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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

What is/was in your birth plan?

33 replies

ElizabethLemon · 17/04/2018 14:30

I didn’t bother writing one last time but discussed certain things with my H so that if I wasn’t able to express them he could on my behalf. It wasn’t anything big, I didn’t want an epidural and I wanted the baby to have skin to skin with his dad if I couldn’t do it etc..

My due date is fast approaching and I’m thinking maybe I should jot some things down but not sure what really? It’s noted in my mat notes that if I give birth in hospital I want the cord blood to be donated, I can’t really think of anything else!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Astrabees · 17/04/2018 14:38

First time around I gave birth in a private hospital dedicated to natural childbirth. I prepared a birth plan which indicated minimum intervention and insisted that nothing happen that I did not consent to. Very important for me was a natural third stage with DH cutting the cord. All went well. As my second son was born at home with 2 midwives I felt more relaxed and again I emphasised minimal intervention and the natural third stage as before. All went well both times, though it hurt a lot less second time around!

Dreamingofkfc · 17/04/2018 16:27

I don't really have a plan, apart from have a baby. I trust the team around me to help me have the baby safely. I'm low risk, with two previous homebirths so should be left to get on with it. I wouldn't expect to need vaginal examinations, I'd like a physiological 3rd stage, minimal interruptions, to breast feed. That's about it.

Twickerhun · 17/04/2018 17:22

Deliver baby safely - I’ll follow advice of anyone medically trained as I can’t be bothered to learn midwifery just to give birth myself.

I’ll have all the drugs, ideally an ice cold g and T too to help the process along.

I apologise in advance for my bad language

If DH touches me I’ll not be responsible for my actions if I hurt him

KendalMintCakey · 17/04/2018 17:23

It could just be here but they don't pay much heed.

Twickerhun · 17/04/2018 17:25

I think in all seriousness it’s better not to be too fixed on an absolute plan. Sometimes things don’t go the way you want and it’s best to be pretty flexible as it’s a very unknown process.
I did t have a birth plan last time and it was fine, the midwives checked in with me as we went along

jamoncrumpets · 17/04/2018 18:03

I'm having a planned c section (second baby) this time, and honestly all I can think of writing is 'Please don't kill me!'

Didntcomeheretofuckspiders · 17/04/2018 18:07

My birth plan is fairly flexible but I’ve thought about most scenarios so it’s quite long!!

Have our music playing. In theatre too if that becomes necessary.
Hypnobirthing but I’m not fussed about what words etc get used as I’m a midwife and will never not think of contractions as contractions!
Pool if I feel like it and it’s appropriate at the time.
Try not to get to the birth centre before 6cm. Want to labour at home for as long as possible and don’t want to be going backwards and forwards in early labour.
Try to avoid epidural by trying water, gas and air, pethidine (if in early labour), position changes etc. More likely to consider one if I have a very long latent phase or induction and am feeling knackered already.

- Skin to skin immediately - no excuses! Baby can obviously go to peads if there are concerns after a minute. This includes if Caesarian is necessary.

Optimal cord clamping, waiting at least two minutes unless serious concerns about baby which need to be addressed before. Also applies if a Caesarian.
See how I feel about oxytocin injection at the time. In an ideal situation I probably wouldn’t have it but depends on blood loss and if the placenta hasn’t delivered within 15-20 mins, I’d probably request it.
Placenta to come home with us to be buried in the garden. Unless it’s in pieces or infected or something, in which case it can stay 😂
No formula to be given to baby unless absolute last resort. (We have glucose gel in my trust which we can use to improve blood sugars if needed.)
No CTG monitoring unless absolutely necessary. I will decide what is necessary as and when it comes up. This might mean going against hospital policy. If I do decide it’s important, I would rather have telemetry and if that isn’t working well, an FSE to optimise my ability to move around.
Induction only if I deem it necessary. Would likely wait until at least 42 weeks to start induction for post dates.
Consider vaginal breech delivery if baby breech at term, with low threshold for intervention and booked elective section at 41 weeks.
May decide later on in my pregnancy that actually I want a homebirth, not a birth centre birth but we’ll see how things go.
Happy to have a student do all or most of my care.
Might want to be left alone with my partner quite a lot so to discuss with midwife at the time how often they come into the room, if I want them to stay etc.
Loads of snacks!
Minimal stay on the postnatal ward. May self-discharge against policy but obviously it’s a bit different when you can sort of do the job at home.
Vitamin K injection for baby!
No weighing, measuring etc. until baby has had first feed.

WhyDoesItAlways · 17/04/2018 18:32

My plan was to go in the pool if one was available. Do whatever the midwife advised. Take the minimum pain relief I needed to get by.

That was about it. I think the less plan the less there is to be disappointed about if all doesn't go as you'd hoped.

missjulia · 17/04/2018 18:40

spiders - is this your first baby?

jamoncrumpets · 17/04/2018 18:42

Spiders, that's a pretty comprehensive birth plan!!

Ninjamilo · 17/04/2018 18:56

My birth plan is similar to yours spiders, it has most eventualities in it!

