Your birth plan
Making your own plan for your baby's birth will help you make sure you have an active involvement in the way he's born and what happens immediately after the birth. Think about all the options available and what you'd prefer and talk them over with your birth attendants and your partner. In this way you'll be able to build a bond of trust with everyone concerned and create a happier, more comfortable labour.
Talk it through
© DK
Think about what's most important to you and then find out as much as you can to see if what you want is realistic for your situation (see The Care on Offer and Professional Attendants, and It's your choice). There's no point in making a plan that can't be used once you're in labour.
Talk to your family doctor about your birth plan early in your pregnancy. If you're having a hospital birth, ask him to refer you to the hospital that's most in tune with your wishes if possible. It also helps to talk about what you want with your midwife, antenatal teacher, and other members of your antenatal team - they'll be able to give you advice and tell you about the kinds of experiences other mothers have had in your local hospitals. One of the reasons it's good to make a plan is that you have the time to think about everything carefully and discuss issues you're not sure about. When you're in the middle of labour and contractions, you might find you're not feeling up to much discussion!
The hospital view for birth plan
Your hospital team will welcome the preparation you've done for the labour and will encourage you to get involved. Some mothers used to get bad reactions to birth plans from some hospital staff on the grounds that they might interfere with their standard practices. That's unlikely to happen now - in fact there'll be space in your hospital notes for your preferences to be recorded after talking to your midwife.
Working out for a plan together
Cooperation is an important part of a birth plan. Working everything out in detail with all your attendants, including your partner, should ease any anxieties you may have and help you feel more in control of your baby's birth. Check that staff are aware of any alternative plans you've made and keep up a friendly relationship with your carers - they'll want to follow your wishes as far as they can, provided you and your baby are not at risk. Once you've talked about what's important to you, give a copy of the plan that's kept with your hospital notes to each of your birth partners or carers. This could be important if someone who doesn't know your wishes has to attend your labour.
What to put down
Note who your birth partners will be; what sort of pain relief you'd like to have; what position you'd prefer for giving birth; how you feel about episiotomy, induction, and your waters being broken; how you'd prefer labour to be managed; and whether or not you want to breastfeed. Once you've made your plan, make sure that everyone who's likely to be involved has a copy and that they're aware of any alternative plans you've made.
Special considerations
Be sure to make a note on your birth plan of any particular needs you may have while you're in hospital - for example, if you're vegetarian or you need any other special diet.
Looking at the alternatives plans
Your main birth plan will detail the kind of birth you'd prefer, but it's a good idea to have an alternative plan, just in case.
This alternative plan can set out what you'd prefer to happen if complications should arise. On rare occasions, labour may become unexpectedly prolonged or difficult, or your baby may need special attention. If you think about all the possibilities beforehand, you'll make it easier for your birth attendants to take care of any situation as you wish.
It's your choice
- hospital/home birth
- medical induction of labour if necessary/spontaneous start
- amniotomy (artificial rupture of membranes) if necessary/spontaneous rupture of membranes
- fetus monitored electronically for a short time only/continuous fetal monitoring
- nothing by mouth only if high risk of Caesarean/eat and drink as and when desired
- types of pain relief: pethidine, epidural, gas and air, breathing exercises, TENS, diversion
- catheterization only with epidural/empty own bladder as necessary
- commanded pushing/spontaneous pushing
- deliberate breath-holding/no deliberate breath-holding
- elective episiotomy/episiotomy only if absolutely necessary
- mother not touching vaginal area/touching baby's head as it crowns, lifting baby out
- use of syntometrine to speed delivery of placenta/natural expulsion of placenta.
Posted 16.11.2010
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