[BabyMae09]

So, my little trip to the ER yesterday got me thinking... DP and I are planning a home birth, but if we have to go to the hospital, we really should have a birth plan.

I've been seeing the OB group at our local hospital, and there are more midwives than DR's - in fact, a midwife delivers the baby almost 100% of the time unless a c-section is needed. Also, their c-section rate is only 16%! Wow.

Anyway, obviously I'm all about natural, but if we go to the hospital, it will likely be an emergency - or I'm exhausted at home and want drugs - but I really hope to be stronger than that. Baby is posterior though, so who knows?

My OB office doesn't know I'm planning to homebirth. So, I kind of need a birthplan that looks like I'm planning to come to the hospital, while covering emergency situations and so on.

Any tips/advice? Or should I just write a 'normal' one (which usually covers emergencies) and call it good?

Even if I end up getting a c-section, I still want things to be as natural as possible for both me and babe. How would I word those kind of requests?

Thanks in advance

:

 

[LiLStar]

Well, if you end up transfering, you're transfering for interventions of some kind. So keep that in mind when writing preferences. I'd stick with things like delayed cord clamping, no episiotomy.. since there is very rarely situations where those requests can't be honored. Then focus on care of the baby.. rooming in with baby, preferences regarding eye ointment, vit k, and hep b for the baby, not giving bottles, if you don't want the baby bathed, mention that

 

[essnce629]

I'm having a homebirth as well, but just printed out a birth plan just in case. It's just a regular natural birth plan, geared toward how I would want things if I was having a hospital birth from the start. I think the most important stuff though in the event of a transfer would have to do with the actual birth itself (non-directed pushing in the position of my choice, no episitomy), newborn procedures (no bath, vit K, eye drops, artificial nipples, circumcision, separation), and then stuff in the event of a c-section (dh there, drape lowered, dh with baby at all times).

By best friend (who I was a doula for) trasfered from a birth center to a hospital after a 36 hour labor. She didn't have a birth plan and got screwed after the birth with everything having to do with the baby and postpartum-- baby separated, given a bath, delayed breastfeeding, baby given formula and pacifiers, etc. I definately wouldn't want that to happen to me! I did not have a birth plan when I had my first homebirth with my son, but I will this time.

 

[JamieCatheryn]

I wrote mine as if it were a normal sheet of my preferences for labor, but kept in mind I'll need at least some intervention that's why I'd be there. But it doesn't have to be all or nothing: maybe you just need an IV to recharge you or just need pain meds to give you a break so you can get back to laboring, or maybe there's a need for some Pitocin for a brief time to move things along. So I still request nothing be assumed routine, asking that every procedure, test, or exam be cleared with us. I still want the waters to break spontaneously, no episiotomy cut, cord left intact at least 3 minutes after birth, and still want them not to mention pain meds, I know what they have to offer no need to tell me.

 

[Full Heart]

There was a thread in B&B about this. The one that someone posted is almost identical to mine. I have transfered from a hb before so I know what to expect. I kept it simple. 1 page. I just want to keep my baby safe. I do mention I want to take my placenta home so not to discard it. That was one thing we had to go back to the hospital for. What a hassle. So if you want it be sure you leave with it.

 

[greenmamapagan]

I'm just writing my transfer plan now too. Basically if I transfer it will be for an utter emergency so I'm just stating things like not to sever cord until babe is breathing independently, no vit k, no ABM under ANY circumstances (I can access donor EBM if I need it, which I don't expect to so I'm not damaging my baby's gut with artificial milk whatever their hospital policy). Apgars and any blood sugar testing etc to be done while babe is skin to skin with me, there is no need for seperation for observation.
I must add in keeping the placenta and no bath, thanks for that.

 

[Error_kitten]

I'm HBing and I used a few different sites that let you check off what you want/don't want and then it prints out a birth plan for you.
I did this incase we transfer.
Just google birth plans, there are so many sites that will help you write it.

 

[major_mama11]

I'm giving birth in a freestanding birth center, and I'm doing a transfer birth plan as well. Luckily the hospital where they take transfers is a Baby-Friendly Hospital, and is known for being friendly to crunchy ideas. That made it easier to write, since I know they won't be offering formula or anything w/o my consent.

My transfer birth plan is just one page and is almost all bullet points to make it easier to skim.

 

[MaeHaftahurcha]

I did a good portion of my birth plan in the format of "No X, except in case of Y," simply so that if complications arose I wouldn't need to compromise in other, non-related areas. This is my first child, so we'll see how that works out, but my midwife thought it would be a good idea at least.