Anyone want to post a copy of their birthplan?

[Thandeka]

Should probably start writing mine All I know is I don't want it to be a dickens novel, more a mr man book!

Am thinking doing it brief with headings and bullet points eg.
first stage
second stage
third stage
imediately after birth etc.

Anyone fancy sharing theirs?

Beanigan

'They would issue them unless there was a reason.'

There are always reasons, but those reasons are not always in the best interests of the individual. Policies are blanket and there are risks to every intervention as well as positives.

'Is some truth in what earlier poster said re longer the plan the worse the birth'

I seriously doubt that this is true. A more accurate line would possibly be the 'more unrealistic' or 'idealistic' the birth plan the worse the birth or at least the worse the perception of birth.

Oh why not ? should be a laugh... I typeset it and everything... Bless.

Birth Plan
Overall:
Our aim is for as natural as birth as possible, with minimal intervention.
However, we appreciate that things don?t always go according to plan, and are
always open to the advice of professionals. We appreciate that this plan represents
a ?best case scenario? and will be flexible, so long as we are kept well informed.

Environment:
? I would prefer to give birth in the Mothers? suite at the Homerton Hospital.
? If it is available I would like to use the water pool during labour and possibly for the birth as well.
? I would like the lighting to be kept as low as is practical, and we plan to bring some music with us.

Birth Partner:
? Alex Botha, husband. I would like him to be present at all times ? even/especially in the event of a Caesarean section.

Labour:
? We live several miles away from the hospital, and traffic on our routes can be horrendous during busy times. Please take this into consideration - e.g. we would prefer to stay on a ward rather than be sent
home to face the possibility of a stressful drive back during rush hour!
? I would like to be actively encouraged to keep mobile throughout labour - bully me if you have to!
? I would prefer not to be on constant fetal monitoring, so as to remain as mobile as possible.
? I would prefer it if internal examinations are only undertaken when absolutely necessary.
? We would like labour to be allowed to go at it?s own rate as much as possible with minimal intervention unless no progress is being made at all or there are concerns for the wellbeing of baby or mum. Should
things slow down or stop, please suggest positions/movements which may help before recourse to drugs.
? We would like as much information as possible in the event of any suggested intervention.

Pain relief choices:
? Gas and air (Entonox) is our preferred method of pain relief, please encourage me to stick with it!
? Pethidine/diamorphine - we do not want to use this due to concerns about side effects for both mum and baby - this is the one thing in this plan we consider ?non negotiable?.
? We have concerns about the use of an epidural because of the resulting lack of mobility, slowing of labour and increased likelihood of the need for forceps/ventouse. However, I am not planning on being
a heroine about this, and may change my mind when the reality of labour kicks in! In this case I would prefer to have a ?mobile epidural? for the reasons outlined above, and be encouraged to stay off my back.
? In the case of a Caesarean section I would prefer an epidural to a general anaesthetic.

Birth/third stage:
? I would prefer to tear rather than have an episiotomy
? I would like to have immediate skin-to-skin contact with my baby.
? Alex would like to cut the cord.
? I would prefer a physiological rather than a managed third stage, unless there are medical concerns.

Post natal:
? I would like to be able to breast feed as soon as possible after birth. I have worries/concerns about breast feeding, so would appreciate as much help and encouragement as possible to get things going.
? I would like my baby to remain with me at all times, including night-times, and for Alex to be able to be present at any time of day.
? We are willing to pay for a private post-natal room if one is available.
? We would like our baby to receive a vitamin K injection.

The reality?
Induction, hyperstimulation, epidural, synotcinon drip, 51 hours later foprceps in theatre, 3rd degree tear AND episiotomy, various other lacerations and bugger all clue ab out third stage or any of that stuff as was too out of by that point!

As for breatsfeeding support? Nada, zip, zilch. We managed ok though...

So will I make one this time? Probably, but it'll be cosiderably shorter...!

db
xx

For first DC:

• We want a live baby at the end of it. Please work with us to ensure this happens.
• IM vit K
• Will breastfeed.

Ended up being lovely, relaxed, dimly lit induction (AROM with favourable Bishop's score) with continuous fetal monitoring. DD had IUGR. Popped out after 6 hours weighing just 5lb but healthy as a horse. Utterly fantastic. No interventions (other than AROM).

For second DC:
will be exactly the same. Due in March. Sincerely hope that this one doesn't have IUGR. Would be v happy to be induced again though if necessary.

Forgot to add that DH added a bit:
"If epidural requested, consultant / experienced SpR to do it. Do not let an SHO near my wife with a needle."
Typical doctor, DH.

I am slightly in shock as to what I have just read.

Can we really expect busy midwives to be able to read and follow such lengthy and in depth instructions?

I may be naive but I want to put my trust in our medical experts. Yes, I will have an opinion on certain issues/aspects as they happen but I do not expect to dictate every minute of my labour before I have even had the first contraction.

