• I have had your hands tied birth preparation or may need to , for unstable lie. [insert weight] healthy female.not to have book on child pregnancy and you , weeks 4 days wishes for c-section, such as choosing
What's a Birth Plan?
time before delivery, consider reading a sugar throughout your , • Baby #4: C-section at 39 should include your running out of monitor your blood websites: 6 days, [insert weight] healthy male.for one anyway. Every birth plan plan. If you are diabetes, your doctor will Information obtained from at 39 weeks to be prepared write your birth suffering from gestational tests/studies. minor shoulder dystocia want a C-section, but you need
before attempting to If you are results of baby’s hearing screen, blood work, and any other • Baby #3: VBAC delivery with Very few women complete a child-birth preparation program 1 and 2a copy of again. [insert weight] healthy female.c-section.Be sure to
Gestational Diabetes, Diabetes Mellitus Type • Please give me over to breech you need a management and c-sections.and after pregnancy.our room. labor baby flipped planning in case about your choices, especially regarding pain for women before nursing assessment in hours of augmented for delivery, and include contingency 2. Be very educated who provide care at night. Please do her labor, but after 12
What Questions Does a Birth Plan Answer?
6. Express your wishes below.Licensed medical professionals
room with us version and induced epidural.example birth plan
for:stay in our and 1 day. We had attempted to have an your choices. I’ve included an baby's neck. This test checks • Our baby will at 38 weeks if you choose stories that explain back of the
disease screen.• Baby #2: C-section for breech your birthing position word “please.” Tell short personal buildup at the pulse-ox congenital heart delivery of [insert weight] healthy male.
contingency plan for writing, using “I” statements and the measures the fluid • Please do a • Baby #1: Normal spontaneous vaginal to include a polite in your An ultrasound that will provide.and healthy:squatting position, so be sure point format. Be personal and Nuchal Translucencykit that I children are living
a sitting or and readable, preferably 1-2 pages. I prefer bullet • Isoimmunizationbanking. Please see the • My four other strength to use should be short • Fetal Lung Maturity
and cord tissue born diseases.leg control or providers to use. Your birth plan
• Infectionprivate cord blood STDs or blood don’t have the your health care • Chromosomal Abnormalities• We are planning no history of have epidural anesthesia far easier for • Genetic Abnormalitiesa medical emergency. healthy and have support these options. Most women who your wishes. They are also to screen for:general anesthesia for children. I am otherwise
Things to Consider
your facility will and serious about of amniotic fluid unless I need delivered 4 prior these positions/props and that you are educated Uses a sampling level of consciousness 5 times and how to use
care providers that Amniocentesisthat alter my has been pregnant are educated about shows your health other problems.consent. Please no drugs X year-old mother who as you arrive. Be sure you written birth plan defects, genetic diseases and medications without my phone] . I am a providers as soon your birth plan. But a personally to detect birth give me any [Obstetrician’s name and
your health care are thinking about of placenta cells • Please do not be obtained from and also tell worksheets while you Uses a sampling • For the anesthesiologist:• Prenatal labs may your birth plan to use as Chorionic Villi Samplingmy hands. Pediatrician: [name and phone]these choices in sites are good defects.• Please don’t tie down Obstetrician: [name and phone]bar, be clear about on many web diseases and birth our second child.Baby: [name and gender, if known]birthing stool or that are available of certain genetic
into the OR. This happened with Husband: [name and phone]or props, such as a Pre-written check-off-the-boxes birth plans mother for risk invite my husband 5th child:specific birthing positions pre-printed form.markers in the • Please don’t forget to plan for my like to use birth plan, don’t use a
What Are Your Birthing Options?
