Advice on Birth Plam

[MrsNewYear]

Does this seem okay? Too much info? Not enough?

Thanks xxx

Birth Plan

? My birth partner will be my husband, John. My mother and sister may also be present, I will decide at the time if I wish them to be in the room or not.
? I would like to be able to play music, change the ambient temperature, change the level of light etc. throughout the labour and birth. I believe I will mainly want the room to be quiet dark and quiet to enable me to focus especially during the second stage. If you need to speak with a colleague or with John, please do so quietly.
? I would like to spend most of my labour, including the birth of my baby, in the birth pool. This is for both relaxation and pain relief.
? I may use Entonox, however, please do not offer any pain relief unless I request it.
? I would like to limit the amount of internal examinations, and do not wish my waters to be artificially ruptured.
? I am keen to avoid perineal damage and would appreciate advice on the best way to birth my baby to accomplish this, but if necessary, would rather naturally tear than have an episiotomy.
? I would like to catch the baby myself, with some assistance from the midwife. I would then like the baby to be placed on my chest ?skin-to-skin?.
? I would like a delayed actively managed third stage, with cord clamping and cutting delayed until the cord has stopped pulsating. After this, I would appreciate it if you could administer drugs to help me deliver the placenta.
? Please offer my husband the option to cut the cord.
? I would prefer to remain in the water until the placenta has been delivered.
? I am happy for my baby to be given vitamin K, but would prefer drops than the injection.
? I would like to breastfeed my baby, and would appreciate as much support as possible to do this.

? If it is necessary to transfer to hospital, I will do so, however, please do not offer this as an alternative if things are progressing slowly.
? I would prefer to avoid a caesarean section if at all possible.

[foxytocin]

mine was about 2 pages long for my second but i had lots of issshhhooozzzz stemming from the first.

[tinkisabigpinksparklybauble]

sounds good 2 me

[MrsNewYear]

Thanks for that, guys.

[onwardandmerrilyupward]

Tis good, Mrsy

I'd say "I would like to catch the baby myself, with some assistance from the midwife, and will then bring the baby up to my chest to be placed skin to skin. Unless there are urgent medical reasons, please delay weighing etc until later." Or something. It wasn't a problem for me last time - they were quite happy for me to be doing the skin-to-skin for ages, but you might get a midwife who is expecting to whisk them off for some sort of check, so worth arresting that.

Watch out for the slow progression bit - they WILL get quite strongly pressurising if the first thing which happens is that your waters break. Find out from AIMS what the current protocol is for how long you would then get before being transferred. And, in retrospect, I wish I had been able to ignore being in pre-labour rather than getting all excited and using up energy early (with a labour of 32 hours and then all the excitement of the baby being there, I lost two nights of sleep and was seriously seriously hallucinating on the way home before I retired to bed for a couple of hours to sleep). So... if it all starts off slowly, I'd advise you to pretend nothing is happening, unless the waters have gone when I guess you ought to tell someone (though I wish I hadn't) and then maybe you'll stay more compos mentis through the process than I did last time.

Oh - and - if at all possible, get each new midwife to read the plan when she/he enters the room. The midwife who was actually there for the delievery with my first child had only just come on shift, and arrived with me in transition. No moment to read the birth plan, and therefore the whole no-placenta jab/no cord cutting straight away stuff went completely out of the window because she just went on her normal train tracks. Might be worth having mum or sister with multiple copies of the birth plan ready to go through with whoever arrives before they even get near you?

And I like the way you leave very open how it's actually going to be. Which is right, since none of us have any idea till we get there!!!

[chilledmincepiemama]

Can see ou are planning HB and WB - v .nice...that's what I did too.

Top tip...laminate any bits of paper that are important!!!!!!!My DH managed to get our list of important phone numbers in the bath before I got it...luckily I had a back-up but friend suggested laminating as way to avoid duplication! Or you could get a less clumsy DH

[nuttygirl]

I would maybe change the bit about transfer to hospital to something like "If you feel a transfer to hospital is necessary, please discuss this with me so that I can make an informed choice" or something to that effect so that they don't just come up with a reason because you're progressing slowly iyswim.

[MrsNewYear]

Thanks for all the advice - I'll certainly do the laminating bit, I have visions of it floating past me in the birthing pool!

[snuffyp]

i think the best plan is to have no plan and just go with the flow when the day comes! i said i was doing this not having that and it all went out the window!

[XmasPud]

sounds lovely

As someone who found making a plan comforting and a great way to get my head round the labour and birth, I do see the benefit of it. However, as someone who had two births go dramatically off course and result in totally unplanned for experiences, be careful that you are realistic in your aims. Be prepared but please be aware that if it does not go to your plan, you will not have "failed" or let yourself down. It is a brilliant, open minded and positive plan - please keep open minded and positive about it is it does all go a bit skewy. I am not saying this to bring you down as I think your plan is really practical and sensible. Just as a gentle reminder as I know how upset I was when my plan went out the window with DD1. DD2 the plan went "wrong" with a seriously last minute hospital transfer and complications BUT I was prepared for it going tits up and so did not let it throw me emotionally.

Also think the laminating idea is brilliant for a water birth. Nice thinking