Birth plan...please look at mine and share yours?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Birth plan

? Mobile and upright as much as possible during labour ? monitoring to a minimum
? Use of gas and air. Epidural to be available if requested.
? Prefer to tear naturally than episiotomy
? Syntocenine injection for delivery of placenta to be given asap
? Husband to tell me sex of the baby
? Husband to cut the cord if he wants to
? Breastfeeding asap after birth
? No vitamin K injection unless birth has been traumatic for baby.
?

Can you think of anything I have missed? I read someone's on here that was incredibly detailed and I'm not that bothered about every detail, but I need to put down the vital things so we don't forget in the heat of the moment.

[reban]

why have you asked for no vitamin k injection?

[ShowOfHands]

I didn't have a birth plan as I didn't want to become fixated on a 'way' of doing it. I knew my community midwives very well though so they knew what I wanted from the birth and stuck to it until they couldn't.

Just one thing, 'epidural to be available if requested'. Are you going private? I know that when I transferred in after 6 hours of pushing, I had to wait for 1.5hrs for an available anaesthetist who wasn't dealing with a crash section or emergency RTA incident to site my spinal block for the em cs. If your labour is progressing normally, you're in an NHS hospital and the anaesthetists are busy then you may have to wait or it may even be too late. Have you thought of other pain relief options. What about water?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Re Vit K - it's to prevent something that happens to one in 10 000 babies, and for those that do get it, it's associated with certain medications that the mother has taken, or with ventouse.forceps delivery. So If I have a normal delivery I have about one in 30 000 chance of it being relevant. I know there are no real drawbacks apart from having to inject the muscle of a newborn baby, but that's enough for us. If the baby needs it, it will have it.
No, I'm not going private and I know it might be impossible to have an epidural, I just mean that I would have one if it became appropriate, but it's not a first choice. Maybe I'll word that differently! I don't fancy the birthing pool, to be honest.

[bealcain]

cord cut after finished pulsating?

why would you prefer tear?

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

I prefer to tear because the skin heals more quickly and efficiently if it has torn along the grain than if it has been cut. Plus a cut is likely to continue tearing a little so you are likely to end up with a longer wound than if you tear.
In my hospital I know they try to leave it to tear if possible but I know there are some where episiotomies are more routine.
That's a good point about the cord - do they often cut it before it finishes? How long does it take to finish pulsating? I'd like it cut quite quickly!

[bealcain]

it can take up to 20mins, but baby can still breastfeed whilst attached. basically it just means that you're not wasting any cord blood and that the baby can't be snatched away too soon!!

[dinkystinky]

It looks fine Kat2907 - but bear in mind, that a birth plan is more a list of wishes, so the real birth may not follow your plan.

The other things you may wish to suggest are (i) choice of position for giving birth (basically if possible you dont want to be on your back in stirrups - a good midwife will help you find the best position for you) (ii) help with perineum when giving birth (good midwife will tell you when to push and pant and will seek to minimise tearing that way) (iii) skin to skin contact (particularly important for you/partner if you end up having a c-section which sometimes can happen) and (iv) also use of water for pain relief (appreciate you dont want to give birth in pool but lots of women find getting into water is great for them - I know gas and air made me feel sick and I couldnt use it, so is a good idea to keep your options open)

[dinkystinky]

It looks fine Kat2907 - but bear in mind, that a birth plan is more a list of wishes, so the real birth may not follow your plan.

The other things you may wish to suggest are (i) choice of position for giving birth (basically if possible you dont want to be on your back in stirrups - a good midwife will help you find the best position for you) (ii) help with perineum when giving birth (good midwife will tell you when to push and pant and will seek to minimise tearing that way) (iii) skin to skin contact (particularly important for you/partner if you end up having a c-section which sometimes can happen) and (iv) also use of water for pain relief (appreciate you dont want to give birth in pool but lots of women find getting into water is great for them - I know gas and air made me feel sick and I couldnt use it, so is a good idea to keep your options open)

[nailpolish]

dont forget to go over your birth plan with dh

you might not be able to talk to the mw and she might not know your birth plan off by heart - so dh might have to let them know your wishes

but also dont forget - try to enjoy it! i enjoyed both my labours and births

good luck

[dinkystinky]

Sorry - somehow managed to post twice there!

[laura325630]

It looks the same as mine. I had a 2 hour and didnt have time to get mine out of my bag! Ended up being v.mobile which I think made it quicker, had gas and air (lovely stuff) and tore which healed quickly. Make sure you share it with your midwife as soon as you get there. Also go over it with dh so that he can pass on the details if you cannot. Good luck x

[ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight]

Thanks guys! No I know it might not go according to plan...that's why I'm trying to stick to the basics so that it's not all 'must have mood lighting and soft conversation'...I think you either (for example) give the vit K or not as it were, so it's worth having it written down. It's also not too long so hopefully the MW might look at it!
As far as perineum and pushing support goes, I'm happy to let the MW lead on that. I tried gas and air last night and loved it