I am having a Book Group meeting at Yogaworks Westside studio next Tuesday, March 24th on the topic of Birth Plans from 12:30-1:30pm. I am asking my students to read The Thinking Womans Guide to a Better Birth by Henci Goer. The meeting is free.
A birth plan is something that mothers-to-be might want to start thinking about early on during pregnancy. It may feel counter-intuitive when your body is just getting adjusted to pregnancy, to think about the end of it. You may find that what is important for your birth will impact your choice of prenatal care.
Before we become pregnant our O.B. is a person whom most of us see once a year. This lack of real contact with your doctor can become a problem when your views about how you would like your labor to be treated and theirs are very different from one another.
One of the criticisms of birth plans is that a woman may set her sights on her ideal birth situation and lose sight of the fact that birth is very unpredictable. She will be upset if labor is very difficult or there are complications. It is important to be flexible, and open to changes in your plan if the need arises.
Here are some questions to ask yourself before your pregnancy progresses much further to help you think about your wishes for labor and delivery.
What is most important to me and my partner? Short concise birth plans are better than long three page affairs. Confine your plan to one page if possible,and use type that is easy to read, large, and even perhaps bulleted.
Know the hospital procedures so you can decide which, if any, are ones that you would like to avoid.
- Number of support persons
- separation from partner during hospital stay
- freedom to wear your own clothes during labor
- freedom to eat and drink as desired
- use of Electronic Fetal Monitor
- Routine IV
- Freedom to walk and move during labor
- Atmosphere of the room
- Episiotomy
- Delay in cutting cord
- Skin-to skin contact with baby after birth
- Vitamin K shot for baby
- Drops in eyes for baby-Silver Nitrate
- Rooming in with baby
- Breastfeeding support
- Bath for baby
- Pitocin for placental expulsion
- Protocol for cesarean section.
This may seem like a lot to decide so early on, but if your wishes differ greatly from the hospital procedures you may wish to choose another hospital, or care provider.
What if I have to have either a planned or emergency cesarean section? Planning for this possibility can prove to be very helpful. Oftentimes women are very shocked and upset over an unplanned c-section, and feeling like you have some control over this event can be helpful in getting past the bad feelings that might be associated with it.
Read as much as you can about labor and birth, and talk to your doctor about it as early on as you wish to. If he or she is not willing to discuss this until the last months of pregnancy, this is a sign that he or she may not be flexible with you.
Look for a sample birth plan that I will post on my blog soon.
Here are some good books to look over to give you ideas about your birth wishes:
Your Baby, Your Way, by Sheila Kitzinger
The Thinking Womans Guide to a Better Birth, by Henci Goer
Gentle Birth Choices, by Barbara Harper
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