Peanut's Birth Plan

There are lots of opinions about whether or not you should have a birth plan. I think it definitely helps to have your preferences on paper. Even though most likely everything will not proceed exactly as you hope, it helps to think through your options beforehand so when you have to make decisions quickly you are prepared.

My birth plan for Peanut is similar to what I used with Annie. I'm planning another natural birth. Annie's labor was fast and I anticipate this one will probably be even faster, though you never know. I hope to spend most of my labor at home and make it to the hospital just in time for delivery, though I'll try not to cut it quite as close as I did with Annie.

I am excited about delivering at this new hospital. They appear to be very natural childbirth friendly and most of what is in my birth plan is their standard procedure. The hospital where Annie was born had very little experience in natural childbirth, and while they were very accommodating to our wishes, we had to get special permission for almost everything beforehand.

I am not using a doula this time around. Having a doula with my first birth was awesome and I highly recommend it. I had planned on using a doula again with Peanut, but the more I thought about it the more I decided the Gent and my mom could handle my support just fine. And we have invested a lot of money in our house lately (someday I'll have to write out the whole basement saga) and I just felt like the money I had set aside for a doula could be better used elsewhere in our family finances. 

The aspects of labor I hope or know will be different this time:

I know what to expect. In natural childbirth, your body takes over and tells you what to do, just as God designed it. You don't have to do much mental work, you just breathe and try to stay as relaxed as possible while your body births a baby. 

I will not have my water broken. With Annie the doctor broke my water when I was at 9 1/2 centimeters. After that she started having some heartrate decelerations. I have no idea if the two were connected (after having my water broken, there could have been pressure on the umbilical cord) but I'm going to avoid that possibility this time. I'll wait and let my water break on its own. 

I will make it clear to the doctor and my nurse that I want them to do more to keep me from tearing. I'm also considering using the side-lying position for the last couple of pushes.

And I'm really, really hoping for skin-to-skin contact right after baby is born. Of course, that all depends on baby--Annie wasn't breathing at birth so that wasn't an option. And then I held her for a few minutes and she went back to the warmer for almost an hour. Looking back I'm not sure why I didn't just tell the Gent to go pick her up and bring her to me. :) Anyway, not the end of the world, I'm just hoping to do things differently this time.

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This birth plan is intended to express the preferences and desires we have for the birth of our baby. It is not intended to be a script. We realize that situations may arise such that our plan cannot and should not be followed. However, barring any extenuating circumstances, we hope you will be able to keep us informed and aware of our options. We appreciate your support.

Our top three goals are:

1.       A healthy mom and baby

2.       Avoiding a tear or episiotomy

3.       Skin to skin contact immediately after birth

• We are hoping for an unmedicated birth, with as little intervention as possible, and hope to have a nurse who supports and believes in unmedicated births. 
• I understand that the baby and I must be monitored, but I prefer it to be done as little as possible.  According to the ACOG standards is fine.
• I am not planning on using pain medication or an epidural.  Please help me avoid them.  Please do not offer pain medication; I will ask for it if I want it.
• I wish to drink clear and light colored fluids if I feel thirsty.
• I prefer a heparin lock to an IV. Please place heparin lock when doing initial blood draw. 
• I would like to be able to change positions and labor outside of the bed, even if my water has broken.  Also, I may want to push and deliver in alternative positions such as squatting or side lying.  I prefer to use people for leg support.
• I would like to be able to take a warm shower for pain relief.
• I would like to be able to wear my own clothes.
• I do not want to have my water broken; I prefer it to break on its own.
• Help me avoid an episiotomy or tear!  Please use compresses, oil, perineal massage, and any other means necessary to help avoid tearing.  Guidance during the pushing stage is welcome.
• Barring complications, please place the baby directly on my abdomen (skin to skin) after the birth.  I would like at least one hour with our baby, undisturbed, to bond and breastfeed.
• Please do not cut the umbilical cord until it is finished pulsating.
• We do not want our baby to go to the nursery at all.  If the baby must be taken to the nursery, the father will accompany the baby at all times.
• Our baby is to be exclusively breastfed--please do not give artificial nipples of any kind. 
• If a cesarean delivery becomes necessary, please allow my husband to remain with me for my surgery and my mother to wait for me in my recovery room.  My husband will stay with our baby until we can be reunited.  Please allow me to breastfeed as soon as possible.