Create a Birth Plan

 

A Birth Plan is a short document which outlines the way you wish to be treated and supported during your labour and birth, as well as how you wish your baby to be cared for right after birth.


Why is preparing a birth plan important?

First it encourages you to examine the different options that are available.  In each stage of labour there are a variety of natural and high-tech strategies available to help you along the way.  During the process of creating your birth plan, you will explore and choose what kind of care would be best for you and your baby.

 

Second it improves the care that you receive at the hospital because it promotes better communicate between you and your care providers (nurses, midwifes, doctors and other hospital staff).  During labour you may not wish to talk very much as you turn inward to work with your body.  In this case, the birth plan helps the staff to be aware of your wishes.

 

It’s important to note that hospitals all across Canada, including the General Hospital here in Regina, are moving towards a model of care called Family Centered Care.  Part of this philosophy recognizes that neither the patient nor the doctor has all the answers, and that the best care arises for a partnership between patient and care provider.  For you, this is important.  It means that although many women will give birth in hospital, each women is unique and needs a slightly different type of care in order for her to have the best experience possible.

 

How to get started?

  1. First do some learning.  Attend a childbirth education course so that you are informed about your different options.  There are a variety of childbirth ed. classes available, some such as hypnobirthing are designed to support natural birth.  Other classes focus more on the different types of medications, and inventions.  Choose the class that is right for you.  Do some reading.  Books such as Henci Goer’s  The Thinking Women’s Guide to a Better Birth will help you understand the different procedures which commonly occur at a birth.
  2. Reflect on which options are right for you and baby.  Decide how much intervention you are comfortable with.
  3. Write down your wishes in a straight forward easy to read manner.  Point form is best.  Try to limit your document to one page or two pages max.
  4. Discuss your birth plan with your doctor during your prenatal appointments.
  5. If you are planning for a natural birth, then you will need to do some preparation to learn techniques to carry you through the intensity of labour.
  6. Be flexible.  Know that your plan may need to change as your labour progresses.

 

Here are some things to consider...

  • Do you want to be offered pain medication or an epidural?  Do you prefer for the nurse to not mention drugs or epidurals?
  • How would you like your birthing environment to be?  Quiet?  Dim-lights? People joking and laughing?
  • How much hands-on support do you want from your nurse?  Do you want her to be in the room with you as much as possible, or do you wish you labour more privately with your birth companion?
  • Do you wish to move around in labour? (mobility will not be possible with an epidural, as epidurals require a blood pressure cuff, IV, & catheter)
  • How often do you wish to have vaginal exams done?
  • Do you want labour to go at its own pace or do you want to artificially try and speed it up, and if so, by using drugs or by artificially releasing the membranes (breaking the water)?  Advantages & Disadvantages of speeding up labour http://www.hencigoer.com/betterbirth/sample/
  • During the birthing phase of labour, do you want coaching or would you prefer to follow your body instincts and have quiet support?
  • Do you prefer a certain position to give birth? (side laying, squatting, semi-reclined, on hands & knees)
  • Do you want the doctor to support your perineum during crowning and birth?
  • How do you feel about an episiotomy?
  • Do you want to touch the baby's head during crowning or use a mirror to see baby’s head descending?
  • If you need a cesarean, do you have any special requests?

Considerations for baby

  • Should baby be placed immediately on your chest after birth, or would you prefer the nurse to wipe off and wrap up baby in a receiving blanket before giving him or her to you?
  • How long would you like to hold baby before baby is taken away for eye drops, vitamin K shots, weighting and measuring?

Most care providers (doctors and midwives) have a set routine that they follow.  Communicating with them about your birth plan or birth wishes help you to find out what these routines are, because they can vary greatly from one doctor to the next.

 

Dealing with Negative Back-Lash

What if someone tells you that a birth plan is useless because things never go exactly as planned?

 

While it is true that your birth will probably vary in some way from what you expect, the value of a birth plan is the opportunity it gives you to reflect on the different types of care possible.  It also encourages you to seek out the tools you will need to create the type of experience you want.   For example, if you desire a nature birth, then it’s a good idea to learn techniques, such as the self-hypnosis, relaxation and visualization found in hypnobirthing, to carry you through the intensity of labour calmly and confidently.  Finally it helps to develop a trusting relationship with your healthcare provider.  That way when this individual comes into the room at the hospital, your subconscious and nervous system will identify this person as an ally and you will feel reassured trusting that there is someone who knows you, your body and your wishes for birth.