What's Your Birth Plan?

[Pyrrhic]

To people who aren't making a birth plan:

Do you not have a preference for things like:

Who's in the room?
When visitors are allowed in?
If your OH/partner wants to cut the cord?
If you want the baby cleaned or skin to skin straight away?

I wouldn't want things like that to just be left to decide at the last minute.

 

[Uvlollypop]

i just remember having to scream at staff to leave me alone and get students out because i didnt have a plan so they assumed it was ok to do what they wanted. they also tried to bully me into using pain relief when i really didnt want to id strongly advise anyone to make a loose plan if there are things they feel strongly about like students, visitors, drugs etc.

 

[Pyrrhic]

My friend has a very similar experience UV and she said she felt very 'out of control' and that to them it was just another medical procedure (which to be fair it is to them) whereas to her it was a unique experience which she felt was almost taken away from her.

 

[Uvlollypop]

yep thats pretty much what happened to me

 

[reallytinyamy]

My birth plan was completely ignored. It wasnt a big one, mainly go with the flow but there were a couple of things that were important to me. The mw that started my induction went through it with me and was very positive but the mw who was there for the birth took no notice.

 

[Uvlollypop]

its so unfair they do that, im hoping my othere half remembers to stick up for me

 

[Pyrrhic]

I agree. I'm looking at a smaller midwife centre rather than a hospital so I get more 1 on 1 care *hopefully* to stop that happening. I have to go and see both yet though.

My OH is thankfully very good at sticking up for me though, and as my birth plan is quite unique it's good that he supports what I want and will help me get it.

I mean to medically intervene when necessary is different to totally ignoring your wishes.

 

[helen1234]

i'd go berserk if my plan got ignored, some things you may not get if the baby was in distress you may end up with forceps and a cut. but i put in mine only if absolute nessacary.
but things like cord cutting and pain relief thats a mothers choice they wont give pain relief without permission though surely like come and stab you with pethidine.

my oh is really bad with anything medical and went wobbly at the scan lol, i laugh but aint really that funny and i'll worry bout him, but e refuses to miss the birth of his son and has promised to be a brave boy lol. if they pass him a bloody covered baby i'll go mad cos he's a parent too and i want him to be comfortable as much as he can be without pressure. if they start saying anyhting like don't be a wimp bout cutting the cord i'll cut them instead. whats the point in a birth plan if they don't adhere.
and i said no visitors till my daughters had her fill of him cos she's 14 yrs old and don't want her to feel pushed out.
x

 

[Pyrrhic]

Exactly Helen. Each couple is different, and has different things they want and/or need. If your OH gets upset with medical stuff then you have a right to make it as good as an experience for you both as possible.

I don't even want to be asked 'are you in pain'. I don't want any references to pain, medication or contractions at all! I'll tell them if I want any drugs, not the other way around. I know they're going to think I'm weird, but I feel like I just want to get on with it, and if I have people constantly asking if I'm in pain then I'll either start believeing I am, or I'll lose my focus.

 

[sammie18]

I just want to give birth at the hospital lol And I am going for the epi I dont want no pain

 

[BlackBerry25]

I gave the nurse my birthplan and she didn't even read it. She just read Wendys Birthplan and then laughed and handed it back to me. Dumb bitch. LOL. In my purse it went, and it didn't come out again until last week.

 

[marley2580]

I wrote a really long birth plan that had loads of 'what ifs', and I'm so glad I did. I was having a home birth and the MWs did everything they were asked, Kaya got stuck and we had to transfer. In the end I had a c-section and we were still able to refer to the pirth plan (allowing us to find out her sex for ourselves). The plan allowed us to keep a little control in a situation where we didn't have much. I can't make a plan for number 2 as I might have Strep B so won't know what the options are until I get the test at about 36 weeks. LOL I'm not even pregnant yet and I'm bemoaning the lack of a birth plan.

 

[bambikate]

im working on mine, i'd really like a home water birth but everyone always does a sharp intake of breath and says, oh no - not with your first so i hope pool is free at hosp, oh with me, whatever pain relief i need and no forceps unless essential x x

 

[6lilpigs]

If all goes to plan then

labor will start at about 9pm ( all kids in bed)
Get a cab in on my own
Be on my own until near the end, I don't like anyone with me, the midwife pops in to check heartbeat every now and then
When things are getting too heavy buzz for midwife for a good few glugs of the old G&A lol
Hopefully baby won't do any damage on the way out (luckily they haven't yet) but if there is a problem I'd be happy for whatever intervention recommended
Baby pops out put to chest
Cut cord when convenient for midwife
Injection to get the placenta out, vit K(?) for baby
Left alone with babes to have a good feed and snuggle
NO visitors to hospital
Cab home, just me and my new bundle.

It may read strange but this is the only time I ever really get to myself! So I prefer the solitude and selfishness really of having baby to myself for a little while and I just enjoy looking out of the window in the quiet in the first couple of stages, helps me take my mind off things.

The main thing for me is just to go and do what I'm told when I'm told, when its needed. Them midwives no their business lol.

 

[JayleighAnn]

* Homebirth
* No inductions or sweeps unless necessary
* Pool for labour and birth
* Ability to move around at will
* Ability to listen to own music
* Student Midwives welcome
* Mum and OH, aunty and best friend have asked to be there as well, but I've not decided which one (dont want both, would mean 4people!!)
* No drugs
* Cord not cut straight away, but wait until it stops giving the baby nutrients/oxygen (10mins ish)
* No drugs given for 3rd stage of labour (placenta)
* Breastfeed

 

[JayleighAnn]

im working on mine, i'd really like a home water birth but everyone always does a sharp intake of breath and says, oh no - not with your first so i hope pool is free at hosp, oh with me, whatever pain relief i need and no forceps unless essential x x

Everyone has done that with me, except the midwife I seen last week said it would be fine unless I have complications

 

[pinkmac85]

I haven't given it much thought but so far what OH and I have decided is :

Only him in the room with me
1 student in room NO MORE!
MW to cut the cord
Skin to skin contact right away
No epidural until I can't take it anymore

I'm more of a go with the flow because I'm not sure what to expect for my first but those are a few of the things that I know for a fact that I want done.

 

[PeanutBean]

I don't have a proper one yet. At present the most I've thought of:
No induction unless absolutely necessary and I'm not hugely keen on the idea of a sweep
Home birth
Water pool for labour and birth
Active birth
If I need to go to hospital I don't want an epidural
I'd like to let the cord stop pulsating before cutting it and want it cut by the MW
I'd like baby put to my breast asap

My MW comes round with the pool and homebirthing kit at 37 weeks so I guess we will discuss it all then.

 

[Tiff]

I only have a few things:

• Only my OH is to be in the room with me, all other friends/family are to wait in the waiting room
• I do want the epidural as soon as it's available
• No students to be in the room
• Will be breastfeeding

That's about it mainly. Unless I can think of other things.

 

[Neecee]

Ok, I think I may have some kind of plan - just need to work out what it is...