My Birth Plan

Posted by donielle on March 26, 2009 · 1 Comment 

A few of you ladies have asked to see what I’ve put in my birth plan, so I’ll get it posted now instead of later!

There are tons of online forms you can fill out with different ideas, whether you want tog go all natural or want that epidural as soon as you walk in the door. To each her own, you just select what you might desire for the birth of your baby. I happened to use the one on birthplan.com but you can also just search online and you’ll find many to choose from!

I hate to really call this a “plan”, since so much can change during actual labor and delivery! It’s more a list of things I’d like to see happen and I think I’ll find it especially useful with the nurses (since my OB won’t show up till I have to push!) or if I get the on call doc. I have the signed (by my OB) copy with me to bring to the hospital and I’ll be making copies of it for giving to the nurses.

It’s kinda long, but this “plan outline” covers a bit of everything! (after filling it out, it will bring up only the ones you’ve checked off. There were lots of other options as well) I also added a little ditty at the top that explains my goal of having a natural unmediated birth unless a medical emergency comes up for me or baby. Because in the long run, a happy healthy baby is what I want!

LABOR

  • I would like to be free to walk around during labor.
  • I wish to be able to move around and change position at will throughout labor.
  • I would like to be able to have fluids by mouth throughout the first stage of labor.
  • I would prefer to keep the number of vaginal exams to a minimum.
  • I do not want an IV unless I become dehydrated.

    • MONITORING

  • I do not wish to have continuous fetal monitoring unless it is required by the condition of the baby.
  • I do not want an internal monitor unless the baby has shown some sign of distress.

    • LABOR AUGMENTATION/INDUCTION

  • If labor is not progressing, I would like to have the amniotic membrane ruptured before other methods are used to augment labor.
  • I would prefer to be allowed to try changing position and other natural methods (walking, etc.) before pitocin is administered.

    • ANESTHESIA/PAIN MEDICATION

  • I realize that many pain medications exist I’ll ask for them if I need them. (hopefully in order to cease the nurses and doctors from asking when I wanted an epidural. I had no support for a natural birth last time. But I also recently heard that when entering the hospital, you can actually ask for a nurse that knows more about natural birth, or at least seen some!)

    • CESAREAN

  • Unless absolutely necessary, I would like to avoid a Cesarean.

    • EPISIOTOMY (not routine procedure anymore, but still good for them to know!)

  • I would prefer not to have an episiotomy unless absolutely required for the baby’s safety.
  • I would appreciate guidance in when to push and when to stop pushing so the perineum can stretch.
  • If possible, I would like to use perineal massage to help avoid the need for an episiotomy.

    • DELIVERY

  • Even if I am fully dilated, and assuming the baby is not in distress, I would like to try to wait until I feel the urge to push before beginning the pushing phase. (even my OB believes fully in this as it helps baby get into the perfect position so you don’t spend hours upon hours pushing)
  • I would appreciate having the room lights turned low for the actual delivery. (seriously, who wants to feel like giving birth in a place as bright as a gym?)
  • I would like to have the baby placed on my stomach/chest immediately after delivery. (normal procedure, but you never know)

    • IMMEDIATELY AFTER DELIVERY

  • (coach) does not wish to cut the cord. (yea, hubby is not a fan)
  • I would prefer that the umbilical cord stop pulsating before it is cut.
  • I would like to hold the baby while I deliver the placenta and any tissue repairs are made. (at least then I’ll be able to focus on my new little babe and maybe not want to kick the doctor in the head so much!)
  • I would like to have the baby evaluated and bathed in my presence. (normal practice, but just in case)
  • I plan to keep the baby near me following birth and would appreciate if the evaluation of the baby can be done with the baby on my abdomen, with both of us covered by a warm blanket, unless there is an unusual situation.
  • If the baby must be taken from me to receive medical treatment, (coach) or some other person I designate will accompany the baby at all times. (just letting them know that baby’s not to leave my sight w/o someone else following along!)
  • I would prefer to hold the baby rather than have (him/her) placed under heat lamps. (so much nicer for the two of us)
  • I do not want a routine injection of pitocin after the delivery to aid in expelling the placenta. (it always comes out right? :-) and breastfeeding right after birth helps)

