I'm no good with words. Please read my birth plan and tell me how to word it properly.

[WriggleJiggle]

My previous labour was stressful, scary and left me with many negative memories of it. My aim for this labour, no matter how it progresses, is to be able to look back on it positively.

Previous labour - midwife disorganised, unable to find pen or paper to write with, difficulty setting up intravenous thingy in my arm (also didn't like the fact it was set up 'just in case'), set up entonox incorrectly, was nervous, emphasised all the worries about what could go wrong, and disappeared for what felt like hours on end. Husband was asked to make all sorts of difficult medical decisions about which drugs were to be given (but he has no medical background). When the m/w was asked about the possible side effects or negative issues of various drugs she didn't have a clue.
Basically I need my midwife to be confident, calm and organised.

Birthing Partner : dh

My preferences
Location - To labour and birth in the m/w unit, rather than the consultant led unit.

Pain relief - I will only be coming into hospital when I feel I can?t cope with the pain at home anymore. I would like to manage with using TENS / warm baths / entonox. Please encourage me to achieve this, but also tell me about the other options as they are available. Entonox and Pethidine will make me sick.

Positions for delivery - kneeling or crouching on the floor if at all possible.

Monitoring - As little as possible, intermittent rather than continuous if possible.

Epistomy - Fine if it is needed.

Delivery of placenta - natural third stage, without the use of syntocinon/syntometrine if possible.

After the birth - I would like to skin to skin contact as soon as baby is born, preferably before he/she is checked over, cleaned or wrapped up. If my baby has to go to special care or has any problems I would like dh to take a photo of baby before s/he is whisked away.

Feeding - To breast feed as soon as possible. No formula.

Vitamin K - Injection

So, how can I re-word it to make it sound better?

Wriglejiggle, I think that sounds fab - to the point and organised without being inflexible. Sorry to hear you had a bad time last time, and good luck for this one

It honestly looks fine as it is WJ and really clear. Most importantly, it would be easy for any of the professionals to read at any stage. Don't change a thing (unless there's anything to add/amend) and get some rest.

Wishing a happy and uncomplicated labour

There is nothing out of the ordinary on there so why do you need to write one ?
If you are delivering on the low risk unit all that will happen anyway.
Nothing will be done without your consent and you will be free to move about whenever and however you wish.
Your dh will be with you anyway.
Everything will be discussed fully with you as labour progresses.
I personally think birth plans should only be required if something specific is needed to be known-ie,no students (you should be asked anyway ) or no males or no forceps ect.
Sorry if that all sounds so negative.

sounds like you had the same m/w as I had first time round wrigglejiggle - she was totally useless

I disagree that birth plans (although I've called mind "birth preferences" as I know things don't always go to plan) are a waste of time, especially if you had a less than an ideal previous birth (I ended up with an emc/s after having my labour augmented & being strapped to the bed first time, hoping for a VBAC this time). If nothing else it gives your birth partner everything that is in your head about what you ideal birth woud be so that they can speak up for you when you are beyond speaking up for yourself.

Last time my m/w didn't even look at my birth plan (and kept offering pain relief even though I'd stated "do not offer pain relief, I will ask when I need it", which really irritated me ) - this time I will make damn sure she reads it

hows this for a birth plan.

the medical professionals who have been to medical school for years and years. who had to get very high a level grades to get into said school in the first place, and have since practiced and praticed medicine should care for me. both myself andmy partner trust that they will provide us with professional medical care. for our part we will not demand silly things and allow the medical professionals todo their job.
should monitroing be needed, we will trust the professionals to care for the baby adn myself, even if it means it will discomfit me, as it is the production of a healthy baby i am interested in.

Wrigglejiggle, I think it reads perfectly well. I didn't write down my plan but had discussed it a lot with dh, and I got lucky with a fabulous midwife.

After your first experience, it can't hurt to have it in writing and to make sure that the mw you have reads it - there is nothing out of the ordinary in your plan, but there is no harm in having a copy with you in your labour bag.
Hope you have a better experience than last time

Sorry Stitch but I think that was quite a patronising post! Sometimes continuous monitoring and other interventions are unnecessary and benefit the health care professionals rather than the mother or baby (much easier to leave a mother alone on continuous monitoring than having to come in every 15 mins for handheld monitoring).
WriggleJiggle had a negative experience last time and that CAN have a devastating effect on what should be a precious time. I think your birth plan sounds great, flexible and informative (e.g. knowing that entonox can make you ill from previous experience).
Klaw has a great link to a website with a very well worded template, hopefully she will be along later to help you. Best of luck with your 2nd baby!

I don't think you need to reword it as it sounds clear and concise.

You have spefified entonox and then said it makes you sick. Is that because you are willing to have it as a last reosrt pain relief if everything else doesn't help?

reads great to me, have you got anymore "do not want....." to put in as these are helpful too?

PS birthing balls are fab do they have them at the hospital - can't believe what a difference using one made!

Message withdrawn

Great! I would put M?W led in big letters at the top. It took 30 mins for my MW to read that far in between checking me in, even though it was the first thing I said I don't think she was listening to me! Got moved then but I had panicked quite a lot by then

try this site which I've just posted on another thread. It's a VBAC site but as we VBACers are striving for a normal birth it makes it relevant to anyone. Just pick and choose what's important to you.

Hope you find it useful

Thanks for the reassurance. I'll have a look at the VBAC site and see what I can find on there.

As logical as your suggestion sounds Stitch, actually thats the last thing I want. At the risk of saying the wrong thing and upsetting or offending people on here, I really objected to the very invasive monitoring last time and am desperate to avoid it.

DH really does not understand just how 'prodded and poked' I felt. He thinks anything is acceptable if it results in a healthy baby. After last time I now think anything is acceptable if it for MY benefit and makes me feel OK about myself. Otherwise I may as well just book that cs now and get the job over and done with.

I think your plan sounds perfect - I wouldnt reword it.... it will be completely understood.

Wriggle- I think it sounds fine. You don't want to write too much.

Stitch- even if her labour doesn't go the way she wants it (which their is no reason why it can't) some people like to make a plan as it makes them feel more in control. especially if last experience was horrible.

could someone tell me about the Lindo Wing. How do yiu get yourself there because when I checked thier website, it appeared as if one has to be referred there by a GP / m/w. I am petrified of going to my nearest hospital because its been in the papers a few times.(sad)

I think you're posting on the wrong thread LK2boyzma, but if it says you need to be referred by your GP or midwife I would go and see your GP or midwife and ask them to refer you!