Did you get the birthing experience that was described on your Birth Plan?

[missscarlett]

Say like you’re in a restaurant and you order the fish and they end up bringing you the chicken, you’d be telling them to change it and you wouldn’t be very impressed if the Waiter said, “hard luck this is the only thing the chef knows how to cook!” Well that happened to me when I was pregnant with my breech daughter. The hospital didn’t know how to deliver a breech baby, so they said tough luck you have to have a caesarean.

So, what about you, did you end up with your Birth Plan or did you have to take whatever was put in front of you?

[pinksprklybarefoot]

My birth plan was followed almost to the letter.

One of the only changes was that I wound up with continuous fetal monitoring, which I did not want. I had pre-e and my midwife was concerned about things, so I didn't make a stink about it. I have been told that I was pretty sick by the time I got to the hospital.

During the pushing phase I know that they inserted an internal monitor, but they asked for my consent and I gave it.

Other than that they followed everything. No one said a thing about pain meds, I pushed in the position that worked for me, no episiotomy, they waited to cut the cord, baby went straight to me after he was born, I took the placenta home with me. No one argued with me over eye goop or the hep b vax.

I had a really good care provider.

[JamieCatheryn]

Yep, though I hadn't planned for the GBS antibiotic battle because nobody told me I was positive. They were supportive and didn't push interventions or anything, and were careful to give the newborn care only as I'd requested. It was my #2 choice for birth though, I would have rather UC'ed at home.

[Belleweather]

I didn't bother with a birth plan, since I birthed at a birth center and felt comfortable enough with their protocols to know what was going on -- although I did write emergency transfer plans for a vaginal hospital transfer birth and a C-Section. I got pretty much exactly what I'd wanted... water birth, no interventions with the baby, no monitoring, only gentle suggestions and encouragement.

We did end up getting a vitamin K shot which wouldn't have been in our birth plan, but considering that DS bruised himself up royally while bonking his head on my tailbone on the way out, we thought it was best given the circumstances. We also asked for no photos to be taken during birth, and they complied but now I really wish we hadn't been so adamant about it. It would be nice to have the pictures, even if we never showed them to anyone.

[Quindin]

When I gave birth at an US hospital, the nurse said that they would follow anything I wanted but she also laughed saying: "i have never seen any birth plan woman follow their own requests" Well, with the way they keep trying to talk you into NOT following your on requests when you are in deep pain, it is no wonder!! : I ended up with an epi and other stuff So IME, birth plans will usually only stick at hospitals if you have a doula or strong back up person to stand up for you

[angelcat]

My birth plan wasn't followed. I wanted an epidural, and didn't get one. I'm still annoyed. I ended up with a c-section anyhow, so I went thru all that pain for no reason. I read stories of women who weren't progressing, and then got an epidural, and things started happening, and I always wonder if it would have made a difference.

I also said no giving baby formula, and they did, once. It was only a tiny amount, and not from a bottle, but I was still angry.

[mamazee]

My birth plan was followed, and my midwife (a CNM) was very conscientious about that. But it's all about finding the right provider. Also, the CNM cared deeply about it, but the nurses didn't. We kept the babe right with us and kept an eye over her. I wouldn't assume the nurses will follow it at all, especially after birth. They have a list of things to do that they have to check off, and if there is something that isn't checked off simply saying, "It wasn't on the mom's birth plan" isn't enough to keep them from being expected to do it, and expecting they'll do it. They really want to check off that list. So if there is anything anyone doesn't want done that is usually done to a baby right after birth and they're in a hospital, I'd suggest keeping close track of the baby and being prepared to argue a bit. I don't regret giving birth in a hospital, but I do see that as being an advantage of a home birth.

[Momma Aimee]

I got the birth we planned for and wroked for as much as MY BODY allowed.

we did end up with interventions we did not expect to have -- however they were used as we had specified -- last resoprt, after everything esle was treid more than once, and when there was an accute health need in mother or baby.....all per the plan.

Nothing ever happned without our full knwoldege and consent, everyone who came in the room read the plan.

Was it a perfect birth -- yes we got a healthy baby

was it the birth i expected -- NO

were our birth plan, and our wishes and our belifes respected -- YES

[wombatclay]

First birth...birth plan was honored until we determined that interventions were necessary. Although that birth ended in a c/s my birth plan was still honored to the extent possible. The surgical team was respectful and compassionate to my feelings about the c/s, DD was never seperated from DH, I was nursing her with an LCs assisstance in the recovery room, she roomed in, etc.

