Birth Plan For First Timer?

People are always asking if i have my birth plan ready or have i thought of my birth plan which got me thinking...how do i prepare a birth plan when (being my first baby) i really am not certain what im planning for? I mean ive read a lot and being on this site reading birth stories has helped i think but having no physical experience how do you prepare yourself for whats to come? Everyone says 'it hurts' but i dont think i'll truly grasp the term it hurts until i've done it IYKWIM?

How do i arm myself with the best possible birth plan? How did you come up with your first birth plan?

I didn't really have a 'birth plan' as such. I just outlined the major things that I would have preferred if possible. A lot of things can happen in labour and birth so sometimes your birth plan doesn't go 'to plan' but it's good to have some things written down to guide your caregivers down the path that you would prefer to go. For example, I wanted a natural third stage, didn't want drugs, wanted to move around as much as possible, wanted skin to skin contact straight away, I wanted to breastfeed. I wanted everything to flow as naturally as possible. I also stipulated that I did not want to be separated from my baby at any time unless absolutely necessary for her health or my health. They were the main points. I didn't want an episiotomy. I didn't want to be monitored. That was about it in my birth plan. It was very basic because DD1 was early so I didn't have a huge amount of time to think about it really. Also, I didn't want to think about it too much. I was pretty happy to just let things happen. I was lucky enough to have a wonderful midwife as part of a birth centre which I can't praise highly enough so she was supportive of my wishes. In the end, I was monitored continuously and had an episiotomy due to concerns about DD1's health. But in the end, I didn't care, as long as we were both safe and healthy. The only advice I can give is to not have a solid, inflexible plan. If you do, you could find yourself disappointed if things don't go to plan. Good luck with it all xxx :)

My birth plan was very basic as well. It basically stated that I wanted to try a natural delivery, that I would ask for pain relief if I wanted it. I knew it was there, and didn't need a midwife asking me every 10 minutes if I wanted it. I put in there that I wanted to breastfeed, that my dh & my mum were my birth support people etc etc.

Good point with the pain releif and people asking if you wanted it Jodi!

I think moving around will be important for me too MS!

Thanks for your replies :lol: given me some ideas on what direction i need to be heading in! xo

Ammaki, check out the birth plan that's on this site. You can download it and change it to suit you.
Also, if you can, get a copy of Better Birth. It's a great book and will give you some idea's on what you want for your birth.

Oh, and I also mentioned that dh can be my 'voice' when I couldn't be. So when the contractions were coming too hard and fast for me to be vocal about what I wanted, dh could be. It was important to tell them that upfront otherwise they probably wouldn't have listened to dh :lol:

i think one of my biggies based on hindsight would be to emphasise that i did not want to be offered drugs but rather to be offered alternatives to just the bed. i had been determined to have an active labour (ie showers/fitball), but once i was in labour i was a little shocked and out of my element (not pain wise but just 'oh wow i am having a baby' wise itms) so i didnt really move and didnt feel comfy just 'helping myself' (DH was still at home and midwife was no where to be seen). it was sweet relief when she offered the shower as a possible tool for distraction. wish it had of come earlier.

That will be another biggy for me too Cassius! SHOWER! Its how i relax at home so i imagine its going to be a big plus in the hospital. I want to be able to spend as much time in there as i want/ need!

Thanks so much for posting, as you all post something i think of a dot point to add to my list :lol:

Jodi thats disappointing they probably wouldnt have listened to him without you saying so! Glad you brought that up! Will have to make sure thats in there!

x

I didn't write a birth plan.

I just made sure i was informed about my options and that my husband new my preferences but also new he could make decisions if I was unable or it was necessary for the health of bubs & I. he didn't have to stick to my plans iykwim

but basically, I wasnted an active labour, if I had to be monitored I wanted telemetry.
I did not want to be on my back to have the baby.
pain we would start with gas and see what happened.
note on gas: get propper instruction on how to use it before you can't concentrate, or you will make yourself sick, and it won't work.

re the hurting: well that's an experience that you get at the time, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.

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re the hurting: well that's an experience that you get at the time, I wouldn't want to spoil it for you.

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:rofl:

Excellent pointer on gas usage! Thanks!

I didnt really have a birth plan, although i gues some of the things i expressed a preference for were being able to move around use the shower ect and i didn't want an epidural unless i was absolutely desperate.

