Birth plans
I get asked by women I am following through a pregnancy - should I make a birth plan? What kind of birth plan? Long or short? How? What to put in it? So some dot points from experience:
- If you want a birth plan, then consider a homebirth because otherwise you are having to negotiate on someone else’s playing field. You don’t know where the towels are = you aren’t in control
- Make it short and sweet. One page. Dot points. No ifs, buts or maybes. If it is important enough to write down, it’s important enough to state plainly.
- Don’t put "unless medically indicated" because this is a great out for anyone. If you don’t give them that out, you will have to be negotiated with.
Areas that you will want to consider:
- Support people
- Vaginal examinations
- IV canula - say no to these routinely, and if it needs to be inserted, tell them where they can stick it
- Wearing your own clothes (singlet and sarong, undies, pink wig, scarf and thongs, whatever…)
- Catheterisation
- Monitoring
- Pain relief (do not offer me pain relief, or offer me massage, heat packs, pressure points, reiki, reflexology, aromatherapy, shower, water etc only)
- Food and drink (because you are after all an adult and can work these things out for yourself!)
- First stage - say plainly that the bed needs to be moved, or room made for ball, beanbag or whatever. Do not ask for permission but make a statement.
- Second stage - declare that you will not need guided pushing, that either you or your partner will catch the baby, that you want a lotus birth, that the first words your child will here will be a prayer to the goddess or the Sun, or whatever you want.
- Third stage - how do you want your placenta dealt with? Do you want to keep it, or make prints,
- Fourth stage - BONDING!! So important! You will have to be clear about bathing, weighing, immunisation, and vitamin K (these last two will be asked of you a couple of times during labour which is really irritating!), feeding, rooming in.
- Afterwards - if you plan on being in hospital for a few days, think about heel prick tests, bathing, circumcision, immunisation etc.
You will have to do research into these things, and I encourage you to do so before giving birth. It is going to be hard to get your hands on information about these things with a newborn and away from your usual resources (read: the internet and your own phone).
And people ask me - do I need a c-section plan? I’m of two minds about this, because if you plan for it are you headed for it, and yet on the other hand our c-section rate here in Australia is more than 1 in 3, so chances are relatively high if you birth in a hospital and higher in some than others. Investigate this before birthing somewhere. And in the end yes, I do suggest you write a plan because it’s in a c-section situation that you will want to have what aspects of the birth you are wanting especially respected. Again, look at skin to skin contact, immediate baby care, partners staying with your baby if they need to be taken somewhere.
Look on the interwebs to find some examples and think about it before talking to your care provider or a friendly midwife.
