EDD 10/13/13, CP 2/21/13
BFP #2 6/2/13
Baby J-Bug 2/8/14 My Wedding Bio from back in the day
Another thought, they also told us that if we are strongly in favor of an unmedicated birth, to reiterate this verbally when we first arrive at L&D so that we could be teamed up with particular staff who specialize in facilitating this. This is not to say that they won't respond to any changes along the way (preferences or situations), but just that they will work extra hard to support your preference/process.
I didn't have much of a "plan" beforehand either- I think there's something to be said for going with the flow and letting the professionals and your body do their thing. So many women go into birth with such detailed plans, and get so disappointed when things happen differently. I definitely wanted certain things... But I kept an open mind about things happening not according to my "plan". Which I think has helped me now that I'm 100% having a c-section and nothing in this pregnancy is going according to "plan"
Another thought, they also told us that if we are strongly in favor of an unmedicated birth, to reiterate this verbally when we first arrive at L&D so that we could be teamed up with particular staff who specialize in facilitating this. This is not to say that they won't respond to any changes along the way (preferences or situations), but just that they will work extra hard to support your preference/process.
Interesting! I love that! (The second part, about the L&D staff)
I am with you on this one @ziggy903 . I have to be induced for medical reasons, so other then the planned induction, I just want to let my doctors and body do whatever it's supposed to. Now don't get me wrong, if I don't like something I will speak up. However I do agree sometimes birth plans just aren't for everyone.
I've learned about different meds and procedures and interventions and feel comfortable speaking up about what I want and do not want during birth. But I'm not walking in with a plan. I will do what feels right in the moment.
I have had a somewhat difficult pregnancy, so I really do feel like how he gets here isn't as important to me as him actually getting here. I see what you mean about the best case scenario, and I understand that having a birth plan is important to people, but it's just not to me. I might change my mind as the date nears closer, I suppose.
Thanks for answering me. I can definitely understand that problems and complications can be very overwhelming, and make the smaller details less important!
Nope- we've had a nice civil conversation here today, which is lovely! It's clear to me that your ultimate goal is a healthy mom and baby, but if you can have a couple other things that would be nice I love the change of "plan" to "preferences"... It makes a huge difference to me!
ETA because spelling is hard
The more I think about it the more I am convinced that this is a partnership between your dr and you. If my dr remains open to certain things I will go for it. If he seems to be someone who will snort at my plan I rather just concentrate on basics. My priority is that the baby is doing well after birth so want them to concentrate on him 100% and that they do a good job in ensuring they stitch me up really well rather than think through if I want skin to skin or who cut the cord or got that matter what music is in the background. Perhaps that is what my plan is!
Sorry I don't have the medical terms, but hopefully this makes sense. Oh, and I've had fentanyl for pain via a patch and IV... NOT the same effect as however it's used in an epidural.
Someone on my old BMB had the same concerns about narcotics as @codypup, and she ended up having a c/s (with epi obviously) and chose to only use Motrin for pain afterward.
Also, my phone just tried to autocorrect moms to m&ms. So I think you need a network of m&ms too.