Birth Plans

MollyandD · July 2016

It's early, but have you put thought into your birth plan or the type of birth you want yet? I'm planning a midwife-assisted home birth in a birthing pool. If something happens that makes this no longer an option, I'll use the hospital I was born in to deliver my baby. I am planning on using either Hynobabies or Hypnobirthing techniques for pain management. I'm also working out 4 times a week now, but will probably lower that as I get big and round. I'm trying to keep my body healthy and strong.

I know I can't plan when I give birth, but I'm hoping it happens at night. I imagine having low lights and maybe a fire in the fireplace. I want calm music playing and candles lit around the room. If I'm up for it, I'd also like to have some Netflix comedies playing while I labor. I want to laugh in between contractions.

I look forward to hearing your birth plans or what you imagine for yourselves.

hippiemama-2 · July 2016

@MollyandD You are a stronger woman than I. This sounds like a really beautiful experience, and I truly hope you get it!

Me on the other hand....I plan on having a hospital birth and pray that there is time for an epidural. I was on the fence regarding medication last time and after a day and a half in labor, desperately clinging to EVERY surface in sight - I am not playing around this time.

Give me all the drugs.

MollyandD · July 2016

@hippiemama you're not less strong. You're just choosing what works for you, and that's great that you know what you want! I hope you get enough drugs to be able to enjoy your birth the way you want to. Do you have preferences when it comes to other aspects of the birth? Like immediate skin to skin or anything?

hippiemama-2 · July 2016

@MollyandD Absolutely skin to skin directly after and for as long as we can! I sobbed through the entire experience last time. For a generally doesn't cry kind of gal, I am a sobfest when it comes to my kids<3. We've also talked a little about delayed chord clamping and potentially donating the chord blood (butif I'm remembering correctly, you can't do both, right?)

While my first post probably made me seem like an epidural loving crazy person ... I do believe in alternative practices too! For example, I am 100% doing placenta encapsulation.

Faith1318 · July 2016

Birth plan is the same as with my first three -- in-hospital, med-free. But plans can change... I remember that epidural sounding pretty good at some point each time, and one was almost an emergency c-section!

MollyandD · July 2016

I'm doing delayed cord clamping and placenta encapsulation too. My midwife said she can order some vegetarian caps, since I don't eat gelatin.

hippiemama-2 · July 2016

MollyandD said:

I'm doing delayed cord clamping and placenta encapsulation too. My midwife said she can order some vegetarian caps, since I don't eat gelatin.

Vegan capsules here!. Are you doing the Traditional Chinese or Raw route for them?!

Scarlett830 · July 2016

Last time I had planned for a med free vaginal with the option to use the hospital jacuzzi for pain relief, but after laboring for a day and a half at < 3CM and being told I could either go home again or have an epidural and my waters broken, I chose the latter. We ended up with a c-section.

This time my birth plan is still pretty much the same. Not opposed to oral pain relief, but I prefer to try without the epidural. I'm hoping for a VBAC, but have a sneaky suspicion that I won't be able to due to less than a year between pregnancies. We'll find out next Tuesday though, I guess.

MollyandD · July 2016

@Scarlett830 if hospitals in my area had jacuzzi options, I might choose that. But that don't do that around here.

@hippiemama I'm having the, encapsulated raw, I think. The midwife will do that part. She offers the cooked way and the raw way. I want raw and dehydrated. I don't eat meat unless it comes from my own body, apparently.

Bluebird2318 · July 2016

Hospital delivery since this will be my second VBAC and I would prefer to have doctors immediately on hand if I do end up needing the c-section. I plan on doing what I did last time, which was to go med-free for as long as I felt I could stand it. I can't remember how long I labored without the epi, I wanna say 6-8 hours, but even with pitocin I was not getting anywhere. I had gotten checked into triage at 3 PM but by the time it was 3 AM the pain was so bad I was holding back vomit. All that and I was only at 2-3 cm, so I went for the epi and got some sleep.

I was hellbent on a successful VBAC and didn't want something like exhaustion to be the reason I would have to repeat C. Sounds silly, but I wasn't getting anywhere without the epi and I had heard that some people don't progress as well when they're stressed (by exhaustion/pain/etc). Unfortunately labor tubs were not an option for me as a VBAC patient since I needed constant internal monitoring.

I'm gonna try longer med-free this time but I'd be perfectly happy with a repeat of last time. Immediate skin-to-skin, with DH calling the sex of the baby (team green this time).

MissPrint1219 · July 2016

hippiemama said:

Give me all the drugs.

THIS.

kjd291 · July 2016

Last babe I had a written birth plan and the nurses kinda laughed at me... They went over it all and assured me that everything I wanted was how they did things anyway. Maybe up here in Maine the care is more earthy crunchy

but all the things I thought I had to fight for was what they encouraged--different positions for pushing, water labor, music, massage, limited intervention, immediate skin to skin, immediate breast feeding, no bottle feeding, leaving Lo in same room as me, ect. So I'm not so hellbent on having a birth plan this time around.

wintersong · July 2016

I found the birthplan was more helpful for talking over with m midwife ahead of time to make sure we were on the same page and for my husband to know to answer questions. I never pulled it out or anything. I will write one up again, but more as way to clarify things for myself and my husband.

CaseyMP27 · July 2016

I didn't do a birth plan for either of my kiddos. However, I'm a surrogate so I'm sure I'll sit with the parents and put some thoughts on paper. I have already put out that I'm an epidural lady! I love hanging out on the exercise ball as long as possible prior to the epi.

Phil413 · July 2016

MissPrint1219 said:

hippiemama said:

Give me all the drugs.

THIS.

Yep. Same here. Tattoo it on my forehead.

nursemama-2 · July 2016

I care more about after delivery things. For the labour I will likely do med free again with a history of fast labours and in hospital with a midwife. I would like the bay skin to skin immediately and my husband to cut the cord. I don't want baby taken from my chest until they first nurse. No bottles for 4 weeks (assuming nursing is going well). I want my kids to be the first to meet the baby other than us. I'm looking into hypnobabies. If I decide to get an epidural then that's fine, but it likely won't happen.

nursemama-2 · July 2016

Oh and I want avoid induction! Med free induction with pitocin was no joke.

Scarlett830 · July 2016

@kjd291 I was concerned about having to fight for all the same things as you too with my first, so I opted to be treated by the midwives at my practice rather than the OBs. Turns out that the OB who happened to be on call when I went in was extremely into letting me labor exactly how I wanted until I stalled and got an epidural. I'm going with her again, I loved her so much!

KellyT22 · July 2016

My only plan is to be awake to actually experience my child being born.

AverageAsh · July 2016

Same as last time, med free, hospital delivery. This time HAS to be shorter so I know it can be done. Our OB is really crunchy so last time we took him our Birth Wish List (things we prefer if there isn't anything to prevent them) and he just nodded vigorously. Skin to skin, delayed cord clamping, nursing immediately etc.

librarymom917 · July 2016

My first labor delivery was a c section I was put under for, so anything other than that would be an improvement. I felt labor pains last time when my epidural wore off on my left side so I know I'm absolutely getting an epidural because I have low pain tolerance. I'm hoping not to be induced or have my water broken, I hope it happens naturally. I am really really hoping for a vbac so the recovery is faster and easier than a c section. I do want immediate skin to skin and delayed cord clamping.

AverageAsh · July 2016

Also, I HIGHLY recommend Hypnobabies. Even just the tracks on Amazon helped a bunch. I imagine the classes are GOLDEN.

clarereedy · July 2016

I'm going to have a c-section - not trying for VBAC. Like one of the girls said, give me all the drugs! I had an epidural last time as soon as I got to the hospital. I was expecting that I would probably have a csection last time since they though my son was going to be big. (He was t that big, but he wasn't descending). I also went straight to formula. My son did spend the entire five day hospital stay in my room and the hospital I will deliver in this time is doing away with their nursery so it will be the same this time.

Schumerator · July 2016

So glad to see so many women that have already done a med free birth! All my friends think I'm nuts for even wanting to try! I won't be devastated if it doesn't work out and I decide I want the epidural, but I would love to give it my best try! So med free, vaginal birth, laboring the way I want to, at home for as long as possible before heading to the hospital = my wish list

I'm so nervous for DH, he's usually a very relaxed guy but I think seeing me in unbearable pain is going to scare the shit out of him lol

kiyamurph · July 2016

The plan is to do what I did last time and hold off on the epidural for as long as I can. I was 7cm and had labored for about 8 hours. I progressed pretty quickly for it being the first go around. I was severely dehydrated and didn't realize it at the time and was so exhausted I kept feeling like I was going to pass out. Finally I asked for the epidural and it was best thing ever. I took a much needed nap and got some rest. If the same thing happens again I'll be perfectly happy.

korpisar · July 2016

I think I'm going to have a repeat c section. DS was breech and born not breathing with the cord wrapped around his neck twice. I am nervous to try a VBAC. I will be discussing options and risks with my dr prior to finalizing my decision. Only thing I would like is to hold the baby right after birth which i did not have last time as it was an emergency and he had to be hauled off to the NICU immediately.

msirni0 · July 2016

Ideally--i would like to do a med free birth in the hospital. Though I know things don't always go as planned. This is my first pregnancy, so I don't know how I will handle the pain of labor, and of course things can come up to throw a wrench in plans. Definitely want to do skin to skin and no bottles.

chrlyr · July 2016

I'm having a RCS, which I'm actually thrilled about. All I have to do is show up. I'll try skin to skin this time and hopefully avoid the NICU this time around. I'll give BFing a go, although it didn't really work for me last time. That's really as much thought as I'm putting into it.

