Share your hospital birth plan

[Tmama]

I'm currently 29 weeks but just started thinking about having some sort of "plan" when I go in since I am trying to go med-free this time.  With DS, I didn't really know what I wanted, or didn't think about it much and got the epi.  I want to do things differently this time around.

I don't have many requests other than not being "pushed" into an epi, pitocin or a c-section unless absolutely medically necessary (if the baby's life is in danger in any way as far as the c-section goes or pitocin goes).  So, I just want the ability to walk if I want or do whatever feels right during contractions and the other thing I want is to have baby placed on me right away before they clean him up etc and take care of the cord.  With DS, there was meconium in my water so they said they had to suction him right away and I didn't see him right away for about 10 minutes...

I just never wrote a "birth plan" per say, so I was hoping someone could help me put this into words or share what you wrote and I just type it up and print it out and have it with me when I go in.  It's really not that long of a list of requests so I think it should be reasonable.

Thanks!!

[Twinklefae]

A couple of things:

• I'm in Canada
• My province doesn't pay for circ and the circ rate is less than 1%, so it's not a consideration
• The hospital I am delivering at has very baby friendly policies as a rule
• I have an excellent relationship with my family doctor, who will be overseeing my birth

Birth Plan
Mother: Twinklefae
Father: K

Doula: Doula's name
Our doula is a key support person and we would like her to be with us at all times.
Guest: Friend who wants to be there, a friend.

• Our intention is to have a natural birth
• We wish to be involved and informed in all decisions regarding the birth and baby
• We are extremely grateful for your professional expertise and support during our stay
Room Environment:
• Quiet and calm for better labour concentration
• Music as preferred
• Only positive and supportive language
Labour:
• Twinklefae will ask for pain medication if she needs it
• Vaginal exams kept to a minimum
• Twinklefae would like to move around the room freely to work with her contractions and may need to use a ball, tub, shower, massage, walking, heat, cold, yoga, paced breathing and noise making
• Please offer clear liquids frequently
Pushing:
• Quiet room
• Spontaneous pushing
• Upright positions for pushing and birthing – may use birthing stool
After the birth:
• No cord traction – we would like to wait for the placenta to deliver naturally
• Twinklefae would like the baby placed skin to skin immediately
• We would like to wait until the cord stops pulsing before cutting it
• If our baby must be taken from us to receive medical treatment, K will accompany our baby at all times and Doula will remain with Twinklefae
• We wish our baby to remain with us at all times
• We intend to breastfeed – no bottles or pacifiers please
• We will be waving Vitamin K injections and eye treatments
Caesarean Birth Preferences:
• Kand Doula present at all times if a caesarean birth is required
• If special treatment is required for baby, K will remain with baby and Doula will remain with Twinklefae
• Twinklefae would like to know what is happening throughout the procedure
• We would like skin to skin contact and to breastfeed as soon as possible after a caesarean birth

[Tmama]

This is great, thanks for sharing!  The only thing I don't mind is the pacifier thing...DS was exclusively BF (for 3 years mind you, LOL) but the pacifier was never a road block for us.  It helped me when driving alone in the car...it was a great soother for times I could not just pull over and nurse him.  

[Twinklefae]

We may decide to start a pacifier later, but I don't want it to become a hinderence while we're still at the hospital. We also check out early - 6 hours is the minimum for a normal vaginal delivery - and baby shouldn't need one in that short time!

[Liora]

Here's mine.  I'm having twins so I am prepared and ok with much more medical intervention that I would have been last time.  That's why my labor part is so small.  I'm most concerned about the newborn care.  Also, I didn't have a c/s part last time but twins come by c/s 50% of the time so I wanted to be prepared.  I have not discussed this with my provider yet so I may have to amend it.  Also, this is the meat but I'm a big believer in making it personal.  Last time I made it like a Movie poster  "DD Birth" Staring...etc.  It was cute.

I prefer to have all procedures, no matter how routine, discussed with me prior to administration.

Birth

• Delay cord clamping/cutting until the cord has stopped pulsating or as long as possible.
• Place babies on mom's chest immediately after birth.  Delay weighing/exam until after initial bonding.
• We want to take both placentas home with us.  Please ensure that they are placed in the provided containers which will be labeled to identify  baby A or baby B.

