My Birth Plan

As my due date has come and gone I figured I would post about my birth plan. As some know or may not, we are using a midwife and I'll be giving birth at a Birth Center that is attached to a hospital so that if an emergency does come up we do have help right there. We do use the L&D nurses and we've met a bunch who are sooo nice and all say they prefer working with the midwives since the atmosphere is so much more relaxed.

We actually don't have to put too much in our birth plan because a lot of what we want is already protocol not only for the midwives but for the hospital in general. I'll give birth and stay the next 36-48 hours all in the same room which is huge and soooo nice, its like a hotel. Some of the things we want that are standard is not being asked if I want medication - not even the nurses will ask unless I seriously bring it up; I want to labor in the spa tub, walk around, try different positions to help relieve pain and use the birthing stool, squat bar and birthing ball; wait to clamp the umbilical cord until it stops pulsating; have skin to skin time right away with the baby for an hour or longer; withhold all weighing, measuring, shots, etc. until after skin to skin time; dad gives baby first bath if wanted and in room; all newborn procedures done in room and in front of parents. There's more that I'm sure I'm missing but they keep it all as natural and as instinctual as possible. So in addition to all of that, here is the rest of our birth plan:

My Birth Plan:

I only want Tom present. My parents may visit me when they first get to the hospital but no one else is allowed to see me under any circumstances.

I am very private and modest and want to be as comfortable as possible and I’m not sure that is possible with new people present.

I prefer minimal internal exams or at my request only. (Midwives only do this once every 4 hours instead of the standard 2 but if I don't want them at the time I don't have to)

Concerning GBS Antibiotics: I want to start them once I have reached 6 or 7cm. I am hoping to only need one dose. I will try a heplock but only if I can have it in my forearm, not in my hand. I have a huge needle phobia and do not want this to be an issue. 

I do not want to be told when to push and do not want any counting while pushing.

Language about time is not okay. I do not want anyone to say, “you’re almost there,” “it’s almost over,” “it will be over soon,” or anything that has to do with time when I am pushing. It is ok to say “you’re strong,” “your baby’s moving forward,” etc. (As a marathon runner I hate when I still have 3 miles left and the crowd is cheering "you're almost there" when in fact three more miles is still a long time and is still very hard, even the last 100 yards is hard and from my point of view feels like forever away.)

Tom would like to catch the baby. 

We will provide clothing, hats and blankets for our baby as our family has a history of sensitive skin - we will be using organic clothing. 

I’d like Tom to stay with the baby at all times if I cannot be present.

I plan to breastfeed exclusively. 

I would like Tom to give the baby his first bath and with water only – no soap – again due to sensitive skin.

Please do not administer eye drops to my baby.

Please delay the administration of vitamin K and PKU testing until after breastfeeding and bonding. 

Please, no HepB vaccine for our baby. 

If C-Section if necessary due to emergency:

Tom should be present at ALL times.

I would like to have immediate contact with the baby.

I admire Baby-Friendly hospitals and would like skin-to-skin with the baby, keeping the mother-baby dyad together during the repair and recovery, and encouraging unlimited breast-feeding, even during initial recovery period. 

I would like Tom to stay with the baby at ALL times. He is to be the first to hold the baby – I want limited nurse interaction with the baby and have Tom perform any procedures possible.

So there it is. Not everyone will agree with what we want but we feel it's what is best for us. We also know that our birth may not go as planned which is why I wrote a part about a possible c-section but I want to try my hardest to have the birth go as planned. Here's to hoping he comes soon!!!