Do I need to write a birth plan?

[WombatStewForTea]

It's something I keep reading about but it's not been mentioned by my consultant or midwives. I'm 37+5 and have actually only got my antenatal classes this weekend.

I've got a fairly flexible mindset in terms of how I'd like birth to go. If available and possible I'd like a water birth or to labour in water. But I fully recognise that as I'm consultant led and will be on the labour ward that this may not be possible.

Same with pain relief. I'm not dead set on anything. If I need pain relief beyond gas and air then I'm happy to ask for it. I'm open to an epidural if I can't cope or get induced.

The only thing I'm really set on is having skin to skin.

So do I need to physically write all this down? Or is it a conversation I can have in person when in labour?

Oh actually the only thing I've come to realise from reading the forceps thread is that I'd really rather avoid them and have a c section if it came to it

No, totally don't need one. Just tell the midwife you are with....or instruct your birth partner to in the event that you are too distracted!

I have 4 dc and have never had a birth plan. Didn't see the point because birth is unpredictable and if I didn't have one I couldn't be disappointed if things didn't go to 'plan'. Also I could just tell them what I wanted at the time if I needed to.

With the forceps thing...thry have to discuss this with you and gain consent. That is your chance to say no and request a c/s. Doctors won't read your birth plan.

I wrote down about the skin to skin etc but no one so much as glanced at it. You can do it if you'd like, so you can say you did or as an exercise in researching the options but don't expect it to be heeded.

I always wrote one, but to be honest, I don't think they read them or really needed to. I was straight-forward: epidural, c-section if absolutely necessary.

Skin on skin is pretty much a given and it's totally encouraged, in my own experience. I wouldn't worry. That will happen.
Also, it really depends on where you're delivering, but in my case choosing a water birth meant 'no' to epidurals. In order to get the big guns pain relief, I had to be on the labour ward from start to finish, no mixing and matching. But where you're delivering, the policies may be more lenient.
If you're consultant-led, I believe you can labour but not birth in the pool.
The best person to talk to is your midwife because not every place has the same policies.

I had a birth plan, nothing detailed just to have pethadine, avoid epidural, labour in water if possible, injection for placenta and the one they give the baby, and skin to skin. They read it but they still asked for consent again before doing anything. I also didn't have pethadine but almost had an epidural. It might be worth having one for your birth partner to know about too. it was useful mine knowing my plan because whilst I was having far too many contractions I was offered the epidural and in the moment I just wanted the pain gone so agreed, didn't even glance at the leaflet I was in so much pain. My birth partner asked me a few times if I was sure, and I realised I wasn't so backed out (nothing against epidurals, I'm just petrified of needles normally so one in my back is my worst nightmare).

It's good to have one and surprised your MW hasn't done that yet.
They do follow it to an extent.
I was the same as you I didn't really have a preference I did put no forceps unless really really needed.
I agreed to the Vit K injection and said yes for them to deliver my placenta.

I wrote one with DS, things I wanted/didn't want. I get in there and during labour mw starts asking me these things again from a list (I pointed out it was all there in my folder and she admitted she hadn't looked).

It was fun to do and helped as things grew nearer, but pointless in hindsight.

Neither of my birth plans were followed, I wanted water births and never got one.

My midwife told me to write one but I had no idea what to put. I searched on the net and found some really long winded ones so I condensed it to:
Water birth
No intervention
No pain relief (unless I really need it)
Leave me alone
I don't think anyone read it. I arrived at 9cm and asked if I had time for a water birth still. The nurses ran off to pour the water and luckily I did. Maybe I was fortunate with the ladies I had looking after me but they did leave me alone (occasional mirror use to look down below while in the water). I assume with everything going on, you need your birthing partner to be your voice if things start happening that you don't want.

My birth plan was useful because I was in labour for 50 hours. By then. I was so tired I was unaware of what was going on around me and certainly couldn’t discuss anything.
My birth plan made it clear the only thing I absolutely didn’t want was an epidural.

They lost the heartbeat shortly before ds was born, there was no theatre available and there wasn’t time for checking whether I was ok with forceps. There was someone calling out time since loss of heart beat. They just did what they needed to do and ds arrived pink & wriggling, 1 min, 30 seconds later.
So a birth plan can express your preferences if you can’t, and for your partner to use as a guide.

No plans for either child apart from in my head I wanted to avoid an epidural as they lead to an assisted birth.

DS no epidural - still ended up in theatre with a spinal block and forceps as he got stuck. Wish I’d had the epidural.

DD natural birth, placenta retained and attached the wall so spinal block and it manually removed.

A plan wouldn’t have foreseen any of these nor would it have helped

Thanks all.
I'll probably jot some things down but mostly for DHs purposes so he doesn't flap!
@PixieDustt I feel like I've had very little continuation of care as the community midwives are a different trust to the hospital where I'm consultant led and I don't think I've seen the same midwife more than twice don't know if things have slipped through the cracks because of this

Oh wow. It's not right though.
You could always phone if they're open today and go grab one? Mine was literally just a piece of paper with about 8 different yes/no - reasons on it.

Here you go OP:

https://assets.nhs.uk/prod/documents/My-birth-plan-nhs.docx

Here are some of the questions that where on my form:

https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/pregnancy/pregnancy-faqs/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIy4bPstuM5wIVWeDtCh0-WQoFEAAYASAAEgIY7DD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

Hope this helps!

This is a brilliant website all about the different forms of pain relief for labour and gives detailed information - www.labourpains.com/home (I am an anaesthetist who spends a lot of time on labour ward and use this website and the leaflets regularly with patients)

I was told to write one and it really wasn't worth my time no one looked at it and I simply said everything I wanted.
FWIW I was consultant lead and induced and I begged the midwives and they let me labour in the bath for all of 10 mins before I needed to get out and push 😂 it was very quick.

I wrote my birth plan, didn't want epidural, didn't want forceps etc etc. I ended up with both, dr didn't even glance at birth plan.

It's worth having if you have the time to do it, midwives listened to it to an extent when I had DD. Include the basics like injection for the placenta, vit K injection etc. I definately wouldn't want to of been thinking about it when I aas in labour/straight after!

I think it's good to write a few bullet points if there are certain things you feel strongly about.
Mine last one said
Epidural ASAP
No rotational forceps
Vitamin K to be given
Baby to be delivered onto my chest
Dh to cut cord if possible

IMO it's less about the birth 'plan' and more about becoming informed about your options. In my experience it's very confusing for women coming in in labour being asked things or trying to have things explained to them that they have absolutely no prior knowledge of. So whilst you don't need to be an expert or have a solid expectation of what you want it is helpful for you if you are familiar with some options or terms that may be used.

I just wrote that wanted an epidural ASAP, that I’d rather avoid forceps if possible and that I was perfectly happy with a c section if needed to get baby out safely.

The midwife seemed impressed with how to the point it was!

Don’t waste your time. No one will read it. Your wishes will probably be ignored. They only care about getting a baby out alive. Your consent to procedures and your well being are incidental.

Yes you should. If anything it will make you more informed as your midwife will explain the benefits / risks etc for every option you want / don’t want. It’s never a good idea to walk into childbirth without making a plan / doing your research - thats how ptsd occurs.