Birth Plan

[PrettyKitty1]

Has anyone worked on their birth plan yet?

I have mine but I still have to make copies and put them in my bag. Here goes:

1. Do not offer me pain medication. I will request it if I need it.

2. Husband to be there at all times.

3. Provide only intermittent fetal monitoring.

4. Let labor begin on its own unless there are sufficient medical reasons not to.

5. I want freedom to change positions as needed in labor and while pushing. I want to wait to push until I feel the urge.

6. Maintain a quiet environment, dim lights, peaceful music, and no excess hospital staff.

7. After birth, immediately place my baby onto my abdomen.

8. My husband will cut the umbilical cord.

10. I want to breastfeed as soon as possible. Formula only if highly necessary while at the hospital.

11. Allow rooming-in with baby, and perform all exam of baby in our presence.


Anyone has any other ideas that I could use?
For labor time I think I'll like the birthing ball, massage and slow dancing with hubby. I'm not sure if I'll be able to walk though LOL But I will try to remain active and not go to bed.

[PrettyKitty1]

16. Please use anesthetic while stitching if a tear occurs.

17. C-Section should be considered as a last resort.


OMG my birth plan is great! lol Thank you ladies!!!

[devo55]

A friend of mine had the experience of giving birth totally drug free, and had a small tear. For some reason, she said, the doctor then went about stitching her up without any anesthetic!!! She said that stitching was the most painful part of the whole process, and to make sure the doctor or midwife knows you want anesthetic for any stitching that needs to happen. It seems obvious, but I thought I'd pass that along.

[rebekah385]

it's not really something you need to put on your plan, but something to check into, if you do decide to have some kind of pain mediction, find out which ones your hospital offers, with my last baby I did not want and epidural, but decided that if i did need somethign for pain i only wanted something though my IV (I had my first 2 completely natural, and with the 3rd I got a combo med through the IV) different hospitals offer different types of IV medication and usually you can get IV meds and if they are not workign good enough you can still get an epidural.

For any of you who are not sure if you are going to write up a birth plan if you google brith plans or blank birth plans and they have premade ones where you just check boxes, most are still pretty good, but take some of the work out of it while still giving you and your dr an idea of what you want!
also with ym 2nd baby I was upset, because after she was born they weighed and measured her (which was fine), but then they gave her, her first bath (while I was still deliviering the placenta) not only did i not get to participate, but they washed her in the hand washign sink that everyone had been washing their hands in, and id not even sanitize it! with my third baby and now this one I will be sure to tell them not to bath my baby, until i can particpate and make sure it is sanitary!

[PrettyKitty1]

Ok so...so far I have added the following:

12. No episiotomy unless highly required.

13. Absolutely Do NOT circumcise my baby.

14. I want my husband, mom and aunt (it could be my MIL if she wants to) to be present during the actual delivery. (The hospital only allows three ppl during delivery)

15. No use of forceps or vacuums unless NOT using it poses a threat to my baby.


Thank you girls!!!!

[Brittny27]

I had posted this question on the Sept 10 forum and I didn't get much response.

I'm not sure if I am going to write a birth plan yet or not.

[HeatherLF16]

Also, who you want in the delivery room.  My hospital said if they know in advance they will kick people out for you so you don't look like the bad guy.  I only want my husband in with me.  I would love my mom, but his mom is very loud and overwhelming just not a soothing person.  So, to be fair both are out and the nurses said they would tell anyone who tries to come in only spouses are allowed if they know ahead of time.  

I am including that I do not want the use of forceps or vaccums to assist with delivery, and I do not want that monitor in my babies head.  My sisters baby developed an infection as an infant from it.

[EmsMom07]

What about an episiotomy, or if your having a boy will you be having him circumsized? That's all I can think of right now =0)

[KarenDiane]

I think it's great. Don't forget your wishes about having or not having an episiotomy and that c-section should only be considered as a very last resort.

I had a birth plan for my first baby but things didn't go as I expected and it really wasn't followed. Plus the OB sucked :(   I didn't make one for my last 2 or for this one but I know it can be very nerve-racking the 1st time around. I figure by #4, I pretty much know everything I can expect and my hubby knows my wishes. It does become difficult to walk as labor progresses but it's good in the beginning. I was induced with all of mine so I was strapped to fetal monitors and IV's and kept in bed the entire time. Once I had the baby, I made sure they OK, then I just wanted to sleep. I had them take every one of my babies to the nursery. LOL.