Birth Plan ...? Antenatal Classes ...?

[Loulabelle]

Does somebody tell you how to go about writing one of these or do we just rely on good old google? Im not up to the point where it's time to write mine yet, but I am starting to think more and more about labour and how I'd hope it to be.

Also, I haven't been to or been told to attend any antenatal classes yet - is this normal or again do I just find my own? And what exactly do they prepare you for? Is it the birth aspect, the parenting a newborn aspect, or a bit of everything??

Thanks xx

 

[Rósa]

I love to know the answers to these too lol,

 

[setdse]

mee too.

i know what i want for my birth plan already and my mum said my midwife should go through it with me soon but as for antenatal classes.... :/ where do i start...??

 

[lealea85]

Ur birth plan is quite easy to write. I'm re-writing mine today.
I don't know how to explain it other than it's just a list of things u want n don't want.
Who you want there, what type of pain relief u want, how you would like give birth.
What u would like to if the unexpected should occur (emergency c-section)

Antenatal classes start from 32 weeks + depending on ur area.
I finished mine on Tuesday. They are really helpful.

 

[Loulabelle]

Thanks LeaLea x

 

[lealea85]

No problemo, if there's anything else I can help u with, give me a shout

 

[midnight]

i think you do the classes at your local hospital

 

[setdse]

will our midwifes plan the classes or do we?

 

[Mrs.s]

I never went to any antenatel classes but that a personal thing for me I hate stuff like that! Lol!

With my birth plan there is page in my maternity notes with questions that me and the midwife went through the other day mine is pretty simple though I'm easygoing, as long as they don't push drugs on me and if I can have the pool that's great! Other than that I'm gonna go with the flow!

 

[PinkPunch]

Ask your midwife about the classes, she'll probably know when they begin etc. Very helpful though, ours was mainly about the birth but told you about bathing and changing etc too.

No one ever went through my birth plan with me but I just told them when I got there anyway because they asked what pain relief I was thinking of.

 

[lealea85]

I filled out some forms at my midwife app n then the appointment dates are sent to me.
They are usually at ur local hospital.

 

[emma_85]

Does somebody tell you how to go about writing one of these or do we just rely on good old google? Im not up to the point where it's time to write mine yet, but I am starting to think more and more about labour and how I'd hope it to be.

Also, I haven't been to or been told to attend any antenatal classes yet - is this normal or again do I just find my own? And what exactly do they prepare you for? Is it the birth aspect, the parenting a newborn aspect, or a bit of everything??

Thanks xx

I asked my MW to do it with me. She was very good, going through all my options and what I may like/consider. I would certainly ask your midwife for some help.

 

[Squeakz]

yeah our MW arranged our antenatal classes for us howevre we didnt fine them useful. we got told all about a natural simple birth and we werent prepared for any complications that could have arisen which in my case it all kicked off lol!! we stopped going and tbh for us we found being on here far more useful! but thats just a personal preference etc and from what i have heard some classes are wonderful. As far as the birth plan i think everyone has ideas (sorry if its a sweeipng statement) of what they do/dont want in labour. I knew i didnt want to be strapped to a bed, and i knew i wanted to try a pool and i knew that the pain reliefe i wanted administered on a sliding scale when each stepup stopped working. Apart from that i wasnt overly bothered. I think the best thing is to keep it really open. My birth plan went soemthing like:

I am expecting a son who will be called Joshua James Mason
Phillip mason my husband will be my birthing partner and in times of emergencies i would like as much time as possible to discuss any of our options with him.
I would like to be in a birthing pool if possible and if not to be as active as possible.
I dont want too many internals unless necessary.
I dont mind a single student midwife being present.
Pain relief should be o na sliding scale until i can take nomore and starting with paracetamol.

etc etc. However keep open minded as i ended up being induced, strapped to a bed, constant monitoring unable to move or use a birthpool! xx

 

[flexilexi394]

My birth plan says "do as necessary, will see what happens" because I'm not gonna sit and write something that is gonna go out the window almost definately lol.

Our local hospital ran weekly antenatal as a walk in type thing, so you can basically go and do whatever you like, they held work shops on breast feeding, baby care, relaxation in labour, and birthing DVD and talk. It was a good way of organising because you don't have to sign up, but don't think a lot of hospitals work like that. X

 

[Squeakz]

thats a really good way of doing it lexi!! we had a register at ours that we had to sign in each week. and it prettymuch ignored fob...