Is there really any point in writing a birth plan?

[sprite25]

I wrote a birth plan when pregnant with DD and when in labour and giving birth, the midwives basically ignored all my wishes and just did what they wanted anyway. Now I'm 32 weeks pregnant again and thinking is there really any point in writing a birth plan if it just gets ignored anyway? DH knows roughly what I would and wouldn't prefer this time round so can speak up for me if need be.

[NameChange30]

NotMyPenguin
"I honestly think I just want a few simple things in big letters: ASK rather than TELLING me; don't do anything to me without my informed consent (if I'm with it enough); and respect my decisions."

The thing is, the kind of HCP who will ask not tell, get your consent, and respect you, will do all those things without you having to write it in a birth plan. The kind of HCP who won't do those things probably won't bother reading your birth plan and wouldn't do them if even if they did read it.

[NameChange30]

It's depressing how many of us felt that we and our wishes weren't treated with respect, isn't it?

[Shenanagins]

No, I didn't bother. However they did read my medical notes and were prepared for the expected complications.

[peachypips]

No. Maybe for second birth if you are lucky. Sorry for voice of doom.

[ElizabethShaw]

I felt mine was noted/adhered to both times but I only put a few important things in it rather that a plan for how the birth would go eg. delayed cord clamping (wasnt possible in one birth tbf), skin to skin, no vitamin k injection, no pethidine, lots of g&a, epidural.

[babynelly2010]

In uk it is a waste of time unless your unit has a prebirth meeting with you prior you going into labour.
I had that with dc1, I met with the head mw of birthing centre and on the day they followed my notes in every detail and already knew me.
Second time around I went to a different hospital that didn't see me for anything during the pregnancy, it was all community based. First time I arrived there I was in labour. They could of given a monkey's bum to the fact that I actually had a birth plan, they did not read or follow. Third time I did not bother writing one and noone actually even mentioned it during pregnancy.

[Hanl30]

Ftm but I was sent a list to fill in for my 36 week appointment to discuss birth plan but the midwife literally skimmed though it them said they would ask what I want on the day. Kind of pointless really.
Luckily I'm not really bothered what happens as long as we are both OK but honestly think birth plans cause more issues

[tealandteal]

I had to write a birth plan with the midwife but it was more a list of general things. So I would like it to be quiet with the lights low, use the pool if possible etc. Plus a note to say Dh was fully informed of my preferences and to check with him if I couldn't give an answer.

[DancingLedge]

Tbf, mine not a recent experience.

I asked this question at the hospital on a pre birth visit. Hospital MW said yes, do a birth plan, and get it put in your hospital notes. Then, when they know you're on your way in, head MW will have a look at it, and if eg you absolutely don't want continuous monitoring, or want to be free to push out of bed/while squatting, whatever, then you will be allocated a MW who's likely to be comfortable with that, and not someone a bit more old school. Certainly didn't end up with the birth I'd hoped for, but a lot of the detail was respected.

I do understand that there's more pressure and fewer staff these days. Part of the reason I felt safer with a home birth for the last two - there's no one else for the MW to rush off to.

Also, the birth plan helped DH get clear on exactly what I was thinking.

[BaskingTrout]

I think they are worth doing, if only to gather your thoughts and consider what it is you want, and don't want, in an ideal world.

With DD, everything went out of the window and I ended up with a crash CS.
With DS, I knew that things may not work out how I wanted, so the only things I really specified were no pethedine, because I hated it first time round, and DH to have skin to skin if I couldn't.
As it was, DS was a very tricky elcs so I was reassured that the staff were ready to give him straight to DH while I spent ages in recovery.

A birth plan doesn't have to be super detailed to be helpful.

[aramintafatbottom]

I wouldn't bother. Nobody even opened my notes let alone read my birth plan. It couldn't have been any more different than how I wanted it which is why i will never do it again

I had a full on audience in the end up which annoyed me but nobody face a shit what I wanted at that point

[ChoudeBruxelles]

It's more of a wish list but I think helpful to have written down what you'd like to happen if possible. And what you don't want unless absolutely necessary

[TheLegendOfBeans]

I ended up with a CS after a failed induction BUT my birth plan basically just said that I didn't want to be hooked up to a monitor, I just wanted to walk and walk and crouch the baby out and NO PETHEDINE.