    • *The baby is not to receive the Hep B shot (I don’t have it, so it can wait. If we do the Hep B series at all)
    *The baby is not to receive the eye medication
    *The baby is not to receive the vitamin K shot (unless of course baby is huge or we’ve had a hard delivery. ex. the use of forceps or vacuum)

    POSTPARTUM

  • Unless required for health reasons, I do not wish to be separated from my baby.
  • I would like to have the baby “room in” and be with me at all times. (why send such a teeny little being off on their own when you are the only person they know? Plus, it’s beneficial for breastfeeding! That, and babies in the nursery actually cry more than ones left with mom. No one takes my baby away!!)

    • BREASTFEEDING

  • I plan to breastfeed the baby and would like to begin nursing very shortly after birth.
  • Unless medically necessary, I do not wish to have any bottles given to the baby (including glucose water or plain water). (babies aren’t born hungry no matter how big they are, and need no other supplement than the colostrum they get from mom! Plus it sets you up for hardship while breastfeeding if baby gets formula now and then goes home with mom whose milk still hasn’t come in. Then you’ll have a frustrated baby. And if baby has trouble latching, ask for a lactation consultant before the nurse crams glucose water into baby. yea, that happened to me.)
  • I do not want the baby to be given a pacifier. (again, bad for breastfeeding. I wait at least a couple weeks to offer one)

    • So there you have it. My list of wants. Well, some of them are must haves! (rooming in, breastfeeding, no vacs, and oh yea, don’t take my baby!)

    Any of you other pregnant mamas have a “plan”? What does yours look like?

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    My Thoughts on Birthing

    Posted by donielle on October 6, 2008 · 15 Comments 

    I almost hate to share my thoughts on childbirth as I’m pregnant. Mainly because I don’t want to have to be held to my word and what I say now. The second reason is I would rather not feel like a failure if my birth plan does not go as I plan.

    With that said, I do think natural childbirth is best for the baby and for mom. Women have been having babies naturally for thousands of years. God designed our bodies to do what they need to do. Each part of labor has a specific purpose and when we intervene, sometimes it just throws our bodies out of whack and we require more medical attention.

    I did not have a natural birth with my first.

    My water broke at 38 weeks. This was only after the doctor had just told me 15 hours earlier that I was at least 2 weeks from giving birth, possibly more. Well, I guess we showed him wrong! My water ended up breaking around midnight on a Friday and by 6am, the contractions were close enough where I was directed to go to the hospital. Once I was there they decided I was only 2 cm along, but since my water had broken and I was positive for group B strep, they were keeping me.

    I was hooked up to IVs right away and told I couldn’t eat anything, which was fabulous since I didn’t eat breakfast before we went. (btw, I did sneak in my own trail mix and munched on that throughout the day – rebellious, I know!) They also hooked me up to fetal monitors and basically had me stay in bed. When I wanted to get up, I had to page the nurses and ask them to unhook me, which took about a half hour to get them to come in. I was also constantly asked when I wanted the epidural. My doctor stopped in to check on me once (he was already there for another delivery) and asked when I was getting the epidural. I explained my hesitation due to the fact that it can slow labor to which he replied “Would you get a tooth filled without novacaine? So it lasts an extra hour, you won’t be feeling it.”

    Fabulous, thanks for the support.

    Fifteen hours after my water broke, having regular contractions the whole time, I was still only dilated to 3. The doc said I had to be put on pitocin and with that the nurse told me I would definitely want an epidural. S0 I went for it, never being told ANY of the side effects or risks. And when we were about 17 hours into the whole thing, my legs were numb, I was super uncomfortable and hated knowing I was now stuck in bed. Fast forward a couple hours and the epidural wore off on one side. No matter the amount of moving my legs they tried to do, it just wouldn’t stick on my left side. So there I laid, not being able to move, or even twitch my toes, feeling the contractions anyways.

