Birth plan - what to write??

[Cornberry]

I'm 36 weeks and I know I need to write my birth plan but I'm not really sure what to put down. Seems odd to write a p,an for something that's bound to be unpredictable. I sort of want to write no drugs unless I feel they're necessary and that's it. What else can you put? I'm drawing a blank. Advice welcome!

NCT have quite good template birth plans. Google it and have a read!

Mine was give me drugs and don't stop until it's over. As you say birth is unpredictable and because I went into spontaneous labour ie I didn't go through the various stages there wasn't enough time for anything except gas and air

You just state your choices.
Mine was bullet pointed, we home hypnobirthed, my community mw was really spportive of my choices things like

• no vaginal examinations
• no loud voices
• cord not to cut until finished pulsing (unless clear medical urgency)
• dh will cut the cord
• dh will announce sex of baby
• no injection to speed placenta
• no vit k injection to baby
• any discussion of progress must be out of ear shot
• please do not use words like push, pant, hard labour

You don't have to write one, I didn't last time as I didn't want to be held to anything when I had no idea what was going to happen. They'll ask you relevant questions whilst in labour anyway (managed third stage / vitamin k).

Thanks for replies. topsy can I ask why you specified no vaginal examinations?

I'm nearly 36 weeks with DC3 and I've never written a birth plan!

First time round the midwife never mentioned writing one, second time the midwife asked if I had one but my plan was basically have baby and so far this time no-one's asked me about it

Do you want...
Vitamin k jab for baby
Managed 3rd stage
Delayed cord clamping
Cord blood collection (you might need to arrange privately)
You or DP to cut the cord
VEs
Immediate skin to skin or baby wiped and / or wrapped first.
To see the sex for yourself first
Any one specific to be present
Anyone specific barred
If your baby goes to nicu (or you go to icu) who do you want your DP to stay with?

I wrote one, but ended up being induced because of pre-eclampsia. The midwife I had was really lovely and sat and talked about my choices and explained that with an induction, some of my choices would be dangerous (like a natural 3rd stage).
We thrashed it out between us, but nicely!

I basically wrote that I am quite laid back and will go with the flow and then in bullet points:

• would like to try without epidural and go with gas & air / analgesia for as long as I could manage
• I want to try and stay mobile
• I am scared of needing an assisted delivery eg forceps
• I am very scared of tearing
• I would like baby to have vit K
• I would like the placenta jag (forget the name)
• Ideally I would like the room kept quiet, calm, minimal people in and the lights dimmed
• I would like skin to skin ASAP

I don't see the point of birth plans personally. Mine didn't get looked at! Everything I didn't want to happen (epidural etc) happened because labour wasn't going 'to plan'.

I wrote a list of bullet points, of decisions similar to the examples already given eg vit k or not, injection to deliver placenta or not etc

It means you don't have to keep answering questions and it helpful for you to think about these things in advance even if no one looks at them at the time.

cornberry i didnt see the point, it's uncomfortable and i refused to labour to a time frame. Shat does a VE tell you? How dilated you are, but actually, if your body isnt ready to push, is it useful to know that?

I was confident in my body's ability to give birth, i didnt need to be told to push. It was very clear to my mw and dh when i was in transition and my body pushed ds out without me consciously doing so. Its part of the hypnobirthing theory, and i gained trust in myself not to require any a
Hands on medical assitance. During my my whole labour, my mw onky checked ds heartbeat with a doppler on a couple of occasions, otherwise, she, the other mw and the trainee sat on my sofa drinking tea and fussing the cats!!

'I hope it goes well and sorry if I scream
please make sure everyone leaves intact
thanks'

Nhs has one to fill in a print out.
www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/birth-plan.aspx

Why on earth would you write one when you haven't a clue what you want?!
I see the whole thing as pointless and never had one for all 3 births.
You will have a much nicer birth if you are friendly with the staff and talk to them! Much better than referring to a piece of paper when most likely you will have changed your mind anyway!
People are so used to arranging things - it is nothing like planning a wedding and it can't always be kept under control.
It really isn't necessary. I had 3 lovely births, in 3 different NHS hospitals - all completely natural with no pain relief without having written as much as a sentence of a birth plan

I didn't write one, my SIL is a midwife and when I asked her if it was worth it she said something along the lines of - you can, we will try our best to follow them but you have to remember baby hasn't read it.