Had I gone into spontaneous labour then obviously it'd have been of use but please create one nonetheless x

[Justnowthisone]

With Dc1 I wrote out an elaborate plan with candles and din lights and music and went on with a huge suitcase.

With the next one this will be my birth plan -

BIRTH PLAN

Name
Professional identity

1. Please ask for my consent before conducting any checks on me.

1. If I request pain relief - then give me pain relief.

1. Please respect my boundaries.

[kel1234]

I did one. My midwife adhered to it all. Best thing I did as it told them what I wanted.

[badg3r]

Hmm. Seems I'm in the minority here. I mentioned a few things during labour with both DC and the midwives said they had seen it in my birth plan and it wasn't a problem. They saw in my notes that I had requested a water birth for my first and they prepared the pool without me saying anything - they just told me when it was ready. If you have good midwives they should ready your notes, I would fill it in. It only takes a couple of minutes and when you're filling it in you might realise there are a couple of things you've forgotten to tell DH.

[chronicleink]

NOPE! Good to have in your head and your partner's what you might like though, so write it down by all means or discuss at least.

[NanooCov]

I had one and it was respected by the midwives. My husband was also v good at advocating for me - think the hypnobirthing we did helped him to be in the frame of mind and readiness to do this.

[crazycatbaby]

The only thing I had was I would prefer to avoid forceps if at all possible (petrified of the idea of them). Ended up needing a c section but before we decided on that, a doctor spoke to me about what I'd written and explained what would happen if I tried to deliver ie. would almost certainly be forceps or a c section. While led me to choose a c section. So I felt that they had read and listened to what I wanted hope that helps

[EdgarAllenPoe]

I was pretty open to most things for my first birth since I had no idea how it would go. Just as well since not only did nothing go how I would ideally like (long wait on antenatal ward due to no available labour rooms despite waters gone for 2 days, followed by long induction followed by emergency c-section), but the hospital lost my notes for most of my induction so of course nobody read it anyway.

Even if they hadn't have lost my notes, I don't think it would have made much difference. On my way into theatre for an emergency c-section, I asked if I could still have skin to skin straight after birth and was told, no, there isn't enough room. I've seen hundreds of videos of women on the operating table holding their babies on their chests, but apparently this is a physical impossibility at my hospital! I'm short and I make big babies, but I'm not that short and my babies aren't elephants.

The main use of it was making sure DH knew what I wanted so there weren't any surprises for him.

[BentleyBelly]

I wrote one for my first child and it was read and adhered to by my lovely midwife. I don't know if it makes a difference but I had dd in a birth center not a hospital. The midwife didn't leave my side and it was a brilliant experience. Unfortunately i have a slight complication this time and can't go back to the birth center...I can go to the midwife led unit at the hospital though and am hoping for a similar experience.

[TheLegendOfBeans]

Just writing on another thread made me wonder something:

If you have something in your birth plan about induction could it avoid women ending up going through a chain of uncomfortable interventions before the (inevitable) CS?

I.e. "If-after the first prostaglandin pessary-my cervix is still high and anterior/bishops score is zero please refrain from any further artificial methods and process me for Caesarian Section forthwith"?

Just a thought

[Marv1nGay3]

I had a birth plan for DD1 but sadly she had other ideas and didn't want to follow my natural birth plan!! So I didn't bother with DD2!

[Rarotonga]

I had Birth Preferences too. My midwife read it in front of us, between contractions, and seemed to take note of it. There were definitely things she followed, such as having a dark room and bringing me tea and toast. When things were going a bit pear shaped she referred to points on the preferences sheet and gave clear rationale as to why certain bits couldn't be so, which I obviously went with. For example, I'd asked for water birth but because ds needed monitoring and I needed to be on a drip, she explained that wasn't possible. She knew I was keen for skin to skin straight away and to wait for the umbilical cord to stop pulsating before cutting it, but when ds was born he had to go straight to high dependency and the cord had to be clamped quickly, no chance of skin to skin. She was kind and explained everything really sensitively.
So if I had my time again I'd definitely write one

[LotisBlue]

Definitely worth it for my second labour as I was able to put specific information based on my experience first time around - eg that I am very quiet in labour. It also helped that I had a home birth and my midwife didn't have a lot to do apart from drink tea and read my birth plan, until I started pushing.