Many couples do not know that they have options in labor, delivery and post-partum care. A birth plan is a list of preferences and desires for a personal labor and delivery experience. To avoid a ?shopping list? birth plan, you should understand why you are choosing certain options. Present your plan to your physician or midwife before the onset of labor. Writing your birth plan between contractions is not the optimal time. Think of your birth plan as a cheat sheet. It will jog your memory and help you have the birthing experience you planned for.
Women, below are some of your options. As you go along, discuss these choices with your birth partner. Mark in the options that interest you. Research them and on a separate piece of paper, write down your choices in your own words so it becomes your unique plan. Then present your plan to your health care provider. Health care providers maybe more willing to discuss your desires for a great birth if gifts of chocolate accompany your proposed plan.
Check options to consider and then hit your file button and then print it out:
Options in Pain Relief:
Please don?t ask me if I want medication, I?ll let you know. No medication for pain relief. My partner can have all he/she wants. Give me the epidural as soon as possible, preferably in the parking lot. I would prefer narcotic analgesics. I would prefer the epidural once in an active contraction pattern. When I finally ask for the epidural, don?t give it to me, help me get through it.
Basic Comfort Measures:
Music playing continually Lights off for better concentration A massage therapist Doula to guide my partner and myself Movement whenever and however I wish Birth ball Hydotherapy; shower or bath Walking A heated Rice sock for aching muscles Ice chips to suck on Eating Drinking clear fluids Massage
People in the Room:
No mother-in-laws or in-laws period Refer to have a tailgate party (no alcohol please) Want only a select few No visitors, except maybe my cat Partner optional My partner and my doula My partner only
Labor Interventions:
Please keep vaginal exams to a minimum. Please discuss with me and my paretner first before choosing internal fetal monitoring. Internal fetal monitoring is a tool your healthcare providers have for measuring fetal well-beling and strength of the contractions. I want external fetal monitor to measure how often my contractions are coming and have a general idea of how my baby is doing. I want intermittent fetal monitoring so I can have more freedom to move around (20 minutes of monitoring an hour is standard), An I.V. for hydration and easy assess for administering of medications. A heplock. (A heplock is an alternative to the I.V. Having access to the vein is not a bad idea in case of an emergency, and you have the freedom to move around with one less cord attached to your body. With this option, keep your body hydrated by drinking lots of water. Artificial rupture of membranes. (The doctor will break the bag of waters with an amniohook. This does not hurt; however, once your bag of water breaks you are on the time clock of labor. You usually have 24 hours or less to deliver. The contractions are usually more uncomfortable, yet it could speed up the labor process.) Spontaneous rupture of membranes. (This means you would prefer to have nature take its course and allow the bag to break when it is ready. With the bag intact, you will have more comfortable contractions.) I don't mind an episiotomy, whatever it takes to get the baby out faster. Prefer tearing vs. episiotomy (Believe it or not, tearing heals faster and allows a less painful recovery). You want to keep an intact perineum. (This means massaging and stretching the perineum before labor and during pushing as well as positions conducive to stretching. Don't be fooled, this is possible with first time Moms.)
Movement:
I want to move around in the position of my choice to help my labor progress naturally. I want freedom to get up to go to the bathroom. I want to stay in bed and be pampered. I want whatever the health care team decides to do. I want a managed labor.
Labor Progress:
If there is a stall in my labor, I want some time to start labor naturally by walking, changing positions, and maintaining a positive attitude. Artificially breaking of the membranes. This could speed up labor or it may not make any difference. If there is a natural delay in labor progress and baby is tolerating labor well, we would prefer not to have pitocin to strengthen contractions. Hook me up to pitocin; let?s get this show on the road. I would like to try nipple stimulation. Go Daddy!
Pushing:
I would prefer to push in any position possible. For example, side lined, squatting, semi-sitting, sitting up. Lying on my back is not conducive to natural childbirth. Gentle pushing. I want to listen to my body?s cues because my body knows what to do. Nurse and/or physician guiding me I don?t care about the technicalities. I just want the baby out.
Cesarean:
If my condition and the baby?s are still good, I would like to barter for more labor time. When a cesarean is not an emergency, please give us time alone to consider it before asking for our consent. I want my partner and/or doula to offer me continuous support during the cesarean unless it is an emergency. I would like to have contact with the baby as soon as it is possible in the delivery room. We would like to film the baby as soon as it is allowed. It is extremely important that I have skin to skin contact and breastfeed in recovery.
After the Delivery:
I want skin-to-skin as soon as possible. (This means no blanket or gown in between me and baby. An hour or two of skin-to-skin will help me bond with my baby. Baby will breastfeed sooner and more effectively with skin-to-skin.) Please do all the assessments needed for the baby while the baby is on my chest; skin to skin. Keep the baby in the warmer and have the medical staff do what they need to do before handing the baby back to me. Delay applying eye ointment to the baby for the first hour or more so baby and I can have eye contact. Delay the Vitamin K for baby until after the first hour or more. Have partner give baby the first bath. I want my baby in the room at all times, especially when nursing. We do not want any interruptions during breastfeeding for physician visits or non-emergency procedures. My baby can come and go as needed for the convenience of the hospital staff. I prefer that the baby not have any artificial nipples. My nipples will do just fine. Please don't tell me anything negative about my nipples in regards to breastfeeding. If we don't tell the baby there is a problem, the baby won?t know the difference.
