Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Flip

Original poster

Birth Plan

14 replies

Littleroobe · 04/03/2014 17:35

Just a quick few questions about birth plans.

When did you write your birth plan?
Did you do it alone or with midwife?
Did you use a template or from scratch?
If a template where did you get it from?

Sorry so many questions I'm 35 + 6 weeks and it's not been mentioned!

Thanks in advance

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

DomesticGoddess31 · 04/03/2014 18:00

I've just written mine in prep for my next MW appointment on Friday when I will be 36wks. She's booked me a double appointment to go through it. I googled example birth plan and found an nct template that I've used. The NHS website have an online one you can fill in and print off too.

I haven't spent hours on it tbh since I didn't even reach this point in my last pregnancy when DD was born in a huge hurry at 34wks. A birth plan would have been a waste of time!

Original poster

Littleroobe · 04/03/2014 18:09

Cheers it's just all so confusing! In all honesty I'm happy to go with the flow. Whatever is best for baby is what I will go with.

OP posts:

Roseandmabelshouse · 04/03/2014 18:25

Don't get too bogged down with the details. As long as you and your birth partner have a rough idea then that's great!

curiousgeorgie · 04/03/2014 18:26

I didn't do one, or get asked to do one.

I did end up with a C Section though so maybe it's best I didn't have expectations to be disappointed by?

coffeeandcream · 04/03/2014 18:31

Try to think of your birth plan as more of an ideal scenario or wish list.

It's good to have one as it helps you feel prepared and gets you in the mindset, just don't set your heart on it and be prepared to be flexible as births don't always go to plan!

I desperately wanted a water birth using only gas and air in the midwife led unit. I ended up being induced in the hospital needed an epidural and birth intervention .

Definitely be prepared to be flexible and open to the midwife's advice.

Hope it's just the way you want though

Essexgirlupnorth · 04/03/2014 18:37

I didn't have anything written down but did discuss with hubby. Think about pain relief what you would like and anything you are not so keen on. I didn't want diamorphine prior but had in labour at midwives suggestion and was glad I did so keep an open mind. Do you want to use water in labour?
Do you want delayed cord cutting/hubby to cut cord/ natural or managed third stage?
As others have said it is a wish list as you don't know what will happen or what complications may arise

Cariad007 · 04/03/2014 18:38

I looked at a few examples and wrote my own, and was fortunate that the birth pretty much stuck to what was in the plan.

Mummytobe2014 · 04/03/2014 20:20

There is one in my pink notes, i have written two things on it and no one has asked me or discussed my options with me. I found out my consultant was suppose to be discussing my options but they havent and now they have signed me off so no longer need to see them. Im just gonna go in on the day and what will be will be. I dnt want to plan too much jst to be dissapointed

Notfastmainlyfurious · 04/03/2014 20:26

Last time I had home birth, gas and air only, minimal internals on mine. What I got was induction, epidural and ventouse delivery. This time I'm writing bugger all.

HelenHen · 04/03/2014 20:33

I wrote a pretty detailed one for ds! I ended up being induced so most of it was irrelevant! And the midwives ignored the rest. I won't bother this time!

PenguinsEatSpinach · 04/03/2014 20:41

I think that the problem with birth plans is that they can often end up a wish list for an intervention free, birth pool, serene experience and, statistically, unfortunately, not a lot of (especially first time) mums get that. I had a birth plan like that first time, let's just say it wasn't how it went.

Where they can be a lot more helpful is if they address specific preferences and scenarios that may come up and/or which you hope don't. For example, you may be very clear you want an epidural in preference to pethidine, in which case say so (but be prepared to change your mind). You may have views on the use of forceps v section. The presence or otherwise of students (I have a whole section on this ). Whether you want delayed cord clamping if viable and whether you are happy for the baby to have injected vitamin K.

whatsagoodusername · 04/03/2014 20:41

I never actually wrote any plans down, just discussed it with DH.

For DS1: Do not go to hospital. Do not have any tubes or wires attached.

Waters broke early, had to go to hospital. DS was slow, got stuck, I ended up attached to wires.

For DS2: Do not go to hospital. Do not have any tubes or wires attached.

Successfully gave birth in birthing centre. Placenta wouldn't come out. Got sent to hospital, into theatre, ended up staying three days getting more blood.

Birth plans didn't work well for me.

Original poster

Littleroobe · 04/03/2014 22:33

Thanks for all the advice a few things to discuss with DH.

OP posts:

LastOneDancing · 04/03/2014 22:40

My MLU don't call it a birth plan, it's s 'birth discussion'!

The only real choices I made were:

who will be with me
do I want the vit K jab or oral dose for my baby
do I want a managed third stage (I specified delayed clamping if poss).

Other than that, they made it clear that while an ideal scenario exists, you can't really plan, but it was great to talk about what might happen and how.

Flip