Birth Plan - No idea!

[Babygiz]

I would think about the questions noted above but anything else just go with it. In my head I didn't want an epidural, I didn't want forceps and I didn't want to be cut. On the day i had all three as that was what was required to get my baby out safely.

 

[Bumpage3]

Hi there, I hope you don't mind me jumping In!

I've had 2 children with very different labours and forms of pain relief.

With my first, I did a tonne of reading about pain relief options and what I did and didn't want, and had a friend that had a baby only 3 weeks prior to me. She did the same and wrote a 'plan' as to what she wanted, and her labour didn't run as smoothly as she thought it may. She ended up having pethadine and an epidural and felt quite upset with herself afterwards because she wasn't able to attain what she had written down.

I then too ended up having an epidural as my little one was back to back and my labour was in excess of 36 hours. At the time I was devastated as I'd said I didn't want one, but was so tired as I hadn't progressed past 4 cm in a 7 hour period. In hignsight it was the best option for me.
- long story short, sometimes I think you can put too much pressure on yourself to have a labour runa certain way and there are a lot of variants that may change, such as the legnth of your labour, position of baby, ?the need for intervention. All of these are out of your control to an extent so try not to be too hard on yourself or too specific.

On a more positive note, I made no plan with my second, to the point of pitching up at the hospital with contractions a minute apart and having a conversation at delivery as to where to have my baby, there or or on the midwifery led unit?! He was born 40 minutes later and I had no pain relief at all!?!

The only others thing to mention, apologies if anyone has, but if you like the idea of a water birth, you are limited to pain relief options as they won't want baby being delivered in water too sleepy. In my MLBU, nothing more than oral codeine and Entononx will be offered in there, anything stronger and they will escort to a bed delivery.

Good luck, go with your body, it will guide you, especially if you remember that it will hurt, it is supposed to hurt and and it a good pain, not one that means something is necessarily wrong, just your body preparing for the biggest miracle in the world.

I wish you all the best x

 

[tinkerbell13]

I wrote a 'birth plan' as advised by the antenatal class teacher (midwife never really pushed me to do one or to see it - I now know why having been through labour) .In the antenatal class they really really pushed you to write your plan down and told you how to be assertive so that you didn't end up with unnessesary intervention etc, I know for a fact that my birth plan was read by the midwives during labour however in reality it really was a waste of time and I only really got one thing on the birth plan the rest went out the window and I ended up with an emergency c section. The only thing I wanted was for baby to arrive safely so was not bothered that the birth plan went out the window so to speak, however like someone else said some ppl do get upset even traumatised if their labour doesn't go the exact way they wanted it to. Personally I think it's unrealistic having a plan as at the end of the day anything could happen on the day and to me looking back on the antenatal classes they make you think you are in control when in reality you are really only in control of the pain relief. I definitely think you should look into the pain relief options, I knew I didn't want pethidine and I didn't really want an epidural but ended up with epidural as was induced and baby back to back so pain was extrusiating.

 

[littlemonkey]

I think what troubles me about birthing plans, especially with what Tinkerbell has said, is the mindset of some mothers that they are in control and almost know better than medical professionals. The term unnecessary intervention also grates on me. Based purely on my own experiences I cannot see why anyone would think that about the actions of medical professionals. Even now after my disaster first time around I am being encouraged to consider natural birth this time around. I don't think people quite fully understand what the consequences could be if the interventions aren't taken. I have seen women whose children have either been born disabled or died as a result of similar situations to my own, so I am so grateful I trusted the advice of medical staff.

 

[megsmeadow]

I've just written my 'plan' and half of it is very open. I used the nhs website which allows you to write an special requests and let's you broadly consider the options available. Even if they all say I don't know yet then it's still indicating a preference.
http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/birth-plan.aspx#close

 

[Sarah90]

Thank you all for sharing your experiences and advice xx
Im definitely not going to write things down and expect it to go 100% like what's written as things don't always go to plan . Like what's been said, I won't be disappointed if it turns out we can't stick to whatever I've written down, as the way I see it I'm not the one with the medical knowledge. I appreciate some situations can be very serious, and you never really know how your labour will go until your there and it's all happening.
Tinkerbell my midwife said they will go through things at my ante natal classes as well and get me to write one. I'm just going to go through all the points mentioned on here, make a few brief notes I think on my preferences and what I don't want, and just go from there x

 

[tinkerbell13]

I'd like to add Sarah that my friend did have her perfect labour or as perfect as it can go. She wrote a birth plan and everything went as planned so it can happen!