Newborn Care

• NO bath or removal of the vernix; we will give babies their first bath
• NO Vitamin K shot if our babies are full term and a healthy weight
• NO prophylactic eye ointment
• NO Hepatitis B vaccination
• NO Circumcision or retraction of the foreskin
• Babies will be exclusively breastfed.  No formula, water/sugar water, or artificial nipples
• We wish to be present for all exams/procedures.  If the babies can not stay with Mom, Dad will accompany babies.
• We will be rooming in with both babies.

In Case of Emergency

Should I require a Cesarean Section:

• I would like my babies handed to my husband if their health allows
• I do not want my arms strapped down.
• If the babies are healthy, I would like to hold my baby and nurse immediately in recovery.
  

Should one or both babies require time in the nursery/NICU;

• We would like our twins to co-bed as soon as equipment allows.
• We still want all wishes listed above in Newborn Care to be followed.  If there must be a deviation please discuss it with us first.

[Comtessa]

Okay, after lots of stalling, I finally finished re-doing ours.  Our last hospital birth plan was a home birth transfer plan, which ended up being a bit different than this.  Our transfer hospital with the last birth had lots of routine procedures that our chosen hospital this time does not have, so we were able to leave a few things out.  Thanks to those of you who posted your plans already; I borrowed a few sentences which I thought had better wording than ours! 

Dear hospital staff: Thank you for caring for us in this important time for our family; we appreciate you sharing your expertise and your experience with us.  We have chosen this hospital because it has a reputation of supporting laboring mothers in the natural birth process, and we look forward to having your help as we work to bring our second child into the world peacefully and naturally. 

Barring a major medical crisis,

please discuss with us and receive our verbal consent

before any procedures, no matter how routine.

In labor:

• Like most natural birthing couples, we prefer to avoid all routine interventions in the birth process. 
• Please help us keep the room quiet and the lights dim at all times.
• Our doula is a key source of support for us.  Please support her as she works with us. 
• We wish to keep vaginal exams to a minimum.
• Please offer food and drink frequently.
• Please encourage upright positions for labor and pushing, and spontaneous pushing rather than coached.
• Comtessa does not consent to any antibiotics without evidence of infection. 
• Please do not limit our family or friends’ presence in the room unless Comtessa asks them to leave.
• Please help M to catch the baby if he desires.  
• M will announce the sex of the baby.

After the birth:

• The baby should be placed skin-to-skin with Comtessa immediately.  This time is precious to us and we strongly desire that there be no physical separation of mother and baby for at least the first hour after birth.   
• We will use direct skin contact to maintain the baby’s body temperature rather than a warmer. 
• Please delay cord clamping until the cord stops pulsating.  M would like to cut the cord.   
• Please allow up to 30 minutes for the placenta to be delivered naturally.   Please avoid cord traction and the routine use of Pitocin for this purpose.   
• Please help facilitate immediate breastfeeding.

For the baby:

• If the baby is a boy, we will not be circumcising.  Please DO NOT retract his foreskin.
• The baby is not to leave our room at any time for any non-emergency reason while we are in the hospital.  If an emergency arises, one or both parents will follow the baby at all times.
• No Vitamin K shot unless birth trauma occurs.
• No Erythromycin eye ointment.
• No vaccinations are to be given at this time.
• No antibiotics without evidence of infection.  
• No screening tests of any kind are to be given without our explicit and specific permission. 
• Please do not bathe the baby.  We would like to give our baby its first bath.

In case of a Cesarean section:

• Comtessa is not squeamish and would like to be able to watch as the baby is born.
• Please do not strap Comtessa's arms down.
• Please place the baby skin-to-skin on Comtessa’s chest as quickly as possible after it is born, health permitting.  If she is unable to hold the baby, please place baby skin-to-skin with its father. 
• Please close the incision using sutures rather than staples.
• Barring a medical emergency, the baby should not be separated from Comtessa for at least the first hour after birth. 
• If the baby must leave its mother for emergency reasons, M will accompany him/her. 
• We request that the mother have at least one support person in the O.R. and recovery at all times; if M must leave, please allow our doula to step inside to accompany Comtessa. 

Thank you for taking good care of us and our baby! 

Signed,

____________________________ mother

____________________________ father

This birth plan has been reviewed and approved by:

____________________________ HCP