Or is this birth plan okay?

[1997r2017]

Basically, i dont want an extra long birth plan as i feel it will be ignored, also i know that forceps/venthouse could be needed but i feel like they are more likely to avoid then if i just say no.
Is there anything ive forgotten?
Please excuse my writing xxxx

Its fine and mostly irrelevant if you need intervention it will need to happen if you don't it wont happen.
Make sure to brief you partner though.

Good luck

Birth plans are not really necessary ! Just go with flow is my advice

I really don't understand why you would write a plan saying you don't want ventouse/forceps. Nobody wants them, but if you need them then you need them and your plan makes no difference either way.

How i mean it, is i would prefer a csection to forceps/venthouse if possible, i know theres 3 types of forceps and for 2 of them a csection is a possible alternive, i understand that 'outlet' forceps may be needed. But the others to ny knowledge are avoidable and a csection is usually possible.

Best idea is to go with the flow because then you won't be disappointed. A lot of people beat themselves up after because the birth didn't go the way they planned, and guess what they don't.

Plus you might change your mind in labour I couldn't even stand listening to music in labour the room had to be so quiet, I never realised until labour why I would want it's odd really.

I wanted to be in the bath and stuff before hand but the water sped up my contractions so that idea went out the window fast.

You get the birth you get my dear

There is a reason that No one even does these for their second kids

Good luck !

Honestly I would scrub the first part - at least the forceps / ventouse and episiotomy. Nobody wants these unless absolutely necessary. But I believe there is a risk of feeling very negative about your birth, after your birth, if you approach it with a very fixed idea of what you don't want and then those things have to happen.

So I would say just focus on what you would like to happen, but on things you can control, e.g. "I'd like to choose the most comfortable position for me" rather than "I don't want to be on my back".

I mean this all kindly and in the sense of maximising your feelings of control - but being realistic about what you actually can control in an unpredictable situation.

Good luck with your birth and beyond!

My midwives said its best not to put things you don't want (such as forceps, etc) as they are only used when necessary. But do put things you do want

So have a section during labour

I would like to be mobile
I would like a water birth
I would like pain relief of first gas and air, tens machine, then pethedine, then epidural
My partner will be with me throughout
I do/do not mind having students present

Third stage
I do/do not want hormone injection (i think it's oxytocin) to speed up delivery of placenta
I do/do not want vit k
I want immediate skin to skin contact
I want gmgelp with breastfeeding, please could you check the latch every feed

Maybe specify that you would prefer c section over forceps etc so it is clear.

Other than that looks a good plan, like others have said though it's hard to plan for ultimately! Try relax and go with flow. Hope you have a happy and healthy birth when it comes

My birth plan said: Get the baby out.

Perhaps a tad flippant, but I put myself and my baby in the hands of the experts and just went with it.

Good luck!

I know, i heard that they were a waste, but i got told to do one soo here it is aha🤷🏻‍♀️ I just hve really bad anxiety about hospitals, i was tempted to have a homebirth but not with my first, if this birth is ok then i will with the others

but none of that will be your choice. If you need intervention you will get what is appropriate, not what you'd prefer.

Here's my birth plan

• waters break
• squeeze baby out
• go home

I had twins in Sept, first pregnancy, didn't want to do a birth plan as I was worried enough without the added stress of things not going to "plan".

Midwife encouraged me to do it so I done one, no opioids as I'd vomit, walking epidural if allowed, minimal monitoring, able to change position and walk around, minimal staff in room.

Then I wrote "but I'm very aware that as a high risk pregnancy I will have several members of the team in the room and that intervention, constant monitoring, an epidural and theatre are likely - this is also fine ". Covered all bases then!

I

I'm not sure where the idea of c section rather than forceps/ventouse has come from, but generally forceps or ventouse is used fairly late in labour, just to help reposition baby's head if they're coming at a slightly odd angle.

At this point c section wouldn't be possible (please anyone else correct me if I'm wrong)

At least that's what I understood from antenatal class last week.

Birth plans are not totally a waste, they'll give the midwives a general idea of what you envisage, will help them to know about students being present, will ESP help with what they should be doing for you once baby is born.

