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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

How to write a birth plan???

14 replies

fuzzywuzzy · 17/09/2004 18:51

OK I'm three weeks away from d day, and my midwife told me to write a birth plan.... How does one go about this?? With dd I wasn't told to and I didn't ask as the midwife seemed to be really busy and I didn't want to make a nuisance of myself. This time I've been set homework help!
Should I type a page out and slip it into my folder, how should I set it out, letter form, bullet points???
Personally I'd like as natural a birth as possible, I do not under any circumstance want an epidural (major needle phobia), I coped pretty well last time with nothing (gas and air made me throw up), I didn't scream the place down or anything. I know this labour wont neccesarily be the same as the first. I was put on a oxytocin drip to speed things up with dd as my waters had broken and there was meconium present. Also had to have forceps and therefore an episiotomy. I don't mind intervention if it's needed, but I seriously doubt I would be able to keep still whilst they administer an epidural, this is my only definite refusal, otherwise I'm happy to listen and accept advice.
BTW would have loved to have a homebirth but dp vetoed that idea....

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libb · 17/09/2004 18:54

I didn't really do a birth plan but there was a page on the back of my notes where ideas could be jotted. To be honest, DS was my first and I am not a great one for planning ahead! I knew I wanted everything as natural as possible but wanted to know that I could keep my options open if needs be - I rather put myself in the hands of the midwives at the time!

cazzybabs · 17/09/2004 19:01

I just wrote a few things down on my notes - like I would like a water birth, would like to give birth standing up or on all fours, want a natural 3rd stage, want skin to skin contact ASAP and want to breast feed and didn't say obvious things like would like to aviod episiotomy. Have also informed dp so he can tell them things if I can't, but last time I was fairly with it the whole way through

SoupDragon · 17/09/2004 19:10

Think about how you'd like things to go basically and what you'd like to happen if things don't go according to plan. Bullet points are good as they don't involve much reading IYSWIM - you don't want to put your midwife off with too much reading matter.

ALways remember that it's only a plan and things don't always go according to plan.

hana · 17/09/2004 19:22

you can do a search on google for birth plan, and you'll come up with samples, just insert your own ideas and thoughts.
Best of luck with the birth!

skerriesmum · 17/09/2004 19:49

Whatever you decide, depending on your hospital, they might ask your midwife or doctor to approve it before the big day. I did show mine to the consultant well before, but he didn't sign it and when the attending midwife read it during my prelabour she got all huffy (nothing too weird by the way, the main point they didn't like was I didn't want my waters broken unless it was an emergency.)

lilsmum · 17/09/2004 20:09

fuzzywuzzy to be totally honest... i took ages deciding what i wanted/didnt want and wrote my birth plan and put lots of effort into it only for it not to be looked at once!!! my midwife told me i should write one but it was a complete waste of time therefore nothing happened what i wanted to happen etc... now if it is something you really want to do i.e to reassure yourself go for it otherwise i really wouldnt bother, i would just go with the flow i doubt very much a epidural would be pushed on you as i actually wanted one and "nagged" for hours and never got one they just asked me as the things happened i.e do you want baby delivered onto your stomach etc etc...as the baby was crowning, if i had another child i certainly wouldnt bother writing another birthplan

Original poster

fuzzywuzzy · 17/09/2004 20:23

lilsmum the thing is last time I was repeatedly told to accept an epidural, one midwife went as far as paging the anaesthesist even after I had refused, I ended up pleading NOT to have an epidural, I seriously have a major needle phobia I pass out before and after every blood test I have ever had it sound ridiculous but there you go I have no control over it. With dd the midwife insisted I have an epidural, then when I refused (wasn't in any pain really) she called a senior nurse who yelled at me, when I still refused the midwife walked out saying she wasn't prepared to take care of me as I was not co-operating (her words). Later on a different shift, a teaching class walked in and again the teacher advised me to opt for an epidural. Lucky for me the midwife who delivered dd was understanding and didn't force me to have one, otherewise I don't know what I would have done!!!

