Birth Plan

[Tillytots]

Ok this is for those who are planning on giving birth as opposed to their baby being delivered by the stork or appearing magically under a bush I know there is alot of you in this tri LOL

So who has thought about a birth plan? Im planning a homebirth so basically id like to be able to do what I like, when I like and how I like with the least interferance possible. I want G&A and maybe pethidine at a push but Id like to avoid this if poss. What other things do I need to consider? Obviously if I have to be transfered to hospital at any time I will go but I still wont have anyone sod about with me if its not 100% necessary. What sort of things do I need to think about?

 

[debecca]

My birth plan is long and complicated:

* Get Connie out alive with minimum pain to me.

That's about it really, as you can tell I've thought about it long and hard

 

[Sandi4Paul]

the people you want around you during labour?

Not really an expert i'm afraid.

Sandi

 

[Tillytots]

LOL @ bex! good plan hun I like it!

anyone can come to the birth I dont really mind tbh

 

[Bloom]

Well i am putting things like i want oh to cut the cord and i want my baby straight away and skin to skin as soon as possible.

But im not going to overboard with it as i really dont know what to expect and it will be a see how i feel at the time.

When do we start writing then anyway.

 

[missjennipenni]

I had a lovley birth plan for DD1. It went out the window in 5 seconds flat LOL

I do think its a good idea to have one, as long as you dont set your heart on it actually happening that way.

wont write one for this baby, apart from saying i agree to Vit K injection & i want the injection to deliver the placenta quicker

 

[Tillytots]

Im agreeing to Vit K and injection to help placenta shift pronto too. OH doesnt want to cut the cord...think he'd be sick I think for the rest Im going to go with the flow unless its hospital and then I have some clear likes and dislikes

 

[missjennipenni]

Things to thin about are ..


do you want the baby cleaned before you hold him?
Do you want skin to skin?
do you want to BF straight away?
Who do you want in the delivery room at the time of birth?
Do you want an injection to speed up the delivery of teh placenta?
Do you want the baby to have the vitmin K injection?

 

[missjennipenni]

Im agreeing to Vit K and injection to help placenta shift pronto too. OH doesnt want to cut the cord...think he'd be sick I think for the rest Im going to go with the flow unless its hospital and then I have some clear likes and dislikes

I was my friends birth partner, and i am very sqeamish. But i did cut her cord (never thought i would!!) so he may change his mind

 

[Tillytots]

thanks for the list of things to think of hun

Il be off thinking about them

Just a question....Id like to give BF a go but do I need to do it straight away?

Id like to be left alone asap too, I dont like the idea of midwives telling me what to do.

 

[missjennipenni]

No you dont have to do it straight away, but it can help. Sometimes, if you are doing skin to skin, the baby squirms its way upwards to your breast anyway, and latches on! Ive actually seen this happen.

You can wait til the baby is hungry for milk, if you prefer. I fed one of mine straight away (and fed for 13 months) and the other after an hour or so (and fed for 8 months)

Out in your plan that after you & baby have been checked over, youd like to be left alone with your family. Theres no need for a MW after you have been checked over (well, until the next day)

 

[Tillytots]

Ok thanks hun!

Id deffo like skin to skin, Im planning a waterbirth and knowing me Il end up with no clothes on anyway so that wont even be an issue. Ive heard about the babies doing the booby crawl it might be an idea to BF straight away too as then at least if I need a little help or advice Il be able to get ti whilst the midwife is with me else I may panic and give up if I have trouble with feeding

x

 

[missjennipenni]

Id advise to do it soon after birth, as its more "traumatic" trying to do it when they are actually crying & hungry. YOu & baby will both still be relaxed, as such lol, and you wont feel under pressure to actually provide milk for him

 

[muppetmummy]

I still don't know where I'm giving birth yet. Think I might push for a homebirth when I see midwife later this week.
I haven't started writing a birth plan yet, mine will probably say that I want to hold baby straight away without him being cleaned for skin to skin and an attempt at breast feeding.
I want to try and avoid pethidine if poss as it made James really sleepy and uninterested in breastfeeding.
You never know though, I might be screaming for it after 5 mins of contractions
I think the main thing to keep in mind is the birth plan isn't set in stone so you don't feel disappointed if it doesn't happen that way.

 

[abcd1234]

We havnt really discussed it much yet as it's still quite early but i know i only want him in the room and probably a hospital birth, but i want them to leave me alone as much as possible, i dont want someone constantly interfearing with me so as long as everything is moving along well i want to be left to it, with as little pain relief as possible ( but i'm very willing to take it if i feel i need it) determined not to have an epidural. Want my OH or myself to cut the cord and i want to be left alone to bond ASAP.
I'm quite a private person and i want to just be ableto go home and be with my baby and OH as soon as possible without interfearence
Clare x

 

[Strangeness]

I left mine very brief with Aaron but I did put down things that I really didn't or did want. I think most of it you just go with the flow. I remember putting about the Vit K injection and that I didn't want student midwives watching because I didn't feel comfortbale at the time but now I really wouldn't care

 

[timsmom]

Please don't be offended by this but why are there so many first timers who are having home births. I think the idea is lovely but not having given birth yet, how do you know how you're gong to manage your pain etc...

I would have said I had a very high pain threshold but labour pains were too much for me to deal with. Plus babies can get in to distress very quickly, I would rather have the reassurance of having all the medical technology on hand if I needed it rather than risk my baby.

I guess I'm playing devils advocate here and am likely to get shot down in flames and whilst I don't want to sound patronising, I think this needs very careful thought.

 

[debecca]

timsmom - you've just listed exactly the reasons why I laughed when the midwife offered me a home birth

 

[andreaaa]

My birth plan...

To give birth at the Midwife Unit (part of the hospital)
To have the baby whilst in the birth pool
Gas and Air but nothing else
Vitamin k is fine
Injection for placenta is also fine
JP to cut the cord
Skin to Skin straight away (before he/she is cleaned)
BF straight away
To be home within a couple of hours

I did consider a homebirth but decided on the midwife unit birth because it is part of the hospital and I would like to be as close as possible to urgent care if its needed. My DS had to go to SCBU (he was prem though) and my DD had to have help breathing (she got stuck and her HR dropped)

I think that's about it

 

[abcd1234]

I like the idea of a home birth but as was mentioned as this is my first time i dont know what kind of pain relief i'll need. Plus my mum was planning a home birth with my sister but had to go to hospital with high blood preasure and if she'd have had her at home she wouldn't be around today and that scares me a little, i know chances of everything being fine are high but because something like that happened so close to me i'd be scared the whole way through and it'd probably make everything worse
Clare x