Bith Plans- When is this done?

[Jzee]

My baby is due in about 5 weeks and so far none of the midwives have suggested I make a birth plan? I have heard about them from other sources and am wondering how I should go about making one? Is it something that's normally done with a midwife?

I reckon they are a waste of time - i tnever happens to plan any way

I did mine by myself. I think I found an interactive one on the internet which asked questions and then came up with a plan. I then amended it to make it better. Unfortunately I can't remember where it was!

Remember that your birth plan is just that - a plan. Things not always go according to plan so try to consider what you'd do if, say, Plan A for pain relief doesn't work - would you then consider B, C or D for example.

Mine was in my notes I was given. It was like a form to fill in..

Who cuts the cord
Do you mind students involved
What pain relief preferences do you have
And all the things you definitely DONT want to happen if they can be avoided eg. episiotomy.

I'd just write it yourself, sign it and give a copy to the midwife. And make sure your partner knows exaclt what it all means.

Good luck for the big day!

Jzee ... I always used to say to friends that they should write a birthplan ... read it ... then chuck it in the bin ... Mainly because nothing I put in my birthplan happened and in hindsight I couldn't see the point of them.

But that isn't very helpful to you is it? I would write it soonish ... think about what you would LIKE to happen ... but don't put all your eggs in one basket ... know that every birth is different and you can't possibly plan them ... and although you know what you would like be flexible and be prepared for anything to happen ...

Mine was fairly useful. It amused me no end when I read it after having DS1. However, I still stand by everything I wrote in it, even if it didn't work out that way. They are useful to list your choices and wishes in order of preference - you may not be able to express your wishes when push comes to shove (hehehe).

Jzee, you can do it yourself any time. Make sure your partner (or anyone who is going to be there with you) knows your wishes too, since you might want them to speak up for you too. Ideally you should discuss it with your midwife before the birth too. It's a list of how you'd (ideally) like labour to go - i.e. 'I'd like an epidural asap' or 'I'd like my partner to cut the cord', that kind of thing. Just be aware that things can't always be exactly as you want them due to circumstances at the time, but it's still a good idea to have a written idea of how you'd like things to go. FWIW my birth went completely as per my plan (and I've probably jinxed this next one now by saying that!), good luck.

here's an interactive birth plan that might be a useful starting point.

Hi Jzee. I wrote a birth plan somewhere around my 20th week. It turned out be useless as I never referred to it from that point.

It just so happened that the birth of my DD (1st baby) was incredibly quick and required no intervention or pain relief (3 hours from start to finish). It was just me and DP in the delivery room with lowered lighting for the hours running up to the pushing stage and the once DD was born and checked over the midwife left the 3 of us alone again to get to know each other. I can honestly say that it was perfect.

Best of luck and let us know what you have

Soupdragon, there's a 'do you want an enema' question in the plan in the link, do you get one these days?

Nobody i know who has given birth in the last 5 years has been offered an enema....

Oh, I see, it's American I assume, from the spelling of labor. Very worrying that I didn't understand half the questions!

agree with beetroot, a useful exercise so that you can think about your preferences. just remember... no battle plan survives contact with the enemy!

I don't know anyone who's been offered an enema either!

The interactive birth plan I used was US too but it did provide me with the bones of a "plan" which I then tweaked. You can generally find out what on earth the US terms mean from Google or similar.

My favourite bit was where I wrote "I want to choose my own positions for labour". With DS1, I chose to lay on my back at the foot of the bed, whimpering

LOL Soupy!

I chose to lean over the back of the bed and call my dp names.

There used to be template in the pregnancy book the nhs give you - is there not any more? We also discussed it at parentcraft classes.

I think it's really important to do it with your partner (or your birth partner if that's someone different). It gives you a chance to discuss issues like vitamin k and check you both agree on what approach you want to take.

Soupy, just loved your interactive one - I would like flowers and a vcr in my room!

Totally agree with beetroot and bossykate - it helps you to focus and makes you aware of the options. Unless you actually write it down we often don't think about what we want to happen if things go wrong - but that can be part of a birth plan too and very importnant as if things are a bit chaotic its harder to think about your options.

I wrote birth plans for both my two and although I can't say they were followed to the letter the MWs did look at them and I think it gives them an idea of what you want and don't want which helps. Try to keep it as open as possible though. I would imagine that if you present them with a long list of ideals they are less likely to take things seriously.

Also its fun as it makes you think about the babies actual arrival. Suppose I'd better put one together for me soon - 9 weeks to go!

Phillipat, you'll only get a Betamax VCR on the NHS though...

My midwife actually asked me if I'd done a birthplan (I'm 36 weeks) and I was amazed, as I tend towards the codswallop point of view. Junior Pregnancy and Baby mag has an outline of things you might want to consider, in the back section.

I seem to remember last time saying 'I apologise in advance to anyone I shout at or crap on)...

I think they are useful for things afterwards - eg I want my baby to be given a BCG, I'd like him/her to receive Vit K orally instead of by injection, please check my baby for x because it runs in the family (thinking of dodgy hips in my case) - stuff that you might not remember at the time but you KNOW you need to tell them despite how the actual birth went. I also use it to remind them that I'm allergic to certain drugs even though this is all over my notes as well...

Oh, yes, hadn't thought of that. If they give me sulphanimide I will puff up and go spotty. Enhancing my post-natal glamour even further.

When I had dd1 no-one had heard of a birth plan - you just did what the mw told you! Second time around, it was suggested at NCT ante-natal classes that it was a good idea to write one. The other mothers did, but I decided to have a birth plan in my head and it mainly consisted of: to stay as relaxed as possible and to enjoy the birth. I managed it!

I think they are a good idea especially if you are likely to be delivered by someone you've never met before. It will help them to know something of your attitudes and hopes for the labour (and make you think about that too!!)
My first one was quite vague and hedged with 'ifs' and 'buts' as I didn't want to make myself a hostage to fortune with categorical statements about no pain relief! Next time I will be MUCH more dogmatic, though the content will be very similar.

I didn't have a birth plan when I had my dd, I just thought I'd go with the flow and see what happened. We're now trying for baby #2 and I'm not even pregnant yet but I have a piece of paper where I am jotting things down that I will eventually turn into a birth plan when I'm pergnant. Because I've been through labour and birth before I have very definite ideas of how I want things NOT to happen(if possible), given the circumstances last time. I know every birth is different but this time I hope to be more in control and will ask a lot more questions about what is going on, something I didn't do last time.
In the end it is just a plan and sometimes things happen without your control write one out but do be prepared for things to go differently just in case. And Good Luck

im only 16 weeks and already i got my birth plan sorted
jus querying the pain relief
want to try and do it with gas and air and tens
as epidural made my mum and b/f mum sick and sleepy also my mum had a very long labour with an epidural
any advice
also anybody had a water birth