Another birth plan

[midget em]

Hi Ladies, I know there have been a few birth plan threads recently but it'd be great if you could look over mine and let me know what you think.

I'm also going to do an 'Incase of emergency and transfer' one too.

Modo I hope you don't mind but I used your questions! Thanks for those


People I’d like present: My husband Ian.
In the unlikely event anyone comes to visit please politely explain the situation and ask them to wait for me to contact them.

Atmosphere:
I would like to create a calm quite atmosphere where I can feel safe relaxed and at ease. I would appreciate calm quite voices while I am in labour. I would like to play relaxing music at times and therefore general chit chat is more then welcome in the kitchen.

Labour itself and pain relief:
I am hoping for as natural birth as possible. I have belief in my body that it will do what is needed to birth my baby. I wish to be given the time to labour as my body intends. When I’m in ‘the zone’ I would like minimal interaction unless instigated by me. Encouragement throughout would be wonderful.
Please don't ask me if I am in pain or if I would like any pain relief. If I feel I need some then I will ask for it. I would like freedom of movement and may ask for suggestions on different positions to try to help ease any discomfort in certain places.
Pain relief I plan on using: Active birth techniques
Hypnobirthing techniques
Tens machine
Birthing pool—where I wish to deliver.
Gas and air
I have requested Pethidine from the doctor although I would like to avoid using it.
I would like to avoid any internal examinations unless requested by myself. I would appreciate it if you could use outward signs to monitor me instead.
I would like to keep foetal monitoring as minimal as possible unless absolutely necessary. I would appreciate they happen between contractions when required.
Once I feel the urge to push I would appreciate calm encouragement and advise, please don’t coach with ‘push, push, push’! I hope to breath my baby out calmly.
I would like to catch my own baby to bring him to the surface for immediate skin to skin contact.
I would like delayed cord clamping for at least 15mins or until it has gone white and stopped pulsating. Please ask my husband if he would like to cut the cord (he’s a little apprehensive about this) if not I would like to cut it myself.
I would like a physiological 3rd stage. If the placenta hasn’t arrived on it’s own after 60 to 90 minutes then I will accept the injection.
I do not give consent for my baby to have the Vitamin K injection.
Only in the event of a transfer and delivery by forceps or C-section do I wish for him to receive it.
If in the event any concerns arise during my labour I would appreciate you to discuss these with me. I would like to know: 1.What is wrong?
2. What do you suggest and why?
3. What would be the best possible outcomes with and without this intervention?
4 How much time do we have to make a decision?
5. Are there any other courses of action open to us?
6. What are the benefits and risks of this intervention?
7. What are the alternatives?

 

[aliss]

TBH hun it's way too long and wordy. I only say that because I don't want them to skip over what is important to you and what is critical.

As for your final list of interventions, depending on what it is, they will almost certainly not take the time to explain it and give a play-by-play of the extensive risks/benefits etc. plus you will likely be unable to digest that information at the time. I would recommend researching the interventions yourself before the labour (ie. episiotomy, etc). and decide then. The first few q's are fine (1.What is wrong?
2. What do you suggest and why?) but the rest, that's very unlikely to happen unless it's a 'planned' intervention, and most are not.

 

[midget em]

TBH hun it's way too long and wordy. I only say that because I don't want them to skip over what is important to you and what is critical.

As for your final list of interventions, depending on what it is, they will almost certainly not take the time to explain it and give a play-by-play of the extensive risks/benefits etc. plus you will likely be unable to digest that information at the time. I would recommend researching the interventions yourself before the labour (ie. episiotomy, etc). and decide then. The first few q's are fine (1.What is wrong?
2. What do you suggest and why?) but the rest, that's very unlikely to happen unless it's a 'planned' intervention, and most are not.

Thanks for your input. I was going to do a list for my own piece of mind with articles stating alternative sugestions if I started to feel forced into something I didn't want. I'd seen those questions on someone else's bith plan and thought it might be a good idea.

 

[madasa]

It's a great plan. You can tell by reading it that you have really looked into all your options and you know your stuff The only thing I'd say about it is it is quite long.... I think you could probably streamline it quite a bit. Bullet points, rather than long paragraphs. Either a simple list of preferences, or two columns (Yes please and No thank you.)

I don't think the birth plan is the place to tell your midwives about your beliefs and birth philosophy, TBH. I think some things you can just get on and do what you plan to do (eg, pain relief) and the midwives will easily extrapolate from that what your general philosophy is, if that makes sense.

Also, you;ve said "minimal interaction" and then the next line "encourage me" - cuold be construed as a mixed message?

Going to be blunt here, hope you don;t mind! I probably wouldn't tell a midwife to please help me to get into good positions, because I feel like I'm telling my granny how to suck eggs... Can you trust them to just do that, as part of their job? Or you could coach your birth partner ante natally to help you with these positions.... Or get a doula.

Re the questions, I'd coach your birth partner(s) to learn these questions and use them if needed in labour, rather than including them on your plan.

So, if I were to re-write your preferences as a list of bullet points, they would look a bit like this:

This is what I would like for labour and birth:
~ A calm atmosphere - please help us by keeping voices and lights low, positive language, no chatting etc
~Minimum intervention
~No time limit
~To avoid pain medication - please don't offer, I will ask if I want it.
~To use Hypnobirthing techniques (please talk to <husband/partner> about this)
~Freedom of movement throughout
~Avoid VEs (I will ask if I would like one.)
~Push intuitively (no purple pushing)
~To catch my own baby
~Immediate skin to skin
~Delayed cord clamping.
~To cut the cord ourselves, when we are ready.
~A physiological third stage. I may re-consider management if my placenta is slow.
~Decline vitamin K. I may re-consider if the birth is surgical or assisted.

Thank you for attending us.

 

[midget em]

Thank you for those tips I'll certainly take those on board and have a rewrite.