 

[Kiagirl]

I had a loose plan, hospital, pain relief -willing to try all, OH didn't want to cut cord as he is a bit squeamish lol and I wanted her wrapping and passing to me. Well my waters went without labour so was induced and went straight from gas and air to epi. OH was at business end all the time and helped deliver her lol and cut the cord and midwife threw her onto me lol. So it was all change. I was open to going with it unlike my friend who wanted a natural water birth and was very upset it didn't go to plan. My OH knew I was happy to have an epi and he actually told midwife to get me when as I seemed to shut down and list the ability to speak lol and he knows that's when I'm in real pain so I was glad we had discussed it before.

 

[mellie_88]

I just had my preferred options written down, however I deliberately kept it quite relaxed and open. Said I'd prefer just to have gas and air but would decide during labour. (In the end I had an epidural!)
The things I knew I wanted like who was going to cut cord and who my birthing partners were I had written straight down. But I only really had my heart set on the easy options that were easier to control.

As most people have said its good to write down ideas just dont get too excited that that's exactly how it'll go. I know a lot of people who assumed because they had it written down thats what would happen and got upset when it didn't. I ended up getting induced, however other than that and the epidural the rest was as I wanted.

 

[Lyllian]

I never made one. Figured you can't Plan for the unknown.I didn't know how the pain would be (first one) and how i would handle it. In end i just tried all the pain relief, did a natural labour and pushing, tried the c section. Case I only do this once thought I should make th most of it and try it all x

 

[Demaris]

I dont think i actually made one with my first two and wont with this one. I can honestly say that when labour started (I was induced for both so my natural going into labour flew out the window straight away!) the birth plan was the last thing I thought of and as far as i know the midwives never bothered with it either. Whether they would have if I had been quite specific in certain areas I don't know.

The only points I did make for my second and will with this one is that I wont be breast feeding, I want skin to skin contact when baby is born and my husband to cut the cord.

Flexibility I think is most important, for example I really dont want to have an epidural this time, but I know if I scream for one when the time comes I will hope its provided lol

 

[Rooster30]

My birth plan is to get the baby out healthily. Done.

 

[Starlight1986]

Surely getting baby out healthily is a given lol.

I had a loose birth plan for my first and will do with my second.

Things like...only gas and air...no cannulas....hubby to cut the cord and tell me the sex...home as soon as I want etc.

I think it's helpful to the midwifes to get a small idea of the route you want to take in labour...of course this can change everyone knows this.

 

[LaceyKeo]

Surely getting baby out healthily is a given lol.

I had a loose birth plan for my first and will do with my second.

Things like...only gas and air...no cannulas....hubby to cut the cord and tell me the sex...home as soon as I want etc.

I think it's helpful to the midwifes to get a small idea of the route you want to take in labour...of course this can change everyone knows this.

Bolded: Unfortunately though, not always. That's the problem.

There are people (smaaaaall percentage) that end up distraught because labour didn't go "as planned".
That's why preferences are a great idea, plans are not.

Like on mine... No C-sec unless necessary...

"Well, this is going on... You'd find it easier if we did a c-sec"
Nope. Thank you.

"We got to get baby out, now"
Slice it, doc.

Underlined: that's the best way to do it, in my opinion. Although G&A may not be enough (I wanted G&A with my first until the contractions started, then I was Shoutin for the drugs). I know there was a girl with all kinds of allergic reactions to all kinds of drugs, so she wanted G&A for that reason.

Cannulas...

I guess it mostly depends on your outlook.
I'm naturally the most go-with-the-flow person ever. I still have my preferences, but ultimately, what happens, happens.
Others are genuinely uncomfortable with that sort of, control-less situation, and need a firmer idea of what will happen.
It's about being able to relinquish that control if the situation calls for it.

I honestly think the more "open to anything" you are, the less stressful the whole experience will be. Better to go in ready for anything than spend time dreading that which may need to happen.

 

[i.love]

I'm gonna say in my plan that I'm hoping to only use G&A and for my partner to cut the cord and that I want vitamin K to be given by mouth.

Last time they gave my ds and injection... He was so happy and peaceful before it, but screamed for ages after the shot I did not enjoy it!

 

[rozyt]

Hello, i am doing a dissertation of alternative therapy in pregnancy and was wondering if anyone could help me by answering some questions on it please, all responses will be gratefully received
thank you.