Things to think about in your birth plan, are for example:
 We would like to go home as soon as possible after the birth.
 We would like an ?amenities? room if we are going to be in hospital overnight or longer.
 State that you would like a water birth if possible.
 Your DP will be the main communicator, particularly if you are unable / don?t wish to talk. You would obviously like to be involved in the decision making process but if you are unable to be, please accept DP?s word as ?ours?.
 I would like people to be smiling, calm, friendly and normal towards me ? no ?hassling?, abrupt or panicky voices or pressure to consent to students working on me.
 Pain Relief:
o I would like to use x,y or z or e.g.
o I may wish to try Entonox but I would really appreciate your help and encouragement to avoid drugs, particularly pethidine or an epidural. If I do end up having an epidural, I would like a mobile one please (but I am happy to stay in one place and not ?wander off? if this is helpful. I would just like to be able to stand).
 I would like to avoid both tearing and an episiotomy!
 I would like as few internal examinations as possible, to avoid induction and / or a sweep. I would like to try alternative measures first (acupuncture, reflexology etc).
 If my pregnancy goes overdue, I would like go in to labour spontaneously, as long as my baby and I are fine. I am happy to be monitored as often as necessary to ensure that this is the case. No intervention unless medically necessary.
 I am fine with a very small number of female student midwives present at the birth. No other students and no males.
 I would like to remain mobile unless there is a valid medical reason not to be. I do not want to be on my back / sidelying in the 2nd stage of labour!
 Please can you be ready (!) but allow me to reach for the baby if I do so automatically?
 We do not want the cord to be cut until it has finished pulsating. We would like DP to cut the cord.
 I would prefer to deliver the placenta naturally (rather than the injection which makes it come out immediately after birth and reduces the risk of you haemorrhaging but the cord has to be cut before it stops pulsating - the evidence is that you are under real increased risk provided that the placenta comes out well enough on its own accord. FWIW, mine took 3 hours to come out and couldn't because my bladder was too full, so they ended up catheterising me - they would have had to do this even if I'd had the injection! My midwife wasn't concerned at all and they have various tricks up their sleeves) unless it is medically contraindicated.
 I would like our baby lifted on to my chest immediately after birth for breast-feeding. If I am unable to for any reason or I have a caesarean, I would like our baby to be given straight to DP.
 We would like either me or DP to be with our baby at all times and not to be separated during any checks if possible.
We would like to find out the sex of the baby ourselves.
 DP & I would like to spend some time alone with our baby immediately after the birth.
 I would like to breast feed and would love as much help and support with that as possible!
 Please give our baby Vitamin K by injection (vit K is incase baby suffers a rare but fatal haemorrhage - oral is less effective and theoretically injection introduces a route for infection, so you need to decide which you would like).
 If I need a caesarean, I would prefer to be awake.
 My specific anxieties are:
o Being ?probed?, stared at and with that, unnecessary internal examinations.
o That something will go ?wrong? (with my health or the baby) and no-one will notice until it?s too late. PLEASE REASSURE ME as labour progresses that all is ok and BE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT MILESTONES REACHED however minor they may be!
o That I will feel frightened by the unfamiliarity of it all, that I will faint and generally be out of control and unable to cope.
This is my first baby and as such I don?t really know what to expect. I would therefore like to thank you all very much in advance for all your help and support.
My priority is my and my baby?s safety, so please don?t delay any medical intervention that may be genuinely necessary because you are trying to fulfil my wish of a natural birth!
Phew - that was a bit enorm wasn't it!