Birth plan

[PumpkinMun]

My midwife has asked me to complete my birth plan. I am hoping for a water birth however I do want an active labour if possible.
Could anyone advice me if you can have an active labour ( birth ball, rope, beanbag etc) but still opt for a birth pool. I'm not due to go to my labour antenatal class until after my midwife appointment and want to try have some sort of plan for her to discuss with me.
thanks

You can chose whatever you like. I didn't opt for birthing pool specifically in my birth plan but there was one available in my room when I went in . I was active for a while, in the pool for a while, out for a while, lay down for a while etc. You just do whatever you need to do.

I’m not really sure what you mean. Once you’re in the pool you don’t have to stay in it. I didn’t go into a pool until the second stage anyway (I arrived at the birth unit fully dilated), though I had a bath at home earlier during labour. I gave birth in the pool. I guess the other equipment will depend on what is available wherever you plan to give birth? I only had a birth ball at home but didn’t actually use it during labour.

You can put what you want - it's quite unlikely to happen the way you 'plan' it for any number of reasons.

@jomalone thank you that actually answers my question perfectly.

I know things might not go to "plan" but both an active and pool birth are something I'd like to try if the situation allows.

It makes more sense when it’s referred to as “birth preferences”, but people love to be snarky about what is usually a fairly useful process of making sure you understand different things that can occur during birth and what different interventions mean, and having a think about what that would mean for you

The room with the birth pool in it in my hospital also had balls, beanbags, chairs, so you had plenty options. You're very much encouraged to try whatever works for you.

Just don't set your heart on it. I ended up having an EMCS.

I agree to just put it possible you'd like an active birth including a birthing pool.
But I'm really here to ask what are the ropes??

@lcinghoebeacon yeah your totally right, I never wanted a plan but I do think it's good to have your preferences down incase your lucky enough to have them.
It's nice to feel educated on different options and procedures to avoid unnecessary panic :)

@Fantababy amazing, I wasn't sure what was in the birth pool rooms. It's so hard to know what you might like when you've never been through birth. I'm completely open minded and plan to follow the midwives lead but it's good to understand what's available :)

@namechangetime the ropes seem to be something you can hold on to / pull up on when in labour. I'm not totally sure if my hospital has birthing ropes though.

Just to add... even if your birth doesn't go to plan, it's definitely worth knowing your preferences beforehand. I had an induction with DC1, but having an active labour was really important to me, so I discussed this with the midwife and we found a way for me to be as active as possible (laboured on the birthing ball) despite all the IV lines and monitoring wires. Having "active labour" in my birth plan was empowering in a situation when I was scared and didn't feel like I had much control. Standard practice would have had me confined to the bed, which I would have hated (and was hugely painful when I briefly had to lie down for an exam). I totally accepted at the time that I wouldn't be getting a water birth, but I think it's important for a woman's wishes to be respected and provided for, if it's possible, safe and practical to do so.

FWIW my second labour and birth could not have gone more to plan if it tried (lovely water birth) so it does happen!

I had your dream birth op! Active and water I was at home for 75% of it so lots of opportunity to be active / on the ball etc. Just a word of warning I found that I didn't want to be too active as I found I needed to conserve my energy - it's a tricky and personal balancing act!

Arrived at hospital 5cm and used the pool, where I gave birth while lying on my side in the pool. By the time it was time for the pool I was too tired / emotional to think about being active, I was just trying to get through each contraction as best as I could. Being in the water helped massively.

Good luck & I appreciate it doesn't always go to plan!

Word of warning - they won't let you birth the placenta in the pool and in my case it took 45 mins to push it out (baby took less than half an hour to push out!) I wish someone had warned me!

Re the placenta and pool, After the birth of baby and after having had the placenta injection, I stood up, one tiny push and the placenta plopped into the water

I wasn’t sure whether I wanted the injection for the third stage (I didn’t really know how I would feel in advance) but by that point I’d had enough and just wanted to cuddle my baby so I had the injection and they whipped out the placenta pretty quickly

Ooh they sound good. My hospital didn't have them, but it sounds like they'd be useful as I did need to stand up a lot and rocking eased it all a bit. Bit off topic but I follow a home birth page on Instagram from when I wanted to have one and they've recently done a course using scarves for support. I think they've given more information on the Facebook page, but your midwives should know about them too hopefully - search cygnet homebirth. Looks like they can be used around the bump whilst you're crouched down and your partner is holding them, or tied up to something to kind of lean into

Birth plans are fantastic to make because whilst you make them it prompts you to research labour and birth, know different options and just become more informed about the process. I’d really recommend the Positive Birth Book by milli hill for all things childbirth- very helpful and informative.

At my hospital water birth would depend on whether the delivery suite with the birthing pool was available for one to be possible. If you get a room with a pool then you can be in and out of it as much as you please! So people like to get out for pushing, some don’t get in until that point etc- all down to personal choice.

oh and part of a good birth plan is to also consider if things go down the route of emergency caesarean or assisted delivery and make a plan for those too! It’s not the case ‘perfect ideal birth’ or all my choices are out the window, you can have plans and preferences for every scenario.

I went in with an idea of what I wanted and my partner new it all. No drugs, birthing pool and that’s all I had in my head. I told my partner that I might change my mind but to not let me have an epidural and we went in really relaxed because we weren’t stressed about what we wanted and we did it with no drugs and the birthing pool. They told me if I wanted to get out I could but I went in about 5cm and gave birth two hours later and didn’t move out the pool. It was amazing.

Lucyj But you understand a lot of that was luck though? I had a clear birth plan for a birthing pool and positive expectations, and my partner knew what was on my birth plan, and was supportive of it, but DD was back to back so I had an epidural and when I was finally (after 30-odd hours) fully dilated, her angle meant her head was stuck, she became distressed so I then needed an EMCS. (And, incidentally, the midwife said given the position of the baby, the epidural didn't in any way lead to the EMCS.)
I think it's fab that you were able to have the birth you wanted, but the implication that those who didn't weren't positive or relaxed enough is what makes some feel like a failure when things don't go according to plan.

And if my DH had tried to get in between me and my epidural, I'd have wrestled him to the ground then banned him from the labour suite!

Oh no I’ve been sooo lucky! I’m not saying if you’re not relaxed you won’t have a good birth at all. I was trying to say by not stressing yourself out with having a set plan you need then it helps you stay calm. I’m allergic to anaesthetic which is why I couldn’t have an epidural. Sorry I should of stated that!

Being able to have a positive and natural birth has a lot to do with your body's ability to release natural oxytocin, I've read. Which is often not easy when baby is in a difficult position/you need to be induced/lots of doctors checking you due to an existing condition, etc. So I think it makes a lot of sense to have a clear birth plan, to provide the right conditions to be able to release oxytocin. This is why often hospital births result in interventions because it is much harder to release oxytocin in some hospital environments.
If youre able to use a private room with a pool, and dim the lights, limit exposure to strangers, this kind of thing - this will be a wonderful way of encouraging that oxytocin to release.
The hospital near me has only 2 birthing pool rooms and it's not guaranteed you will get one, so I'm considering a home birth and hiring a pool. It's my first pregnancy but I just really want to avoid intervention if possible. I feel quite confident I could transfer if need be. I wish there was a midwife led unit near me but there isn't :(

Best plan is to have a rough idea of how you would like things to go but to be completelty open minded that things can change. The second best plan is to breathe. Brush up on the breathing skills and during labour stay focused on them and try to relax and shut off inbetween contractions. When you get going it's less about where you are physically and very much where you are mentally. The room and the people become invisible when you get in the zone.

G'luck!