A birth plan is a non-confrontational way for you to make your labor and birth plans known to anyone involved with you on your special day. You can hand a copy to your mother, your doctor or midwife, the nurses on call, your doula, and even your husband if he wasn’t involved in writing it! Birth plans also help you to think of all possible labor and birth scenarios up front, so that you are not forced to make an important decision in the middle of a contraction or when you are unable to completely focus.
You’ll want to take your birth plan to one of your appointments in the third trimester and get your doctor/midwife to sign off on it. Have them make a copy of it and place it in your file so that if they do not end up delivering you, the doctor on call knows that your doctor signed off on it and is ok with it. (It also helps in case you forgot your copy at home!)
Do keep in mind that you cannot predict everything and just because you want an ideal birth, does not mean you’ll get it! You’ll want to remain flexible in case an emergency situation comes up or your labor is not progressing as planned.
Questions to be Addressed in Your Birth Plan:
Here are some questions you will want to answer in your birth plan (see sample birth plan ). You can skip ones you feel are unimportant or you are indifferent to.
Labor
- Where will you deliver? (hospital, birthing center, home?)
- Can you labor and deliver in the same room at the hospital?
- Can the baby sleep in your room?
- Who do you want to be present during labor? (this is a good place to indicate people you want there, and people you do NOT!)
- Do you want to avoid an enema and/or shaving of your pubic hair?
- Do you wish to keep vaginal exams to a minimum?
- Do you want pain medication?
- Do you want pain medication offered?
- What pain methods would you like to use?
- Would you like the ability to move around during labor?
- Do you want to avoid having your amniotic rumbrane (your bag of waters) ruptured artificially?
- Do you want an IV for fluids or to be allowed water, ice chips or other fluids?
- What do you want to be able to bring in the labor room? (music, tapes, pictures, blankets, pillows, etc)
Delivery
- Do you want to avoid an episiotomy?
- Do you want to watch the baby being born?
- Do you want your partner to cut the umbilical cord?
- Do you want the umbilical cord cut immediately or wait until it stops pulsing?
- Do you want to bank the cord blood?
C-Section
- Who do you want in the room while you have a c-section? (Some hospitals only allow one or two people present.)
- Do you want the freedom of one or both arms?
- Do you want to watch the baby being born?
- Do you have a preference as to the method of numbing you?
After Delivery
- Do you want to hold your baby immediately after birth?
- Do you want to breastfeed immediately after birth?
- Do you want to breastfeed exclusively?
- Do you want to delay any testing or newborn procedures immediately after birth?
- Can hospital staff provide a pacifier for the baby?
- Do you want a circumcision for your son?
- How long do you wish to stay in the hospital?
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