I don't think there's anything wrong at all with being prepared - I fully accept that I may not get the home water birth I want, but I wanted my preferences for other methods noted in case I'm not in a fit state to listen!

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 17/04/2018 19:04

Our trust seem to encourage birth plans, both my midwife and consultant have told me to write one to be discussed at my next midwife appointment.

It's fairly basic and boring though, aiming for a planned section so have a plan for labour before hand, 3 c-section plans (2 for spinal depending on my emotional state, 1 for GA... my 1st c-section was a horrific experience featuring hallucinations) and a bit for if baby needs NICU, how I'm going to feed them, the fact that I don't want skin to skin etc.

Mississippilessly · 17/04/2018 19:22

I think it's absolutely fin to write a long list of eventualities as long as you are sensible and sane about it. Mine will be about wanting G&A only, pool for as long a spots, excuse the swearing, avoid pethidine if at all possible. HOWEVER - if anything is at risk or it hurts so much I am doing a remake of the Exorcist ignore everything I have said!

I think whatever you write it is really important that your birth partner reads it and understands it properly in case you aren't quite right to explain!

itallhappensforareason · 17/04/2018 19:26

I have no plan and don't think I really will. I'm happy to just go with the flow and take on board the professionals' advice as and when its needed. As long as baby comes out healthy and I'm ok that's the only thing that matters.

KendalMintCakey · 17/04/2018 19:28

Have you given birth itall...before?

scrivette · 17/04/2018 19:31

I didn't have a birth plan for any of my three, just went with the flow at the time.

vgiraffe · 17/04/2018 19:41

Things I can remember...

Don't offer me pain relief - I'll ask if I need it.

Keep conversation to a minimum! I like the quiet!

Natural 3rd stage

Water birth if facilities are available
(Also if there is anything else available where you are giving birth - e.g. I used aromatherapy) Not sure if they would offer these anyway though.

Preferred birthing positions - midwife might then suggest one of the other positions to you? (I ended up laid on my back anyway!!)

I also titled it 'birth preferences' as I think subconsciously this helped when several things didn't go to 'plan'!

Spam88 · 17/04/2018 19:44

Mine was very brief and just said where I'd like to give birth and that I didn't want pethidine or an epidural - HA!

bloomsburyer · 17/04/2018 19:47

Waste of time doing mine. No one read it and everything I said I didn't want happened.

DwangelaForever · 17/04/2018 19:52

Still early days here (15 weeks) but I've been researching VBACs a lot.

I've decided that if I go into labour naturally I will give a VBAC a go and if there are any issues where they would induce me or if my baby is measuring big I will have an elective.

As for birth plan, last time I didn't really go into it with a specific plan, I just said I would see how I felt at the time and kept my options open. I loved the TENS machine (I had back labour), had diamorphine to help me sleep (I was induced and was staying overnight in hospital when I was in early stages) and absolutely hated gas and air. They wouldn't give me any other drugs such as diamorphine and pethadine when I was in active labour due to decelerations but it got to the stage where I begged for an epidural and was glad to have gotten one. I got to 10cm but daughter wouldn't come out cause she was back to back so ended up with a section.

Antislut · 17/04/2018 19:54

My first birth plan just said no forceps. Now, I'm going to put a lot more effort into writing one and directing the midwife to actually read it. The trusts I've seen often don't read your birth plan and just offer what they offer everyone in terms of care. You definitely need to advocate for yourself or if not allocate the role to one of your birth partners.

Buglife · 17/04/2018 19:54

Plan is to stay at home with my One to One Midwife and DH until I’m about 7-8cm then off to birth unit for a water birth. I am not against escalation if needed though, for medical reasons. I had DS1 by ventouse in the end and it wasn’t that bed, I had a small episiotomy that healed quickly. But I’d like to get this one out in the pool!

itallhappensforareason · 17/04/2018 19:57

@Kendal no I haven't, this will be my first time. I don't know what to expect therefore I have zero expectations!

NameChange30 · 17/04/2018 20:03

I called mine “birth preferences” and it was flexible.

For example I listed pain relief in order of preference, starting with birthing pool and hypnobirthing, then gas and air, no pethidine, and epidural last on the list (I wanted to avoid an epidural if possible but didn’t want to rule it out completely), I specified a mobile epidural as I wanted to be able to move if possible.

I also added a note to say I had PGP and wanted to stay active and avoid labouring on my back (which was ignored but I won’t go into that here).

I also had a note to say that if it looked likely I was going to have a significant tear, I wanted an episiotomy, they did respect this and I had one (I did need it and I’m glad I had one even though it was sore afterwards).

So in conclusion... they definitely read my birth “plan” and respected some of it, not all of it. So it was worth doing. And it helped me to think about my preferences and explain them to DH in advance as well. The only thing is he wasn’t particularly able to advocate for me, he tried but the power dynamic is difficult in hospital I think. An experienced doula would probably have had more success arguing for me.

KNain · 17/04/2018 20:10

Drugs. That's pretty much all that was on mine. Give me any and all the drugs, and then give me some more just to be sure.

I had an early epidural and an EMCS. Should have just gone for an ELCS but the midwife talked me out of it.

This time I'm having an ELCS.

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