The moving around part didn't really happen as they kept losing DS heartbeat and my blood pressure went very very very high so i was stuck on my back for the whole thing (only 8 hours from start to finish though). I have to say and i didnt really realise this until i read some other peoples stories that my midwives and obs (private hospital) were really good at not intervening. They never even brought up the idea of a CS they didn't push for pain releif just made sure i knew it was available if i wanted.

This time im hoping for less of a crowd had 4 midwives and the OB last time :)

i didnt have gas but pethadine did make me vomit

I never thought much of birth plans but I ended up making one the week before DS was born and it turned out to be pretty helpful, it saves the midwives/doctors pestering you with questions which can be really irritating especially in established labour....the only words I said were water and gas! Some carers will have the audacity to do things without asking if you're not in a place to speak up for yourself so it's good for them to have your intentions down on paper and get your partner well versed in them too so he can speak up if something isn't going the way you want. These are a few good general points...

- whether you want an active labour or not
- if you would like you/your partner to catch the baby/cut the cord
- pain relief (I had- please do not offer, I will ask for peth if I feel I need it, epidural only as last resort or clinically indicated. Please not not offer any pain relief without medical reasons)
-monitoring....whether you want the CTG or portable monitoring so you can continue to move around freely
- whether you prefer to tear or be cut
- do you want a natural third stage or syntocinin administered, if you want the cord to stop pulstating before cutting,
- if you want immediate skin to skin contact before baby gets weighed etc
- if you want the vitamin k and hep b injections administered

One very important point to me was that under no circumstances was my baby to be given formula so I just stated at the bottom of the plan that written consent was needed from my partner and I if they wished to do so.

Good luck and hope that's helpful :)

Thanks again for the responses! Brought up some good things that i will be sure to note down!

Quick (& possibly silly) question..what is syntocinin?

It's the injection they give you after bub has been born so you can deliver the placenta.

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It's the injection they give you after bub has been born so you can deliver the placenta.

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Thanks for that :redface: thought it had something to do with it but wasnt 100%

Whats the difference in having it rather then opting not to?

I had a birth plan for my first. I liked to think of it more as an education tool for myself rather than a step by step plan for my carers during my labour and birthing experiences.

I knew how I wanted things to go, and I made sure there was a written copy there for hubs (who would no doubt forget the important things at the very height of everything).

When I wrote mine, I made sure I had options for every possible outcome....
drug free VB, Induction, CS etc etc.
I didn't really want to have any drugs when I thought about it beforehand, but who was to know what I'd want whilst in labour. I made sure I made myself aware that it wasn't a failure if I did have drugs and that was something I could only really decide on when I was in the moment.

I was very lucky that both of my births went so much better than I ever imagined (even if the first one especially was a little on the long side).
I was extremely happy with the outcomes I had with both children and and the after birth care I received was great.

I hope some of that helps and all the best!

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Thanks again for the responses! Brought up some good things that i will be sure to note down!

Quick (& possibly silly) question..what is syntocinin?

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Its also the drip they put in to induce you !

I have never had a birth plan and thankfully i was able to speak up if needed.
With DS#1 i had read about having a birth plan but just didnt put one into place - as it turned out i was induced due to high bp and couldnt move off the bed so if i'd had a birth plan it would have gone out the window.

You have been given some great suggestions here - if i think of any more i will come back.
xo

ETA - Staying as active as possible during labour - i only did this with DS#3
Skin to skin contact - again only did this with DS#3
Baby crawl to breast - this was amazing ! again only with DS#3

I have learnt there is so much info out there and i was so in the dark with DS#1 and DS#2 but with DS#3 i took in alot more also a different hospital made a difference i think. Also in the five year gap i think things changed alot too !

I agree about learning to use the gas before you need it ! Also about how you feel about monitoring, internals etc (some like to do very regular internals and it can be a PITA) can make it hard when you are trying to focus or be active and they want you on the bed....you may or may not mind ?

Well done for being really informed and prepared !
xo

Third Stage of Labour - Benefits of A Natural Approach

Induction of Labour - To Induce or Not Induce? - some info about synto used to induce

this is a great blog for all info, Homebirth: Midwife Mutiny in South Australia: Birth plans

very good info on how to write your birth plan

Awesome info! THANKS! :lol: