Ladies! If you have a birth-plan..or idea...

[Kiwi4545]

What is it? How would YOUR perfect d-day occur?

For me, hubby and I would be having a quiet night in...perhaps ice-cream in bed...my waters would break (at 39 plus weeks) and I would labor at home until I could no longer take it. We would then make the 20 minute drive to the hospital where I would walk, use the birthing ball...and then be ready to push. He would come out effortlessly Then I would forget all of the above!

Seriously though, I hope to labor at home as long as possible,with as little hospital time as I can. I want to go natural and definitely stay in motion

 

[Eleanor ace]

I'd love to get in the bath with contractions, soak with the lights down low and DH there. Feel like Lo was coming, call the midwives and have them arrive just after LO does! No complications, no fuss .
In reality I'll be very happy if I get to have a water birth on L&D (I have to have LO there as I'm GBS+ and I'm high risk due to a previous bad tear), have the IV not be too painful (needle wuss ) and have LO arrive without complications. And a 2nd degree tear or less (preferably no tear though!) .

 

[Kiwi4545]

THe bath sounds lovely! Very zen!

 

[CupcakeBaby]

I just wrote my birth plan yesterday as my midwife wanted it down before our next appointment. I had most of it in my head, but was nice to write it in my notes.

In an ideal world my plan would be:

Labour at home as long as I can cope, with ball, TENS, warm baths and trying to stay relax etc.

At the hospital I really hope to get a pool room so I can use the water to help with pain and relaxation, and hoping I'll be OK with just that and gas and air and staying as active as possible. If I need more painkillers though I'll take them!

Once she's born I don't want the cord cut, and I want a physiological third stage. I want immediate skin to skin and breast feeding and have written that I don't want her washed or dressed or taken from us until she's had a feed and we feel we've had enough time together.

DH doesn't want to cut the cord, but he does want to be the person to dress here etc (with help if needed!)

I'm hoping it can all go to plan.

 

[Kiwi4545]

Yeah I forgot to add I want instant skin to skin, and delayed cord clamping. I almost wanted a lotus birth, may still do that. Keep placenta attached as long as possible.

 

[MumMumMum]

My ideal birth would be in hospital, in a birthing pool. Just gas and air and DH to cut the cord. Go home in the 6 hours and have everything how you imagine it to be.

In reality last time I was induced early due to pre-e. Spent 4 days in hospital before she was born and another 3 before they would let me home.
I was forced to stay in bed on monitors, couldn't eat or drink, was in and out of awareness and don't really remember DD1 being born. The placenta didn't come away and I then lost 2Ls of blood. I had a second degree tear and don't remember the first time I held her. She was very sleepy and I ended up with blood transfussions because I was so weak. BF just wasn't happening and DD was almost readmitted to hospital once we were there. I would wake up in hospital to find MWs feeding her formula without asking me, in all different ways - which only added to the confusion.

This time will be all monitors, no water, extra people in the room to stare at my lady parts, extra injections to stop this that and the other happening. I may even end up stuck in the bed again. To top it off I'm anaemic again, earlier than last time and I feel like the pre-e is coming back. I'm expecting another horrible experience.

So this time I want DH to be able to cut the cord again, to be able to dress her (he was too busy helping the MWs communicate with me last time as I was so out of it when bleeding) and to be able to hold and remember holding her for the first time. I'd also like to go home asap to my other DD as I haven't been away from her and it would break my heart to spend a week being told when I could and couldn't see her. If I can BF then that would be a bonus but I don't want to beat myself up for a year like I did last time.

Sorry it's so miserable - I didn't intend for it to be!
Don't do what I did if you don't get what you planned. I beat myself up about it and I am gutted I will never have the birth I planned. All that really matters is that you and baby are ok after. Two years on it matters less how she got here and just that she is here

 

[CottlestonPie]

The only ideal I have is that I can give birth to both babies without c section.
In reality I don't know their positions or if that's possible yet so my only birth plan is to have skin to skin as soon as possible (preferably immediately) and to have an epidural in place in case of cesarean so that I don't need a general anaesthetic.