I just used the NHS one. I think a birth plan is quite useful for decisions you aren't likely to change your mind on (i.e. vit k, plan for 3rd stage etc) and that you might like to think about and research ahead if time but less so for things that may change as your labour progresses.

I wrote that I would prefer not to have an epidural but after I had to be induced to speed my labour up I sent DH off straight away to tell the mws I'd changed my mind!

It is how people set themselves up for failure. They have a wonderful birth in mind and it doesn't go according to the 'plan' and therefore the whole experience is spoilt for them. If you 'go with the flow,' without expectations, and keep an open mind you can't 'fail'.

Exactly-Asuperwittyquip - the baby hasn't read it!

Mine is a bit tongue in cheek (chances of anything like what I want happening are slim to none so I thought id at least to try and give the midwives something funny to read lol)
I've basically written NO FORCEPS NO VENTOUSE at the top and highlighted

This is basically my birth plan...
FOR LABOUR

Things to pre-warn the midwives about me...
I get quite teary on entinox
I love entinox
I will love each and every midwife that encounters me
I hate/fear vaginal examinations - I will need entinox straight away for them, no matter what!
I labour QUICKLY
I always have some kind if placental retention
I always have some kind of bladder problem (stunned bladder) after baby is born
I talk a lot of shit when I am in labour - please humour me.
If you come at me/mention forceps or ventouse I will have a panic attack so please just give me a c-section instead....it'll be easier for all involved
If I am labouring well I will have no need for pethedine or an epidural - so please don't offer (unless I can have a c-section, no questions asked - in which case - just give it to me and do it!)

Side notes

My birthing partner is @#£%&@ @#£%& (father)
He is a baker and therefore is very tired the majority of the time. This also makes him quite spacey so if you need to get a point across -SPEAK UP, SPEAK CLEARLY and if all else fails, THROW A PILLOW AT HIM. He should remember, from the last times, what he needs to do anyway...

As i labour quickly and more often than not have my eyes closed the entire time please can i ask that photographs be taken all the time. I don't need them to be gratuitous shots - just something for a reminder.

I then just have that I will be breastfeeding, skin to skin straight away, bit k to be given etc etc. Honestly it is just meant to be used as a guide and cant be taken word for word so just write basics xxgood luckxx

I didn't have one in my first birth as I didn't really know what I wanted. I have much stronger ideas this time, based on my first birth, and so have written one. It's one side of A4 and here it is (apologies if this is very long on here!)

I plan to give birth at Colchester on advice from midwives and consultant due to my age and BMI.

Please note that I am on daily doses of asprin and 60mg of Clexane.

I would like my husband to be with me during labour and birth including during a forceps, ventouse or caesarian delivery if any of those are necessary.

NO INTERNAL EXAMINATIONS unless for a medical emergency. I find them excruciatingly painful and will not consent to vaginal examinations to check progress.

In the case of an induction I will not consent to sweeps or pessaries, but will consent to the drip.

I would like to move around for labour and would prefer not to be stuck on the bed for prolonged periods. I would also like to be able to use the toilet and shower.

I am open to different positions for labouring and giving birth.

I would like my baby delivered straight onto my tummy and for my husband to cut the cord.

I am happy for students to be present.

Pain relief: I do not want gas and air as it makes me vomit. I do not want an epidural – I had one in my last labour and hated it. I will consider pain relieving injections if necessary but would prefer to try to manage without pain relief if possible.

I would like my midwife to tell me if she thinks I’ll require an episiotomy as I’d prefer not to tear.

I am happy to have the injection in my thigh for the delivery of the placenta.

Happy for the baby to have the vitamin K injection.

I plan to breastfeed. However, my first baby had a posterior tongue tie and as a result didn’t latch very well and ended up hospitalised after five days with dehydration and jaundice. I am very, very concerned about this happening again and would like this baby checked for both anterior and posterior tongue tie before she is discharged.

Thanks so much ladies, this is all super helpful :)

I don't think babies tend to read a birth plan so mine will be:

Get the baby out safely
Please don't kill or maim me
My husband is a wuss and a fainter - please look after him as I will be too distracted to notice.

Yes, babies definitely don't read birth plans/preferences/wish lists. However health care professionals ought to and usually do. It is helpful to summarise key points for them, particularly things that are unlikely to change.