Birth Plan
Making your own plan for your baby’s birth will help you make sure you have an active involvement in the way he’s born and what happens immediately after the birth. Think about all the options and what you’d prefer, and talk everything over with your birth attendants and your partner. In this way, you’ll build a bond of trust with everyone concerned and create a happier, more comfortable labor.
A Consensus Plan
Think about what’s important to you and then find out as much as you can to see if what you want is feasible. There’s no point in making an unrealistic plan that can’t be used once you are in labor. Talk to your care provider about your birth plan early in your pregnancy. If you’re having a hospital birth, ask your doctor to refer you to the hospital that’s most in tune with your wishes if possible. It also helps to talk about what you want with your midÂwife, childbirth teacher, and other members of your prenatal team-they’ll able to give you advice and tell you about the kinds of experiences other mothers have had in your local hospitals.
Hospital response Your hospital team will welcome the preparation you’ve done for the labor and will encourage you to get involved. Some mothers used to get bad reactions to birth plans from hospital staff because they might interfere with standard practices. That’s unlikely now-in fact, there’ll be space in your hospital notes for your preferences to be recorded.
Working together Cooperation is an important part of a birth plan. Working everything out in detail with all your attendants, including your partner, should ease anxieties and help you feel more in control of your baby’s birth. Make sure staff are aware of any alternative plans you’ve made and stay friendly with your caregivers-they’ll want to follow your wishes as far as they can, provided you and your baby are not at risk. Once you’ve talked about what’s important to you, give a copy of the plan that’s kept with your hospital notes to each of your birth partners or caregivers. This could be important if someone who doesn’t know your wishes has to attend your labor. If you refuse any routine hospital procedures, you’ll probably be asked to sign a refusal of treatment form. This protects the hospital from liability and give you more freedom of choice.
Special considerations Make a note on your birth plan of any particular needs you may have while you’re in the hospital-for example, if you’re a vegetarian or you need any other special diet.
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