It sounds like a beautiful plan hun. BUT, and i only have experience within the UK system, i think it'd be almost impossible to get in a hospital setting over here. They would just say the 4-hourly dilation checks were medically necessary, the fetal monitoring was medically necessary, the augmentation because it's going slower than 1cm/hour dilation is medically necessary. Have you considered a homebirth? It might be MUCH easier to get everything the way you want it...? Will Lisa be delivering you?
Other than that i think your plan is great but i would shorten it a good bit. They don't have much time to read and the shifts might change as you're getting close to birth - the person who signed might not be there... So things like:
I would shorten to:I am uncomfortable with the idea of medicine or midwifery students in attendance during my labour. I understand that they need to learn, and how else can they; but as I am anxious enough about giving birth as it is, I do not wish to have any students present. Maybe next time.
I would prefer if we can be left alone as much as possible, as I feel the continued presence of medical personnel will raise anxiety and cause undue psychological stress, and hence the probability of also hindering my progress.
Your reasons are not relevant and none of their concern really.I do not consent to medical students or midwifery students being present.
Could be covered with:I am completely uncomfortable with vaginal examination. If and when an examination is required to be performed, I would like them to be kept to a bare minimum. I would firstly like to be informed of what he/she hopes to ascertain from the exam, if it will at all benefit me, and whether it is medically necessary for it to occur. I feel the tension caused from this sort of procedure may be detrimental to my progress.
So for each little paragraph, maybe try to shorten to a bullet point containing only the information you need to convey:Unless there is a medical emergency, i do not consent to vaginal examinations. If i wish to have the progress of my dilation checked, i will ask.
and so on.
- I do not wish to be offered pain relief. If i ask for pain-relief drugs i would like to be reminded that i wanted a natural birth.
- I would like to use warm water, massage and music to help me deal with pain. I would like access to a bath/shower.
- I do not consent to continuous fetal monitoring except in medical emergency. I am happy with intermittent monitoring.
- Except in medical emergency i do not consent to vaginal examinations. If i wish to have the progress of my dilation checked, i will ask.
- I do not consent to medical augmentation except in an emergency.
- We wish to be fully infomred at all times, please discuss everything which is happening with us.
- During crowning i would like to be offered the chance to feel the baby's head.
- I would like to be able to move freely and assume the positions i choose in order to deal with the pain.
- Unless there are medical reasons why he cannot, we would like Anthony to "catch" the baby and place him onto my chest.
- I plan to breastfeed and would like to have the opportunity immediately after birth....
I'm not sure about the signatures, i don't know if my midwife would have signed it because she represented the hospital (even though it was a home birth) and she was not qualified to make promises or enter contracts on their behalf. It might be fine in Aus or if you have a provate MW though?
It sounds like a great birth. I hope all goes to plan.
Bx




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