When do I write my birthing plan?

[BeckaH123]

I was all geared up to discuss this with my MW at my 16 week appointment but she didn't mention anything... Am I jumping the gun a bit?

Hi Becka I am slight different as I am shared care and being seen by a Consultant MW at 36 weeks but I don't think they start to think about your plan until around the 34 week appointment mark.

I have put down what I would/wouldn't like etc and will be taking this with me to my Consultant MW appointment as we will be writing my birth plan together. If you have an idea of what you would like, I dont think there's any harm in putting it together now but I don't think your MW will want/need to see it til around 34 weeks.

I'm 37+2 and nobody has even mentioned writing my birth plan. I don't really see the point in them as you dont know what will happen in labour.

I think it's way too early. You might find out something at the 20 week scan that affects your birth plan (such as low lying placenta) for starters, and any birth plan before 36 weeks is utterly pointless as giving birth that early will be a medical process entirely dictated by the condition of your baby.

A lot of pregnancy complications are also only detected in the 3rd trimester, so again there is no point getting set up for a waterbirth etc if it turns out you have an issue that will need extra monitoring.

Hi OP, I didn't do my birthing plan until 36 weeks pregnant, I was pretty open minded about everything and it was a good thing I was! Nothing went to plan & I ended up with a spinal block and forceps - the two things I really didn't want! By that point I would have had/done anything

You can start it as early as you like but it's very unlikely anyone will want to discuss it with you until you're much further along!

I think it's a very good idea to have one written up and printed out, especially if you want your birth partner to be the one who communicates with midwives/doctors during labour, or if you're are using a sympathetic birth centre or having a home birth. My midwife asked to review mine last week so that she could make sure I wasn't asking for incompatible things (i.e. birth centre and an epidural).

Mine is just a single side of A4 in big type and covers the main things I'm concerned about - i.e. skin-to-skin contact ASAP after birth, physiological 3rd stage, don't offer painkillers unless they're asked/screamed for. All caveated so it is realistic, i.e. obviously I'd rather not skin-to-skin if the baby needs resuscitation.

We discuss birth plans at 36weeks, but obviously will discuss and answer questions at any stage.

I have a birth plan, nothing that dictates how labour will go obviously, but things I want midwives and doctors to know, my preferences. For example, don't offer pharmacological analgesia, don't clamp and cut the cord without my consent, no cheerleading when pushing, particularly if in theatre

I've had my 40week appointment today - and still no one has discussed it with me. So I'm not sure if you definitely will get to discuss it.

I've kept it brief (8 bullet points) and so will hope the mw in charge of my labour will read it/discuss it with me

I had a birth plan for ds from 35 weeks but was being practicsl amd wrote out long before it never got looked at once during labour a waste of time this time I'm having c section so most is out my hands but the bits I can dictate ie radio skin to skin etc is being repeated until I'm heard!

I never discussed my birth plan with my midwife or anyone else, they never asked. I just wrote it gradually as I went along and gave it to them at the hospital and they wrote it on my notes. All went out of the window once things started, but it was reassuring to know that I'd communicated what I wanted to to them at least. :)

In my notes folder there is a form to be completed with basic tick boxes, ie do you want skin to skin, vitamin k injection, DP to cut the cord, pain relief preferences etc.

There is also a blank page to make additional notes. I ran through this with my midwife at my 34 week appointment.

I have also said that they can just do what they need to do, I have very strong feelings at this point that I don't want any pain relief beyond gas and air, but am fully aware that my feelings on that could change mid labour!

I jotted down a few points after being told at 28 weeks they would probably need to get the baby out soon (I wouldn't have got round to it that early otherwise). It helped me to get my head around the reality of a section/induction when I had been focussing on a home water birth. It's just practical stuff e.g. if I have a section do I want the screen up or down, do I want my husband to stay with me or the baby when the baby is taken to NICU. That sort of thing. Just a few bullet points for each possible scenario (CS, induction, spontaneous labour).

I filled in the nhs template one at about 34 weeks. My mw really only wanted to know about the vitamin injection and the management of the third stage. I'd said that I didn't want pethadine/diamorphine but asked for it in the end. The mw who delivered ds read the birth plan but it didn't really change anything. I was quite annoyed that we'd put on the birth plan that my OH really didn't want to cut the cord-he'd thought about it and didn't want to even be asked, just for the mw to do it. Despite this, at the event he was more or less bullied into doing it.
Fill one in as it will encourage you to think about things you might want but try not to get too hung up about it or planning your birth-babies certainly don't read them and comply!!

Thanks very much all. I will jot some things down. I guess it can't hurt to have an idea of what I want, although I can imagine all my hypnobirthing, waterbirth plans going out the window at the first contraction when I will no doubt call for all the drugs I can have.