Am writing birth plan for a homebirth...

[SpeedyGonzalez]

...and I'd love your suggestions of things I can consider adding to it.

TIA!

Thanks SOH - though I could have done without your dramatic last para; maybe keep those stories until after people have given birth, eh?

Unlike you, I won't know my mw, which is why I'm writing a plan. However I think it's quite clear that anyone going for a HB is aiming for a woman-centred, intervention-free birth. I'm just looking for ideas from other people who've had HBs.

Hi Speedy

Good idea to write a plan if you don't know your midwife.

Check out the first time home birthers thread - Boobz posted her birth plan a little while ago (you'll have to scroll down a bit from the most recent posts I think).

I've not done a birth plan, as I also know my home birth midwife and we've discussed my desire for a waterbirth with minimal checks, dimmed lights, no unnecessary chatting etc, but I have fully discussed things with my husband if we do need to transfer (main thing being I'd prefer a CS than a high cavity forceps attempt).

I've reported it.

I was merely highlighting the difference between what I wanted and what I got and explaining why I didn't need a birthplan as I knew my midwife.

And asking you what you want as that should be the basis for the plan and for other people's suggestions. Not what other people wanted for their birth.

And I only mentioned how far my plan deviated from the reality as I wish I'd thought to make a note of what I would like to happen should anything unexpected crop up. I should have had a cs plan to ask for skin to skin and lowered screens etc as there's still choice involved whatever happens.

In a first delivery 40% of women have to transfer in and I was merely laughing at myself and how different my labour was to the one anticipated.

Anyway, like I said, I didn't include it to shock you or to be dramatic. I was being factual and poking fun at myself.

It'll be gone in a minute anyhoo.

Speedy - good luck with your hb

I had ds at home in September. I knew I wouldn't know my mw as it was going to be a mw from my local hospital who came out once I'd called in to say I was in labour.

I hadn't written a birth plan tbh, and was lucky enough that she came out early so we could talk through the early stages about what I wanted.

If I had written one, it would have basically said that I wished to be left to get on with it in the comfort of my home, which luckily I did!

I think it is common practice with a hb for the mw to listen in to the baby's heartbeat more regularly than at hospital as it can give them an earlier indication of any possible problems. I was keen not to have too many internal examinations though, and they respected this unless it was necessary - I think I had 2. All the best!

I haven't had a homebirth, but wanted a natural delivery even though I was booked for the consultant unit. My birthplan included things like - wish to avoid pethidine, -would like to be encouraged to try water for pain relief, -would like to be encouraged to try different positions, -would like to be encouraged to remain active etc - as after a rather negative experience first time around I wanted to be 'reminded' of all the things that would help me. The mw's all referred to my birthplan which also stressed minimal examination, no un-necessary monitoring etc, use of TENS machine (personal preference - gave me something to focus on) and I can report that despite one mw earlier in proceedings shaking her head about how slowly I was progressing and how I'd probably need to go on the syntocinon drip to 'speed things up' (which I absolutely was adamant I didn't want in my birth plan) I gave birth to my lovely 9lb 13oz ds naturally... I'd ask your community mw to help you word anything you're not sure about. Mine helped me loads with the syntocinon thing - she helped me be clear in my mind that I did not have to accept it on the grounds of 'speeding things up'. Good luck, am sure with a great birth plan and a positive attitude you'll be home and dry!

I would definitely have a plan. If you are having an NHS hb you may get a mw you've never met (as I did with ds) who can't be expected to know all your preferences, and you really will not feel like telling her at the time. Even little things like whether or not you want oxytocin for delivery of placenta - get it all on paper.

And do have a bag packed just in case you do need/want/decide to transfer to hospital - best to be on the safe side. Is a real pain ending up in hospital with none of your stuff - not even a book! (and this was on what would have been my third homebirth).

Ahh, SOH, it's much clearer what your intention was now that you've explained it. In your first post (which you really didn't need to delete, but thanks anyway), because you detailed what happened rather than just saying 'I ended up with an Em CS but had no plan for this side of things', the last para came across as just another birthing scare story, which I'm trying to avoid for obvious reasons!

Happynappies - re your head-shaking mw, it amazes me how many stories I hear about medics responding in a way that will knock a labouring woman's confidence. I think I'll add a line about keeping a positive atmosphere no matter what - my prev mw did this brilliantly, even at the point where she informed us that she was going to press the emergency button...and then told us that the emergency button was broken! She still managed to communicate this in a way that instilled confidence.

