birth plans.. what you put in them

[lovelymomma]

What did you put in your birth plan that was most important to you? What things did you include that you feel helped facilitate a successful VBAC?

Our OB requires us to have a lengthy birth plan indicating all our desires/requests in the event she cant be there for whatever reason she will have already signed off on it approving the VBAC (and our crazy requests) for instance we want a VBAC, no induction/pitocin, no internal monitoring (unless obvious distress, distress will be indicated specifically) no eye ointment, DH to cut the cord, not bathing the baby right away, skin to skin, rooming in 100% of the time, no glucose water (even if they think he/she is GD) one of us to stay with the baby during exams/hearing tests/exc and first nursing after birth to name a few things we plan to put in it among a ton of other things lol... thats just part of what I want in there but curious to hear other ideas

a pretty good link i found
http://www.storknet.com/cubbies/vbac/vbacplan1.htm

[kltroy]

I posted my annotated birth plan for my local ICAN group. Here's a text version (by annotated I mean that I have left my own commentary about why I included each item). Incidentally, my doctor was out of town for my birth, so I did get the on-call doctor. He was fabulous and followed my birth plan TO THE LETTER. I had a really nice VBAC (2 years ago today!) and eventually switched my care over to the new on-call doctor.

BIRTH PLAN – [mom’s name]

Birth attendants:
** (physician)
** (husband)
** (mother)

I wish to be treated as if my uterine scar does not exist. I am planning an intervention-free and natural birth. Residents/students are welcome to come in but please be respectful of my privacy by knocking and not turning on lights or making unnecessary noise. Assuming there are no medical complications, I request the following:

1ST STAGE OF LABOR
•In general, please leave me alone as much as possible. My body knows what to do. I thought this, and the intro bit, was good for setting up expectations
•No complete IV line, heplock only easy enough to ask, you may be able to refuse this altogether, but I didn’t think that was worth the fight.
•If required, telemetered EFM so that I can move around as needed this was the one thing I didn’t end up getting b/c it was broken. Still, the birth ball worked well for me
•Pain relief and vaginal exams by my request only
•I do not consent to artificial induction or augmentation of labor Probably not necessary to put in a birth plan, but I wanted it down just for the record
•All interventions consented to ONLY after a full verbal discussion of risks and benefits (rather than simply offering me a form to sign) This too. I think this one is more about the questions you ask at the time and probably doesn’t need to be in the plan.

2ND STAGE OF LABOR
•No directed pushing, please
•Birth in any position I would like
•I would like to catch my own baby if I am in a position to do so This was so special. Obviously doesn’t work if you end up on hands and knees, but it was very cool.
•Please offer Dad the opportunity to dry off the baby

3RD STAGE OF LABOR and POSTPARTUM
•Delay cord-cutting for 5 minutes. Offer Dad the opportunity to cut the cord. I specified a time rather than “until it stops pulsating” because a time is not subjective, which means it’s more likely to actually be followed I think.
•No active management of 3rd stage of labor unless medically necessary This translates to “no routine pitocin to deliver the placenta”. Obviously if I hemorrhage I would take the pitocin.
•Delay routines, APGARS to be performed while baby is held by me Unless baby needs to be resuscitated, there’s no reason they can’t honor this one
•I have tested negative for chlamydia; no erithromyocin in my baby's eyes please
•We will do the first bath, not the nurses We ended up letting the nurses do it, but not until later.
•If baby is a boy, he will not be circumcised
•Other parents may wish to put things about hep B vaccine etc. Honestly though, once the kid is born your mind will be back in the real world, so I think cluttering birth plans with things that are easy to ask for is not productive. Still, if you’re using your plan as a note to yourself and think you might forget, write it down.

[lovelymomma]

that was awesome!! Thank you soo much, it sounds very much how I would expect to write mine. You rock, thats exactly what I was looking to see

[mamalade]

Thanks for sharing that! Our birth plan was so long, I think it contributed to being tossed out the window. That one is so short and sweet, gets the important stuff across. Well done, I am glad it worked!

[calebsmommy25]

Thanks for posting. Your plan has alot of useful information that I would like to put in mine. Thanks again. Mama, you rock!

[kltroy]

Glad it is helpful to a few others. I put a lot of thought into it, and decided that short, sweet, and to the point was the best philosophy. Another good idea is to check what std. hospital procedures are and don't bother asking for things you'll already get. (like rooming in)
Happy VBACing!!