    And of course the epidural sure didn’t help speed the labor at all. Since my water broke, basically I had to deliver within 24 hours or they were doing a c-section. When they mentioned this, we prayed. And prayed and prayed. A c-section was the last thing I wanted. The Lord answered our prayers and I finally started to progress. Twenty-six hours after my water breaking they had me start pushing. Where was the doc? At home. Yup, not even there yet. Seriously I wonder what they get paid for sometimes. They ended up having to use a vacuum to get the poor kid out since he was coming out with his chin down and couldn’t quite make it. We did have a happy healthy baby and above all else, that’s all that really matters.

    But I’ve always wondered, what if I hadn’t followed the advice of the nurses and doctors so much? What if I would have told them to take a hike when they told me to go lay down? So many of the things that happened could have been directly associated with both pitocin and the epidural, but since I was never informed of any risks, I didn’t know.

    This time I hope it to be different. I’ll be discussing with my doctor much earlier about how she normally allows labor to progress, so I have time to find a different one if need be. I have a great respect for doctors and feel that they do save a lot of lives when labor goes wrong. But when everything is going right, do we really need to intervene so much? This time I truly hope that unless absolutely medically necessary, I’ll be able to give birth naturally.

    What about you, have you had a natural childbirth? Why or why not?

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    Why I chose an O.B.

    Posted by donielle on September 29, 2008 · 7 Comments 

    I’ve been asked what type of doctor/midwife I’ll be receiving care from during this pregnancy, so I thought I’d take a moment to explain why I chose an obstetrician.

    Reason one
    The hospital closest to our house has no midwives that deliver there.

    • Hospital one: Only 20 minutes away, brand spanking new (built last year) with gorgeous delivery and postpartum rooms. Very easy to get to right off the expressway, no construction to worry about. The hospital is easy to get around and parking is a breeze.
    • Hospital two: Is 45 minutes away, and old. Old enough were they have built on and remodeled several times. I gave birth here last time and the maternity ward was so full, I got stuck in the old part of the hospital where my husband and family had to take like 2 different elevators and snake through a myriad of hallways to find me. Parking is a mess with a parking ramp and then once you park you must go up or down and find the bridge to make it over the road and to the hospital. Then down the elevator, through a long corridor to the lobby and then back up the elevators. Yea, that part was not fun for my husband who was coming and going more than others. The expressways to this hospital are constantly under construction, and right now are down from 3 lanes to one.

    Reason two
    The midwives office is also 45 minutes away

    • The midwives actually work with an OB’s office and is based downtown near hospital two. This would mean father to travel for each appointment and dealing with traffic and construction each time, and the cost of gas would be double each time as well.
    • Finding a new OB in the building right next to hospital one is again, much closer and also, both her office and the hospital are only 5-10 minutes from where Todd works and is right next store to where my mom works. It is also close to both our parents house in case we need to drop off our little one on the way.

    Reason three
    My husband prefers it. I know it’s me who’s having the baby, and me who’ll be going through labor, and me who’s basically doing it all, but my husbands preference does matter. While I could get over both the other reasons and go with a midwife, it’s not something Todd finds necessary and I feel it’s my duty as a wife to allow him to make decisions that will effect our whole family. Maybe God is imparting some sort of wisdom upon him that I’m not privy to at this point. I don’t know. But after many nights of discussion and explaining my case, I feel that following my husbands lead is the best thing for my family. I feel comfortable with our decision and the only thing that matters is that we have a happy healthy baby, no matter how it makes it’s way into the world.

    I also believe the experience is what you make it, and now that I know how things might go, I have a better idea of what I’ll let the doctors and nurses talk me into. It’s all about being informed of your choices and talking about a birth plan with your provider.

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