JBroRo - I think birth plans are more for you, so that you feel you have though through all the issues about which you have an opinion and then don;t have to think about it too much at crunch time. And for your birth partner, who may have to make decisions on your behalf and want to have something in writing so he/she feelas confident to make those decisions for you.

I think the midwives will, at best, skim it to get an idea of the overall kind of approch you have. If that.

My second one will undoubtedly be shorter, but I'll still make sure it contains all the pertinent, decision making stuff.

One has no choice but to put one's trust in the medical profession when it comes down to it. But it is a good idea tio have spent a bit of time thinking through the kind of decisions you may want to make in any given circumstances before the time comes... At least in my experience "thinking through" stuff wouldn't have bene possible during labour.

Some find it helpful and reassuring to write it down. Others, may not. Personal choice. I'm sure the midwives don't lose too much sleep worrying whether they've missed something on someone's birth plan, anyway, so I wouldn't fret too much on their account.

db
xx

Sorry to hear you don't fret to much on our account because we surely do fret on yours! And I have lost plenty of sleep worrying about whether women achieve the birth they have been hoping for...

I do agree with a lot of the points made but I can't help but feel that some plans are just ridiculously long and include some points that I feel are irrelevant.

I also know of and have read about many women who have made plans/got set ideas in mind and when these don't happen (i.e. mother nature has other ideas) they then feel like a failure.

I don't want to set myself up for such a feeling so want to go with the flow and trust that the midwife who is in charge of my labour will advise me correctly and make well-informed decisions on behalf of myself and my baby.

As for my husband (I hate the term birth partner) he shares my view that medical staff are in a better position to make decisions than we are. We will discuss certain points prior to my due date but I still don't feel the need for a plan containing a multitude of bullet points.

Just my opinion...obviously everyone is entitled to approach labour as they wish.

Reikizen, didn't mean any offense to midwives... FWIW, my labour was so flippin' long last time that all four shifts of absolutely fantastic midwives had plenty of time to read the whole thing - although sadly much of it was out of the window before I even started... I have absolutely no axe to grind with midwives at all, my friend is one, and I think they do a fab job.

You might not want to leave me alone in a room with the consultant who gave me misoprostol for induction and didn't warn me of possible side effects, though. I have somewhat different feelings there... Or the nurse on the ward who shouted at me for bleeding on the floor, 4 hours post labour...

I just meant that just because you'd said on page 4 of your birth plan that you wanted them to wait until the cord has stopped pulsing before cutting it, but in actual fact this didn't happen, the MW isn't probably going to feel wracked with guilt for missing it if you didn;t care at that point after all mention it at the time.

Agree JoBro with much of what you said, and there was an element of that with me, certainly, as I'd envisaged something very different from what actually happened and there was an element of disappointment, sure. But that had more to do with having a bit of a crap birth experience, rather than not following the birth plan to the letter.

But having said that, it must certainly help midwives to have informed mothers who have though about the decisions they might want to make at any given time rather than saying "I don't know, what do you think I should do?" to every question... which kind of makes the buck stop even more firmly on their shoulders...

At least if I've said I wanted x, and x happens, and I don't like it after all, I've no-one to blame for the decision other than myself. And I'm sure if you've written anything blatantly silly, or which isn't to your benefit in the situation you find yourslf in, the midwives will let you know.

FWIW, one of my midwives said to me, "even though you've had an epidural, I see you've said that you'd like to keep mobile to help things along, that sounds like a good idea, and there's no reason you shouldn't move about - with some help, and did in fact help me. She'd have probably said that anyway, even if it hadn't been in my birth plan, but at least she knew it was something I already knew to be a good idea.

I'm blathering... but you get my drift?

db
xx

7 day weekend; your husband cannot consent on your behalf in the UK

JRoBro I agree with everything you say and would love to have trust in the midwives. For the large part, I trust MW's to have my best interests at heart......

HOWEVER, given that we do not have continuity of care, midwives have rarely met you beforehand and HAVE TO make assumptions about your wants and needs. They are trying to do this for you sometimes during a long shift with a potentially unsafe number of other women for whom they are responsible and you are lucky if they even remember your name (wonder why they call you 'mum' and your dh 'dad'?)

Sometimes a small thing can make a HUGE difference to how you subsequently perceive your birth which in turn can cause complications and/or pnd and ptsd.

I am not implying for one minute that midwives don't care. I haven't met one who I truly believe didn't, but I did meet a few who made VERY bad decisions for ME that has meant years of councelling despite what on paper appears to be a text book labour.

I had three (or four) shift changes during dd's labour... Don't think anyone would have bothered to read a birth plan and I didn't have one, just decided things on the spot (eg. totally refusing forceps).
Reading the threat makes me wonder though if I should have one for dc2. Didn't realise I could say no to so many things!!

Thanks MrsHappy for the answer! ;) Maybe I´ll try the plan when again pregnant.