OP posts:

lavender1 · 17/09/2004 20:41

fuzzywuzzy I did a birth plan for both our children and it really was good as they respected it.....it was the Pilgrim Hospital, Boston, Lincs....(got the idea from Emma's diary btw)

Birth partner... dh's name, I'd like the minimum number of people and 'NO' students. (you know what I had only 2 midwives at any one time and no students)
I'd like to be left as long as possible before intervention, should I be late or making slow progress.
I'd like to be free to move around if possible with foetal monitoring by ear trumpet, and the reasons in detail if not possible.
I want to have a bath early on in labour and would like to use a 'Tens' machine if available. I want to try and manage without different forms of pain relief, particularly an 'Epidural' but I may change my mind about this.
I would appreciate advice on positions and breathing and lots of encouragement when labour feels difficult to handle.

6.I'd rather not have an episiotomy so please help me find the best postion for birth.

If a caesarean delivery becomes 'absolutely' necessary I'd like to be told why and the baby to be handed straight to dh after delivery.
We'd like the baby to be delivered on to my stomach and we want to discover whether it is a boy or girl ourselves.
I'd prefer not to have an injection of syntometrine (unless I start to bleed heavily)
We'd like Vitamin 'K' given by injection.
I intend to breastfeed the baby so want to be woken up for feeds. I'd rather no bottles were given to him/her.

This was actually my birth plan, as adapted by Emma's diary and the midwives did follow this...I had it written in my maternity record book,...I don't know what the policy is in other hospitals but they were very good at the Pilgrim....hope you get on alright with your birth plan.....lots of luck lavxxx

blossom2 · 17/09/2004 21:03

my birth plan was written in a country pub, when DH had had a couple of pints, on the back of a napkin!!!! DD was born about 19 hours later.

We had issues that we needed to discuss e.g. what happens if some serious goes wrong? what kind of pain relief? etc and agreed on the answers.

It was great and because DD was early, we just got on with it since we didn't have any expectations of what wanted so didn't worry about it.

eemie · 17/09/2004 21:20

Only way to write birth plan - with your tongue firmly in your cheek.

But seriously, why not just give them your post? That is a birth plan.

Tommy · 17/09/2004 23:45

My friend who's a midwife and delivered DS2 said to think about those things that you may not think of but that others may think of as being really important (a couple in lavendar's) - do you want the midwife to tell you it's a boy or girl? Do you want your partner to cut the cord? (mine didn't - definitely), skin to skin contact immediately or be presented with a nice clean baby? etc. She said that a lot of the pain relief type points will be discussed with you as you go along anyway and also may have to change depending on the circumstances.
Definitely I would discuss it with your DP and mostly, don't worry too much if it doesn't go the way you want it! With DS1 I wanted water birth, all lovely and natural and ended up with induction, epidural and forceps. With DS2 I wanted water birth etc but knew what may happen and ended up with DS2 practically flying out into the arms of said midwife friend (now his Godmother!)
Basically, I guess you want a healthy baby and everything to be OK...
Good luck

HelloMama · 18/09/2004 13:13

I used this brilliant birth plan which I found on google: birthplan.com/cgi-bin/plan.pl (sorry, cant do links!)

I cut and pasted it into word and just deleted the sections which were not relevant to me, so it was just a series of headings and our choices. My midwife said it was quite important to only make it a page long so that it would be quick to read, especially in an emergency. I felt using an existing birth plan as a guide was helpful as it made me think of things I would have otherwise forgotton. As it happened, our birth plan was read by our midwife and followed to the letter, although it wasn't really too prescriptive, all the important things we wanted were provided.

Socci · 18/09/2004 14:41

Message withdrawn

Staceyk · 21/09/2004 08:02

As a first time Mum-to-be, (18wks) I have read the birth plan questions in various books, and most questions I am of the opinion "I don't know" I have never done this before, I don't know if I want to eat, move around,what position and so on. I would like to think I wouldn't need a Episiotomy or an epidural, but I just don't know. I feel like just putting please discuss with me/DH at the time, but then I suppose there is a fear that DH might not be there in time, or we both are not capeable of thinking clearly.

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