Second birth, same hospital (different care provider since as a vbac I "needed" an ob)...again my birth plan was followed to the letter with respect and the full support of the nurses and my care provider until the very end. An impacted head and shoulder dystocia resulted in an episiotomy and the use of the vacuum. I was asked about the episio and given time to think and ask questions (though since I'd had no meds and been pushing for almost 4 hours "think" isn't the right word ). My ob is very hesitant to cut, but I was already tearing and she hoped to direct the tear as well as have more room for the vacuum.

So my birth plan said no epsio, and I had one (which I do regret since it didn't direct the tear, so I have both a small episio and a large tear to recover from), but it wasn't done without my knowledge/consent.

[SublimeBirthGirl]

My hospital birth did not go the way I wish it would have. I think I made the best decisions I could in the moment, but it would have been a very different labor if I'd stayed home. My UC baby's birth was perfect, though of course I had no birth plan.

[alegna]

I birthed at home with a midwife who was on the same page as we were so that I wouldn't need anything like a birth plan.

I was very happy with the way the birth went. (sure, would rather the next not take 31 hours... )

-Angela

[BetsyS]

My birth plan was short and sweet (3 points), but a nurse still counted while I pushed, which was one of the points.

[AlexisT]

Never got that far. Emergency CS at 38 weeks.

Not happy at all with how it went--I'm not the sort of person to think a CS is the end of the world (I would rather not have had it but that's not the same thing)--but I really didn't like the way the hospital/doctors communicated with me. Or, rather, didn't communicate. THe decision to give me a CS was made by a consultant OB who never actually met me (the SHO called the on-duty, they conferred, CS was decided on). Next thing: "You're having a C-section!"

And this wasn't in the US either.

[bluegrassgirl]

With my first baby, the only thing on my birth plan that was followed was no episiotomy. Everything else I did not want (monitoring, interventions, breaking of waters, ect.) were ignored.

But... when I had my second baby, everything was followed perfectly! Even down to eating and drinking during labor. I guess it all depends on what type of doctor you have and where you give birth.

Jessie
(single mommy to Emma, 3 years and Angela, 2 years )

: : : :

[ericswifey27]

My birth plan was not followed at all with my first birth : . With my second my midwife followed my birth plan better than I did :

[wannabe]

I think that we have different perceptions of what a birth plan is and is for. Unless you're talking about some sort of private thing you wrote to visualise how you'd like it to go?

I think of a birth plan as being something in writing to give to the people who'll be at your birth to tell them what your priorities and preferences are. Like in the vacuum/forceps thread a couple of people said they'd prefer a c-section to either. And I very definitely didn't want IV narcotics under any circumstances, so I put that in my birth plan.

So, yes, I 'got' most of what was in my birth plan. They respected that I wanted to go drug free if I could, and that I wanted to have to beg if I wanted the epidural (yes, I wrote "please make me beg").

I also specified NO AROM under any circumstances, so of course my bloody waters broke and I didn't go into labour.

Of course, the in case of c-section things I didn't get (thankfully).

[savithny]

Yep. Almost to the letter...

My hospital actually requests a birth plan - docs and CNMs give it to you sometime around the beginning of the 3rd tri. It's got all the basics on it and blanks for your own additions. You go over it with your providers, a copy goes in the file and a copy goes to the hospital for their preadmit file. Then the nurses in L&D review it when you show up in labor.

The first time round, I'd read Henci Goer and I made a few additions based on that -- "No artificial rupture of membranes" was one, I think.

It was honored to the extent that I knew what was being honored -- if that makes sense. There was one thing - "I want to delay newborn procedures" that I realized after #2 was somewhat rushed.... if you check it, they'll wait an hour or more before doing the usual weighing etc. WIth #1 I sort of thought it meant they just wouldn't take him to the nursery, and while they put him on my belly and waited to cut the cord, they took him for a quick weight and wipedown in less than an hour (he'd pooped on himself and me and the nurse "just wanted to get you both cleaned up.").

WIth #2, the midwife was the crunchiest one then practicing with the group, adn she's the one who explained that it meant they really would wait for all that for much longer, and she was the one who was on duty, so DD stayed skin to skin for much longer.

Other than that one thing, everything else was followed to the letter.

[huggerwocky]

I didn't have one

[amydidit]

With #1 I birthed at a freestanding birth center... with #2 I was at home with a midwife. The only birth plan I had with both was "I will do what I want, when I want". Both times it went just how I wanted. Partly because I had wonderful midwives, but also partly because I made sure they knew up front that *I* was running the birth, would listen to their input, but all decisions were mine.

[prettymom]

I also birthed at a birthing center and so a birth plan was sort of irrelevant.