My first birth was quick, and so for my second the midwives got me to write in big capitals that my first labour was only 3 hours so to admit me at first signs of contractions as i went from 6cm to baby out in 20 minutes previously.

I do think it's worth saying (and making clear to midwives beforehand) that if there's any reason to suppose things are not going to be straightforward, you want to go straight to C-section. I was lucky: I had a really unproblematic labour and delivery, but if, for example, I hadn't gone into labour naturally, I would have refused an induction and asked for a section instead.

That said, I didn't think at the time that there was any point in making one at all: I really offended my midwife when I laughed and said "as if anyone's going to pay any attention to that". Birth is inherently unpredictable, and there are plenty of threads on here to show women often really aren't listened to in labour.

So the exercise is worthwhile, it's worth knowing what you want and what you really don't want (I didn't want pethidine as I react badly to it, and I had that in the birth plan so that I had some written evidence to point to if I was given it against my will), but be prepared for it all to go to pot in the event, and pray you don't meet some of the HCPs some of my friends met.

What happens, happens. Just remember it's all a preference and not set in stone.

If I were to have a second DC my birth plan would be:

Outside of emergency situations, tell me what's happening and what you are doing before you do it.

I'm afraid that ventouse/forceps, having an episiotomy, and being on your back are not usually a matter of choice but one of necessity

Yes you may prefer a c-section to the interventions above, but in fact more often than not if a forceps/ventouse/episiotomy is indicated it's too late for a c/section anyway and it's a case of need rather than want

For what it's worth, I had a ventouse delivery with an episiotomy.....it was a million miles away from the birth that I had hoped for but it really really was absolutely fine, recovery was quick and although I would have previously said I'd prefer a section before I gave birth I'm now really so glad I didn't have one

Show your midwife your birth plan, but other than saying yay or nay to the vit k injection I would just totally go with the flow

Good luck!

Just go in, and have the baby. The midwifes will not give half a fuck about your preferences.

They already encourage skin to skin and breastfeeding, and I'm afraid your piece of paper won't override the medical staff's decisions, so you could end up having an episiotomy AND forceps. But once you're home with your newborn it really will not matter

I never really wrote mine down, but was very clear with my partner as to my wants/needs. It's important you trust your birthing partner to advocate for you more than anything, because even if you have a voice to argue, they (medical staff) may not listen.

I was very lucky, I had a straight forward birth and the staff were fabulous, let me get on with it - but I know they never bothered with looking at my birthplan. I just gritted 'water birth' and 'gas and air' at them, which they kindly provided! However, my partner was clued up on things like 'don't want to be touched', 'no unnecessary examinations' and 'straight skin to skin, wait for the cord to stop pulsing before cutting', whilst knowing that if things were not going well that we would take medical lead on decisions. It's a balance between being in control and knowing some things may not go 'to plan'.

I had a birth plan for my second birth!

When I got into hospital ( at 5cm dilated after 4 FUCKING DAYS labour, but irregular contractions) the midwife said " well just pop up on the bed and we'll get your waters broken and start you off dear"

I said I'd rather not thanks, and went off for a walk around the hospital grounds for an hour. When I came back with regular contractions the midwife apologised and said that she'd read my birth plan now, and that the birth pool room was beingprepared. She was then totally hands off, completely followed my birth plan and was fantastically supportive of my desire for a natural water birth, which happened six hours later! I felt like super woman!!!! ( despite daughter being forehead presentation with the cord wrapped round her neck twice).

(Sadly after the epic drug free marathon , after the birth I haemmoraged and became a catheterised medical emergency, blood transfusion and all that. Gah. Best laid plans and all that!)

Seems to cover most bases, although if you'd prefer a section to other interventions I would specifically write that down. I would make sure whoever is delivering your baby reads your birth plan when admitted (If possible of course) so they're aware of your preferences, especially for the delayed cord clamping. I would also talk through your choices with your birth partner so they can help your wishes be met where possible.

I'll be using the same birth plan for my second as I did my first. As long as your well aware that things often don't go to plan, there's nothing wrong with having preferences for how you wish to give birth.

hairymary, it will be her choice: women don't become lumps of meat incapable of consent because they're in labour. It may not feel like a real choice in an emergency situation, but it is still a choice. Using forceps on someone without consent would be a serious assault.