Posts tagged ‘birth plan’

Not your Usual Birth Plan

A birth plan is usually a written plan from the mother to her caregivers describing her wishes, what type of options she’d like to take advantage of, things she would like to happen thru out her labor and birth, what things are important to her as she experiences birth.  There are various resources out there to help a new mom explore options and formulate a plan.. especially for a hospital birth.  It is important that the mom review this with ALL her care providers AND especially the L&D nurses…. the advocates who help you actually realize the goals with in your plan. I have a fellow L&D nurse blogger who has done extensive research on the topic and wrote a 2 part series on Writing Your Birth Plan- Tips from an L&D Nurse over at nursingbirth. I would highly recommend you check it out especially if you plan on a hospital birth.

Many times these birth plans accompany a mom’s prenatal chart weeks in advance of her birth. Over the years there has been a gradual acceptance of the plans in my facility where historically, there had been much resistance for the mother’s input what so ever.  Much like the attitudes towards homebirth…. The doctors or nurses would casually peruse the plan then toss it aside and have a good laugh…. saying…. ” oh- she’ll end up a section for sure!”  Unfortunately, they were often right about that– many of those early birthplans never seemed to go as mom wanted, giving the staff fodder for snide comments and remarks. Sad but true. 😦

Recently, we recieved a birth plan that was not at all like any other.  Maybe some of you have seen plans like this… maybe some of you actually wished for births like this…. Hey~ who am I to judge? …. I am only here to help,  it isn’t my birth.

Her Birth Plan requested:

• Pain medication as soon as possible….. I prefer to have an epidural as soon as possible
• Please do not try to make me have breathing patterns through contractions… I’m afraid I’ll be too nervous
• If a Cesearean is needed, please put me to sleep
• I want only my mother with me in the labor and delivery of my baby
• When the baby is born, I do NOT want to touch him until you clean him off
• You can do his eye ointment and Vitamin shot, bath and all procedures before I hold him
• I want to hold him wrapped in a blanket, not skin to skin
• I want the baby to be in the nursery as much as possible at night so I can rest
• I want to feed my baby formula from a bottle. I don’t want to breast-feed
• I want to stay in the hospital for the whole allotted time so I can rest

My first thoughts were… Sweetheart, you could have ALL THIS without even asking!” ……..

Sadly, despite all efforts to improve,  …  things still happen exactly like this for many births.  We just don’t usually see it written out as a formal request or plan!  At least this is how this mother wanted things to happen.

This little mommy came in and delivered vaginally. Her plan was very easily carried out. 😉  I am very happy to report that she and her son were healthy and she displayed very postive interaction with him. Very loving and caring. She was very very happy with her birth and with being a mother!

That is all that really matters in the end.  Options– and what you as an individual would like to have for your birth. How much education she had before chosing these options… I’ll never know.

 Now I am asking the rest of cyberspace world.. have you ever seen birth plans like this???