Birth Plan ......

[ande]

Has anyone written one? I wasn't going to but MW asked if I had and when I snorted with laughter (this is pregnancy #3) she was a bit .
I then spent a LONG time filling in the NHS www.nhs.uk/Planners/pregnancycareplanner/Pages/BirthPlan.aspx one on the internet and now wish I had read the comments at the end! I would have saved myself alot of time, paper and printer cartridge.

I had a birth plan for the first one and then had I re-used it, with amendments because you learn from experience don't you?

Even if you didn't have a written birth plan before, didn't you have any preferences about venue, pain relief etc that you communicated to the mw or dr?

Some people are very specific about what they want but I don't think you have to state a preference about everything.

I didn't, and won't for this one either. "Get baby out safely" is my main aim!

I had one with my first, but realised what a fairytale it had been!! The reality was very different, and in fact I didnt really have much say in what happened most of the time. But yes, I'd at least state whether you do or dont want an epidural, whether you do or dont want gas/air etc.
But I agree with manchestermummy, get the baby out safely, and quickly preferably!

I told my MW I wanted a safe happy baby, drugs if requested and to do whatever was medically necessary to get DC2 our safely. She 'd at me and said to do it properly. My first Birthplan was never looked at so as long as I get a healthy alive baby out of it I frankly don't care how it comes out.

My MW told me to do one for my first, to ensure no-one gave me any drugs I'm allergic to, exacerbated my SPD, etc. And to keep it to 1 page of bullet points.

I think putting on it that I was terrified of an epidural but given I couldn't have pethidine figured I might change my mind, meant that they were extra nice about that. And the section on "Things I really don't care about" seemed to give them a laugh - I must have been seen by at least 50 staff during the whole birth thing and have communication problems so having all the vital details and summary of my thoughts helped loads.

Mine was fairly humourous and tongue-in-cheek, and it seemed to be read by everyone ("oh- you're the girl with the funny birth plan!") I like to think the MWs were nicer to me because of that , but it did contain all the salient information too, and they did seem to respect my wishes (although they didn't manage to procure George Clooney to be my preferred birth partner, and I had to make do with DH!)

I didn't with either of mine, and won't this time. Was never asked if I had one.

Thanks for your answers

Right, I will attempt to write one (again). TBH it'll probably help DH!

Still seething about the NHS one - not only is it a waste of time and effort, it has been getting complaints for well over a year and the NHS techs keep on saying "thanks for your comments, bare with us"

! at "bare with us" which sounds like mutual nudity.

Ewoman!

I may have said this before on MN but when I had my second baby, a young keen mw came up to me when I got into hospital in labour and said "I see from your birth plan you want a waterbirth." I had completely forgotten about it as I'd put that on for first baby but the pool was in use at the time so I couldn't have it. So I had the waterbirth with dd2 and it was fantastic. My total labour was 3.5 hours; was home same day; I had v little perineal damage; I delivered dd2 myself, was the first to hold her. Had to be - water was up to my shoulders so any one else delivering her would have drowned.
Might have missed out on this experience if I'd not had a birth plan.