Birthing plan

[chickennuggets2]

Hi!
I'm 35 weeks, first pregnancy. When do you do birthing plan? Is there a special form I fill in etc or does the midwife go through this? Sorry a bit clueless with it all!

I had an appointment scheduled at the hospital to talk about possible induction etc but now been cancelled, which is totally understandable with the current circumstances. From my understanding they aren't rebooking these appointments till the pandemic has gone, just a little worried we will still be in the pandemic and just feel a bit clueless to what happens now. I obviously have my regular checks with the MW but I'm giving birth in a different county to what she works in so everything is different 🤷🏼‍♀️

@chickennuggets2 I'm also 35 weeks pregnant and had my birth plan chat at my 34 week midwife appointment. Which she filled out in my green book.
Are you able to ask your midwife about it? Or call where you will be giving birth? As I think everywhere can vary!
I've got friends up the road who never had their chat at 34 weeks.

I wouldn't pin too much hope on your midwife meeting with you to do this. You'll be lucky to even be allowed a birth partner at this rate!

You could try downloading a template and completing it yourself. Remember to take it to the hospital with you

I used this to help me create mine. I had vaginally delivery and a c section 1.

www.pinterandmartin.com/vbp

Ah yeah she never mentioned it last week while I was there, think I will just write it down myself and then at least I know I've got something. Never thought the last month would be so stressful but just can't wait for this all to be over, pandemic and birth ☹️ I doubt il be seeing any health care professional till I walk in to give birth!

@selfsettling3 thank you!

Birth plan was week 36 for me and I'm sure they will do it. It is good have it with you but try to be open to what happens. Things can change very quickly in labour.

Yeah tbh I'm pretty easy going with regards to what I want etc so I'm not worried about that. I think I'm just getting anxious as obviously appointments are getting cancelled now with the virus and I'm just a little nervous that I don't really know what to do, but I guess does anyone really know 🙈

@chickennuggets2 I was going to do a birth plan I'm 36 weeks I printed the template off the NHS website a while ago. Never had a conservation with the midwife about it unless it gets brought up next week. But today with all this going off I've decided I'm not doing one, I have a rough idea of what I want but doubt it will go to plan anyway seeing as a lot of things are out of our control now. I'd rather go with an open mind and go with the flow.

Good luck x

@fearnJR that's actually a good idea, takes a bit of the stress away! You too, hope it all goes well! X

I'm 36 weeks and meeting with my midwife about my plan next week. It's super short, literally a few notes on a small piece of paper from a notepad, but I found it helpful to write down!

Of course anything could happen during birth but I do still think it's worth doing. I've specified things like wanting to be active and walking around in labour, low lighting, dad to cut the cord and skin to skin as soon as the baby is born. Nothing complicated but it's made me much calmer about the whole experience... Especially in the current context!

Good luck

Most places are saying no water births, many are saying no midwife led units- everyone goes to the ward, some are apparently saying there are issues with certain forms of pain meds- it varies by trust. I think the first thing you need to do is contact someone at the hospital where you will give birth and ask what the current situation is so that you know what your options are.

I was advised today by a midwife to write 2 birth plans, one for a much hoped for (but now very unlikely) homebirth, and another for a hospital birth. It makes perfect sense to me, to plan for my ideal birth but also spend some time considering the realistic alternative. I found the concept really calmed me down from my feelings of panic beforehand when I didn't know what situation I would give birth in.

Thanks everyone! I'm going to just put a few things on paper, mainly just that I want delayed clamping if the cord. Skin to skin, all that stuff. I'm quite open minded about pain relief so will just see at the time what happens about that. I was just going to birthing unit anyway as I'm consultant lead so higher risk. I was going to call the hospital just to kind of see what the next steps were, as in their cancellation letter they stated they weren't rebooking till covid-19 has subsided but it's probably not going to be for a while now, however it stated in the letter not to call the hospital for queries. So maybe I just won't see them again till the birth.. and just see my local midwife

@chickennuggets2
In my opinion this one is better than nhs one

www.hipp.co.uk/advice-centre/pregnancy-birth/free-birth-plan/

Download that, fill it out and put in your hospital bag take your time with it as if the worst happens and you aren't allowed a birth partner who would usually advocate for you you beee to make sure your wishes are written down, I really hope it doesn't come to that good luck xx

What I found really helpful when I wrote my birth plan was thinking about different scenarios and what I would want in each of those. Eg. If having a vaginal delivery I would like immediate skin to skin, delayed cord clamping, yes to vitamin K injection, baby to be weighed after an hour etc. If a cesarean is necessary then please try to facilitate immediate skin to skin and delayed cord clamping, I’d like an arm out of my gown to breastfeed, baby to be weighed in recovery...

It’s better to have an idea of what you’d like in each scenario rather than just a fixed idea. I find the birth plan at the back of the green notes quite unhelpful because it asks things like how you feel about episiotomy and instrumental delivery. No one is doing those things for fun or routinely.

Thank you so much! This is definitely really helpful! Feeling a lot less stressed about it now! Really hope it doesn't come to the birthing partners not being allowed but got to just do what we have to do during these times! Il just be glad when it's over, the whole pandemic has took a lot of the excitement away for my last few week so hopefully I can just chill a little and feel like I'm back in control! As long as I have my family safe and a healthy baby then we're all good in the grand scheme of things!