Why should I have a birth plan if the plan is to have the baby? Right?
Creating a birth plan is about more than just adding one more thing to your to do list. A birth plan gives you the opportunity to think about what you want during labor and delivery and newborn care. A birth plan does not need to be complicated. In fact, you may already have a good idea about how you envision labor and deliver. Expressing these wishes to your labor and delivery team can help you achieve your birthing goals.
Where to Start?
The best place to start is to think about your laboring experience. Close your eyes and imagine the day is here — What do you see? Are you laboring at home for a while before heading to the hospital or are you immediately leaving when your water breaks? Are you freely walking around your hospital room or are you staying in bed? Do you want an epidural or a natural birth?
These are all questions to ask yourself as you think about your birth plan.
Pain Management
For many women the thought of labor pains make them extremely nervous to give birth. While it can be quite painful and intense there are measures that can be put in place to help relieve some of this discomfort. There are a handful of ways your delivery team can assist you.
- Pain Medicine
- There is nothing wrong with having a medicated birth. Many women choose to have a medicate birth and it is the right option for them. The most common pain management tools are nitrous oxide or an epidural. The thing to keep in mind about these medicated options is that it may affect how you labor.
- For example, if you have an epidural your bottom half will be completely numb (if it is placed correctly). Therefore, you won’t be able to freely walk around your room. Instead you would be confined to the bed to do most of your laboring. However, an epidural can also allow you to rest and sleep during labor.
- There is nothing wrong with having a medicated birth. Many women choose to have a medicate birth and it is the right option for them. The most common pain management tools are nitrous oxide or an epidural. The thing to keep in mind about these medicated options is that it may affect how you labor.
- Pain Management
- If you are looking to have an unmedicated birth, then you will likely use several approaches to pain management. If you choose an unmedicated birth, it’s important to be brutally honest with your pain threshold. There is a difference between being in pain and suffering. Remember, it’s okay if your plan changes and you choose to utilize pain medicine as an intervention. Nevertheless, here are some common pain management measures.
- Massage
- Walking
- Exercise ball/peanut ball
- Counter pressure
- Shower/bath
- Breathing exercises
- If you are looking to have an unmedicated birth, then you will likely use several approaches to pain management. If you choose an unmedicated birth, it’s important to be brutally honest with your pain threshold. There is a difference between being in pain and suffering. Remember, it’s okay if your plan changes and you choose to utilize pain medicine as an intervention. Nevertheless, here are some common pain management measures.
Should you hire a doula? Click here to learn more!
Labor
The labor process can be long and grueling at times. When creating your birth plan think about what kind of environment you want to keep to benefit you most. Do you want limited staff or cervical checks? Do you want to room to be as quiet and calm as possible or do you prefer to have music? Who do you want in the room with you? Visitors or just your support person?
After Birth
There are a few decisions that need to be made after delivery regarding your newborn. Everything happens so quickly after you finally deliver. Having the staff know your wishes ahead of time will help you immensely. Here are some things to think about:
- Immediate skin to skin contact
- Leave vernix on or wipe it off
- Delayed cord clamping
- Cord cutting (support person or hospital staff)
- Save placenta or discard
How my Doula Supported me from Pregnancy to Delivery.
There is a lot to think about when it comes to your labor and delivery experience, but the most important thing to keep in mind is to be flexible. Things can change very quickly and being agile and flexible in your plan is key to having a safe delivery. I say this as someone who built a birth plan for an unmedicated birth and ended up having preeclampsia and needing an induction, and using an epidural and pitocin. Nevertheless, its always good to have a plan even if most of it goes out the window in a medical emergency. The ultimate goal is a safe delivery for both mom and baby.
Ready to create your own custom birth plan? This birth plan includes two customizable birth plans along with a hospital bag checklist.
