Of course you cannot control or plan everything about your birth, but there are a lot of things that you can request. I feel like, in general, mothers who plan on unmedicated births are much more likely to write birth plans than those who are not, but really there is a lot that you have control over no matter what type of birth you are having--even a planned cesarean.
I won't share all of my birth preferences because they are personal (i.e. too graphic) for my blog, but here is the majority of what my health care providers and I have discussed and have in writing:
Labor
Pain relief: I plan to take things
as they go. I am not opposed to an epidural, but I would like to try laboring without one. I don’t feel
comfortable using any other pain medication options, but would be willing to
consider them if there is a good reason for it.
My husband: Brent would like to be
involved and supportive during labor and delivery. He would like guidance from
the midwife/nurses as to how to best assist me during the process.
Emotional/Mental Support: I had a very hard time focusing during labor with my first baby, and would really appreciate any emotional/mental support the midwife or nurse feels comfortable giving. I am the type that needs firm direction and help staying calm and focused. And I also am the type that seems to thrive with support and company, so you really can’t help too much.
Emotional/Mental Support: I had a very hard time focusing during labor with my first baby, and would really appreciate any emotional/mental support the midwife or nurse feels comfortable giving. I am the type that needs firm direction and help staying calm and focused. And I also am the type that seems to thrive with support and company, so you really can’t help too much.
Post-Birth
Requests
Delayed cord cutting: We would like to delay cutting the umbilical cord for 3-5 minutes. (For information about why we are choosing to do this, here is a great four-part lecture you can watch on YouTube. But the short explanation is that it is better for the baby to wait.)
Request postponing newborn procedures: If possible, we would like to postpone newborn procedures to allow for bonding and breastfeeding. (This means the baby won't get eyedrops, bathed, weighed, etc. until after I get to hold and feed her.This is important because a) she'll be able to see me if there's not stuff in her eyes and b) newborns are most alert right after birth which gives breastfeeding a good headstart.)
Delayed cord cutting: We would like to delay cutting the umbilical cord for 3-5 minutes. (For information about why we are choosing to do this, here is a great four-part lecture you can watch on YouTube. But the short explanation is that it is better for the baby to wait.)
Request postponing newborn procedures: If possible, we would like to postpone newborn procedures to allow for bonding and breastfeeding. (This means the baby won't get eyedrops, bathed, weighed, etc. until after I get to hold and feed her.This is important because a) she'll be able to see me if there's not stuff in her eyes and b) newborns are most alert right after birth which gives breastfeeding a good headstart.)
Is there anything that you've requested in a birth plan that has been helpful to you?
4 comments:
I love this post! I agree, that a lot of moms don't realize that they need to be their own advocate. I honestly believe that the child birth class I took made a world of difference for me. I went into the hospital knowing exactly what I wanted, had a birth plan and was willing to fight for what I felt was right for me. And yes, fight is probably the right word to use. I chose to have a drug free birth & my Dr was not supportive of it. He tried to push an epidural on me, lied to me about the possibility of an anesthesiologist not being available if I were to need a C-section, pushing a C-section (which I still honestly believe I did not need)... He pushed and pushed until I was at my breaking point and signed the consent for the surgery. I am pretty sure he was very annoyed with me because I was able to "counter" everything he was telling me (because I was informed and knew my rights, my body and that what was going on was okay). What I learned was, birth plan or not, things are not always going to go as planned, but the more informed you are about your rights as a patient, what your body goes through during the labor process, etc, you are better able to deal with any issue that may arise. One example, after I signed the consent for the surgery, I was told my husband couldn't be in the room for my spinal block. I refused to let them continue until I could have him with me. Thankfully I was able to switch Dr's for my daughter's birth and had a wonderful experience with a very supportive Dr. He knew my wishes (though, no birth plan this time) and was perfectly supportive of my choices. I love the idea of not having medical intervention with baby right after they are born, I believe it is an important time for you to bond with baby. Because my 2nd was considered high risk, I didn't get quite everything that way, but the Dr worked with us and gave as much as he legally could. Love story short (sorry this is so long), you know what is right for you and your family, and the Dr should be someone you trust, the more you are educated about your rights and the labor process, you will be better prepared to make informed decisions if someone not in your birth plan happens.
Oh my goodness! Ignore the typos and that I am jumping all over the place...I am sick and tired and not thinking clearly. You get the idea, I hope.
I agree with you on how much you have to speak your voice about what you want done. In my experience, most providers are happy to comply with your reasonable requests, but if you don't ask, they'll just do what they always do.
I signed a waiver for the erythromycin eye stuff when I had Dallin. I didn't want a gunked up baby, either. I also knew that the purpose of it; they give it because moms that have gonorhea can pass their Babis the disease through their eyes in vaginal birth and the babies get nasty eye infections. Thank you, Law of Chastity for making sure I don't have that worry, so I felt great about skipping it altogether. Knowledge is power!
I loved these ideas, Sarah! I firmly believe that part of the reason I had so much more success with breastfeeding C than I did with breastfeeding A was that I was able to breastfeed right after birth with C. The nurses couldn't get their instruments to work properly with A, and I remember feeling really antsy—like I needed her. (I'd held her, but just for a minute or two.) As a first time mom, I don't think I realized what a big deal this was. And I didn't want to be too picky. But I wish I could've gone back and insisted that I feed her and bond with her first.
I was also glad to hear about the umbilical cord thing—I want to look into that.
Have you done other labor preparations this go around? Like classes or books or audio trainings? I would really like my next birth to be as natural as possible.
And you should email me the graphic parts or your birth plan (hah!)—I'd like to know what you suggested. I had a birth plan for my first birth, but I felt like people kind of disregarded it. They said it was just their standard procedure. How do you assert that you'd like it to be taken seriously without feeling nutso?
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