Coffee - actually, packing a bag is on my to do list for today!

Sorry, my mistake. Honestly, I had it deleted because I was mortified I'd upset you!

That's what I meant by they accommodated my plan as far as possible and then they just did whatever because I had no plan.

When I was pg with dd I hated people just schlepping in with what sounded like horror stories and kept thinking 'well can we just focus on what we can control here'. I'm sure you've encountered it! I didn't mean to add to the load. Honestly, I just meant that the midwives were brilliant at doing what I wanted but I stupidly hadn't thought about what I wanted beyond the birth going how I expected. And the birth was positive and not dramatic (even though it sounds it a bit in the re-telling).

If I ever had another, I'd go for hbac and my birth plan would be split into 'homebirth' and 'in the event of...'

You have the power to make your labour and delivery positive and that positivity will directly contribute to the outcome, of that I'm certain.

DD was just stubborn and fancied entering the world ear first. Turns out that's not the generally accepted method, but she's stayed the same. Does what she pleases, when she pleases and I couldn't love her more for it. Not at all a horror story I promise.

Can I just recommend sports bottles to you? I couldn't eat in labour (do try to if you can) and was shaky from that and the adrenalin and couldn't manage a cup without spillign and somebody holding out a straw and cup to me felt like being 'babied' iyswim and interruped my concentration. Sports bottles (partic. lucozade as it has lots of rehydration/energy in it) were brilliant. If you drop them in a birth pool they float too....

Good luck. I can't wait to hear all about it. When are you due?

typos, typos

[sigh]

Thanks SOH, I hadn't thought about an 'in the event of...' plan, so I will give that serious consideration.

Ear first! That's got to be a first! Also I have a sports bottle (good tip) but if I let so much as a drop of Lucozade pass through my lips I'll definitely end up in hospital, can't stand the stuff!

Am due end of next month.

Speedy, you might like to join our thread of first-time home birthers. There are some really lovely recent stories on there .
I didn't have much of a birth plan in my first pg, I ended up transferring in to hospital in the end as things were just going sooooooo slooooooowly so I would just echo SoH's comments to think about what you would like if you don't stay at home for the birth, and yes do pack your bag, I didn't as I thought I'd be at home, so had to pack at 2.30 in the morning, between contractions, with a TENS machine hanging off my back .
I am due on 7 April and am planning a home birth, I will write a proper birth plan this time. And I have already packed my bag just in case .
I found jelly babies good for energy, btw.

Thanks Bettymum! Will join you!

I'm not detoxdiva obviously but I also "had" to have 2. I'd requested none. The first was because I was experiencing a lot of one-sided low down pain and my contractions had become very long and ineffective and they wanted to see what was happening (and I agreed as was worried something was wrong). The second was because I'd pushed for 6hrs with no baby appearing and they really needed to see what was happening. By that point, it was clear that something was happening but we needed to establish what.

This thread has inspired me to do a birth plan - so thanks to Speedy for starting it! And to SOH for reminding me about what can happen if I need to transfer in .

FlyingDuchess - I was assessed by the mw when she arrived to establish how dilated I was.

I then had another one when I started pushing as they were concerned that I was not fully dilated.

I was happy to have whatever examinations were necessary in order to be able to birth safely at home, and while I did not want to be looked at every 5 minutes, I felt 2 exams in 5 hours was acceptable for me

Hi Speedy

My birth plan included things like:

• wanting to keep moving as much as possible / being reminded to move around (poor MW got an earful for this reminder at one point )
• wanting DH to be the one to tell me the sex of the baby rather than the MW
• being kept informed of what was happening, in their opinion
• what I wanted DH to do
• my preferances on pain relief
• that I wanted skin to skin and to BF as soon as possible.

I actually had the following section headers to help me which were:

Labour - Where, Positions, Atmosphere, Pain Relief and DH
Birth - Positions, Medical Intervention, Birth, Placenta
Babycare

I also made two birth plans - a HB one and a Hospital Transfer one which became relevant when we had to go in.

I know you have been told about the chances of going in to hospital but for me that was not a problem, at the time of going in I wanted to be there (due to advice on long labour/pain relief) and I got to do most of my labouring at home (DS was born 1 hour after arriving at hospital) which was great as you are in the comfort of your own home. So have a bag packed and an alternative birth plan just in case but don't worry about it as you will do what you feel is right at the time.

HTH and good luck!!!