 

[mnonie]

I'd hate a epi or c-section unless necessary for me and LO. I'd labour at home as long as poss, prob sat out in the garden with my pup, watching the sheep and bay. Then go up to the hospital, and use they're deep bathes till bump is ready to appear. Then poss use gas and air until he arrives- I've been wondering about a delayed clamping and getting OH to cut it :/. I'd rather wait till it stops pumping then clamp, n ave the injection but not sure on that bit x

 

[MomPepperdine]

I'm being induced sence I have fast labors and live so fat away
So I would like to start inductions with water being broken (I'm usually to a 3 weeks befor so don't see that being a prob) I haven't taken a tore of this hospital yet but I plan on walking and bathing/showering a lot (where I had the girls has jetted bath tubs and huge showers) I don't want to be cut (I've only ever needed one stich both times) and I'm going to try to go with out pain meds since I go so fast but if I can't handle it I will gladly take the meds we don't have gas an air sounds great tho lol

 

[CatherineK]

I could care less about most things...laboring at home is not a desire, as the private rooms at hospital are more soothing and quiet for me! My doc is happy to leave me alone until I request help. My main issues with birth are the baby not leaving my sight, unless she has a medical problem. Nurses in the US will often try and tell you they need to take the baby for bathing/etc after an hour or so, but there is no procedure they cannot do in your room. My last baby did not leave my side once in the hospital. Neither did my husband. And that's how it will be again, if all goes well. As for labor, etc...I go with the flow.

 

[MomPepperdine]

I could care less about most things...laboring at home is not a desire, as the private rooms at hospital are more soothing and quiet for me! My doc is happy to leave me alone until I request help. My main issues with birth are the baby not leaving my sight, unless she has a medical problem. Nurses in the US will often try and tell you they need to take the baby for bathing/etc after an hour or so, but there is no procedure they cannot do in your room. My last baby did not leave my side once in the hospital. Neither did my husband. And that's how it will be again, if all goes well. As for labor, etc...I go with the flow.

I like to labor at the hospital as well and I've never had baby taken out of my room. I love we get private rooms

 

[CatherineK]

I know! Private rooms and bathrooms rock! I can't imagine not having my husband with me the whole time. My first baby they said they had to take him for hearing test, etc, and that will never happen again!

 

[MomPepperdine]

Right I told dh how other places have a ward and the ladies have to share rooms and the men can't stay (he says he wouldn't leave) he thought it was crazy but I can see why they all want home births lol

Also I don't mind staying in the hospital after baby either

 

[jtink28]

i also don't care as much what happens during birth. as a high-risk patient and someone who's had a lot of medical problems, i just feel lucky to have a baby. as long as he gets here safely (hopefully without a c-section), i'm happy. i would like to have a pool to labor in, but i won't be crushed if it doesn't happen.
i want skin to skin immediately, and i don't want him taken anywhere. he stays with me at all times.
as long as my baby comes out healthy and happy, i'm happy!

 

[jtink28]

we get private rooms and bathrooms, too. i would die if i had to share with someone else!!!!

 

[CatherineK]

I can see why many people on here are in a rush to get out of the hospital, too, if you don't have privacy. Honestly, with my own room, room service, cable, Internet, and my new little bundle (and my other children able to visit whenever) I kind of enjoy a couple days of focusing on nothing but the new arrival!

 

[jtink28]

yeah, i'm kindof looking forward to 3 days of nurses taking care of everything for me, haha!

 

[CupcakeBaby]

There's one room on our ward that's £120 (about $180) per night that's en suite and someone can stay with you. So I'm going to ask if that's available. There are also 3 £80 ($120) ones that you can have but no en suite and DH has to go home.

I think I might do that too just for the privacy and peace and quiet.

It sucks we don't get private rooms but my hospital is lovely and we're very very lucky that all of our care in the country is free.

Also our maternity wards are only small (4-6 people) and there's a day room with sofas and things so you can sit in there and be social with the other new mums which is quite appealing. It is just the night times that worry me about sharing. I'm sure there must be a baby crying at all times! And probably someone in the bed next to me snoring.

 

[MomPepperdine]

That is AMAZING that the health care is free! I guess like 6 isn't bad lol but yes I bet a baby always crying or someone (would be me ) snoring away

 

[MumMumMum]

There's one room on our ward that's £120 (about $180) per night that's en suite and someone can stay with you. So I'm going to ask if that's available. There are also 3 £80 ($120) ones that you can have but no en suite and DH has to go home.

I think I might do that too just for the privacy and peace and quiet.

It sucks we don't get private rooms but my hospital is lovely and we're very very lucky that all of our care in the country is free.

Also our maternity wards are only small (4-6 people) and there's a day room with sofas and things so you can sit in there and be social with the other new mums which is quite appealing. It is just the night times that worry me about sharing. I'm sure there must be a baby crying at all times! And probably someone in the bed next to me snoring.

That's what I found last time. 8 newborns in the room, idiots with their bedside tvs really loud and I found it hard to relax with 7 strangers in the room with only a fabric curtain between them and my baby when I was asleep.