AverageAsh · July 2016

@Schumerator start looking into having a doula! They can support you and your husband to make him feel more involved in the process:)

JAGinMI · July 2016

I am excited to see all the ladies hoping for a med-free birth on here! I highly recommend the book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth". It is unbelievably crunchy, and I-am-woman-hear-me-roar but it empowers you and reminds you that you CAN do this (barring no medical issues that make it not possible, of course). I needed all of that leading up to the birth! I would take my med-free birth over my epidural birth every day of the week. With that said, I am not someone who is going to say never. I was lucky to have a short med-free birth. If it had gone on for hours upon hours/days, I am not sure if I would have made it.

I want the same as last time - let me go as far as 42 weeks if all is well, no induction if at all possible (but open to membrane sweeps and breaking water for me if it doesn't happen naturally during labor), only intermittent fetal monitoring, no hep lock, laboring in any position that feels comfortable, delayed cord clamping, immediate skin to skin and breastfeeding. I need to look into placenta encapsulation now!

MollyandD · July 2016

JAGinMI said:

I am excited to see all the ladies hoping for a med-free birth on here! I highly recommend the book "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth".

I bought it on Amazon and am reading it now!

sammajane19 · July 2016

i haven't thought TOO much about it yet (i'm still at the stage where i'm taking tests every few days to ensure that yes, i am still pregnant, and yes, that line IS getting darker.....) but i do know that i want to try a med free, vaginal birth, NOT in a hospital room but a birthing center (assuming we can afford it) with a certified nurse midwife as my guide. i do NOT like hospitals and i'm having a really hard time imagining myself being totally comfortable giving birth in one. of course, i know plans change. and this is my first pregnancy, so i don't know how i'll handle being pain-free. i do want the ability to eat, to move around, change positions, etc. SO MUCH TO THINK ABOUT!

MollyandD · July 2016

@Sammajane19 I had wanted to use a birth center, but the one in my area won't be open until January. I'm too worried that there would be a delay in opening. I hired a midwife to come to me instead. I'm actually saving money, because the midwife costs less than my $3,000 insurance deductible. Plus, my insurance will start over in January, so none of my 2016 appointments would count toward the deductible when the baby is born.

EALasagna45 · July 2016

I'm currently reading Ina May's Guide to Childbirth too. For all of you book lovers out there my mom purchased literally 11 baby books for me (you could say she's excited) from thriftbooks.com and the total came to less than $40! I had never heard of that website before and we're both bargain hunters so I figured I should spread the word in case anybody was interested.

MrsNap_515 · July 2016

My birth plan is whatever helps LO arrive safely, all plans went out the window last time because of emergency, so I'm just going into this excited to meet LO, and whatever they need to do to get him/her here safely! It's nice to have a plan, but in reality, they will probably all change based on situtations

Sugargirl1019 · July 2016

My mom had all four of us vaginally and med free. I'm like geez mom that's a lot to live up to! Talk about pressure! Hopefully her genetics carry through to me and I won't require a c section?

I would love to use a jacuzzi tub or something.. but none of the hospitals I know of here have them. Plus I'm all high risk and crap. Blah for monitoring and hospitals.

I definitely plan on having a doula though.

MollyandD · July 2016

@sugargirl1019 I would definitely hire a doula too if I were having a hospital birth, especially in my area. The hospitals near me tend to be very intervention happy, and that's just not what I want.

It's great that so many of you live in areas that are more progressive and have many more options! For me get what I want in my area, it has to be a home birth.

catrb89 · July 2016

I plan to have a hospital birth, but with a lot of moving around until I cave for the epidural. Having a midwife guide me through everything would be ideal, but I have heard great things about my doc. Very excited to meet him and see the birthing rooms on 8/1!!
Otherwise, I plan on watching blooper reels to keep myself laughing through the contractions.

vino831 · July 2016

I'm sure you've done your research but I did hypnobabies last time and will be doing hypnobirthing this time.

I went to the hypnobabies classes and practiced religiously but it was really hard to use during labor.

I talked to my doula after (also mother of 4 who has used both) and she said it best -

Hypno babies tells you in the track "you're now feeling....."

Where in hypnobirthing the track will suggest "try to allow yourself to feel"

She hit the nail on the head for me!! During my last labor using hypnobabies I never felt I was where the track was telling me I should and just ended up with them off. So I'm really excited to use hypnobirthing this time.

Doesn't mean it's for you but thought I'd share! :-)

On another note I LOVE your plan. I'm trying for a water birth round two. Last time we had meconium in the fluid and had to go to the hospital. While I was disappointed I remained flexible enough that it was okay and the hospital staff was amazing... the monitors however enourage me to try again lol!!!

MollyandD · July 2016

@vino831 thank you for your opinion! Most of what I looked at online had people preferring Hypnobabies. They liked the "switch" or something between off and center, whatever that means.

kjd291 · July 2016

@Scarlett830 isn't it funny how that works!?. Glad you loved her and can go with her again!!

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