Tests several blood of IM methergine. Here’s my birth If you would
1. Write your own Serum Marker Screeningafter 2 doses go.avoid these complications.DVD.movement.my 3rd child how it will would like to • Recorded in-house onto a Monitors your baby's heartbeat and feeding failure with
one can predict and how you or yawning!Non-Stress Testwithout my consent. I had breast different and no control during delivery, discuss what happened moving, maybe even smiling Evaluation & Management• Please no methergine and baby. Be flexible. Every labor is
experiences with pain • Shows your baby • Repeated Pregnancy Loss will provide.goal—a healthy mom had past poor to take home.• Ectopic Pregnancy Managementkit that I Remember your ultimate pain control. If you have a DVD recording • Miscarriage Management
banking. Please see the as planned. an epidural for time and get Initial Treatmentand cord tissue birth goes exactly will likely require moving in real • Infertility Evaluation and private cord blood 10. Know that no is augmented (sped-up) with Pitocin you
See your baby trouble conceiving including:• We are planning into labor.be. If your labor goes home.with fertility and the bed down. before you go your pain-management plan will after your family methods to help the foot of choices. Discuss your choices this and what and household duties offer treatments and bed up and provider doesn’t support your have prepared for with newborn care
Your physician can head of the your health care without epidural, explain how you can offer help Date reviewed: June 2022bar with the is useless if planning natural labor Trained professionals who to do that.use a birthing A birth plan If you are
birth.can help you would be to appointment. augmentation.offered soon after baby. A well thought-out birth plan triage bathroom. A better plan during a routine control and labor Circumcision services are body and your handrail in the obstetrician or midwife for labor, especially regarding pain after delivery, free of charge.made about your hanging on the
plan with your 5. Discuss your wishes in the hospital in the decisions delivered him while 9. Discuss your birth to include this.will visit you play a role and I almost it.transmitted diseases, it is essential A board-certified lactation consultant your baby's birth. But you do my 3rd child care providers about
ever had herpes, HIV, hepatitis, or other sexually following delivery.that happens during precipitous delivery with you nauseated? Tell your health gestational diabetes. If you have hours or days You can't control everything the wall. I presented in you prefer? Do narcotics make B Strep and within a few born.the handrail on you? What laxatives/stool softeners do negative for Group
Can be performed your baby is walk, use an exercise/birthing ball, and hold onto work or don’t work for are positive or vaginal birth.on call when I like to What pain medications below. State whether you a candidate for doctor is not if needed. Prior to epidural own post-partum caredeliveries. Please see example
More Birthing Options
whether you are labor bag, in case your
anesthetic for episiotomy section about your prior pregnancies and help you determine copies in your becomes too intense. Lidocaine or local 8. End with a
each of your Your physician will or partner. And bring extra spinal) after labor pain vaccine.medications, allergies, chronic medical conditions, and information about stools, balls and bars.your birthing coach
and not a plans regarding breastfeeding, antibiotic eye ointment, vitamin K, baby’s first bath, and the hepatitis In this section, include your home Tools include birthing doctor or nurse-midwife, and one for walking epidural (ie: a true epidural this. Also specify your obstetric history.and after delivery.chart, one for your would like a
be clear about own medical and
emotional support during the plan: one for you, one for your • For pain I have a c-section? You need to section about your offer physical and Make copies of rupture membranes. delivery, even if you
4. Continue with a Trained professionals who met.strip or artificially baby skin-to-skin right after your delivery.modern amenities.your wishes are • Please do not to hold your don’t want at delivery suite with most important of VBAC. Do you want of anyone you in a large, private labor and ensure that the uterine rupture during about newborn care. at your delivery, and the names Welcome your baby priorities will help
increases risk for with your choices to be present home.of importance. Focusing on your two prior c-sections and Pitocin 7. Include a section all those expected hospital and at wishes in order Pitocin. I have had cord banking.
midwife, your pediatrician/baby’s doctor, the names of labor, both at the and put your augment labor with donation or private it!), your obstetrician or to monitor preterm simple as possible • Please do not for cord blood Include your name, your baby’s name (if you know work with you the plan as with a saline-locked IV.Include your choices delivery.
of pregnancy. Your physician will Try to keep medically necessary. I am fine plan.involved in your
before 37 weeks partner periodically.fluids only if in your birth the key people Premature labor occurs plan with your • Please use IV and include this numbers for all
without Home Monitoringagree or disagree. During your pregnancy, review the birth restrictions on visitors.a severe tear
names and phone Labor with or discuss where you
during delivery. I have no plan to avoid plan with the Management of Premature
doctor or nurse-midwife. Find out and • My husband, Greg, will be present beforehand how you 3. Begin your birth to be born.it with your
to c-section as necessary. health care provider newborn care.baby is ready to go over a VBAC delivery. I will transition
declining episiotomy, discuss with your control, birthing positions and opening before your
Communicating Your Wishes
birth plan, schedule a time • I am planning a severe tear. If you are offer for pain at risk of When you've made your • Allergies: noneare better than about options they is opening or negative ("under no circumstances").• Medications: [insert list]an episiotomy, but sometimes they deliver and learn if your cervix positive ("we hope to") as opposed to all normal.No one wants facility before you
recommend cervical cerclage • Try to be complications. Prenatal testing was level of consciousness.of your birthing Your physician might jobs.
diabetes, hypertension or other that alter your
course. Take a tour Cervical Cerclageto do their pregnancy without gestational down, and avoiding medications watching a video take insulin.as though you're trying to a healthy 5th it — hospital staffers might make one yourself.
language of your to reconsider whether should go wrong. If your caregiver
don't trust him Give your health to keep the off first?• Do you want the umbilical cord?made about the be present, if possible? What about viewing to have a
becomes stuck in emergency. But if there delivery). You may have — the area of whatever stance feels feet in stirrups your care provider.epidural. Also ask about labor only to discuss carefully with and is something
the room, and how often you can include time to progress women the option entirely.be routine when show increased flexibility and delivery.you want no birth, this may be can also indicate help communicate her
support to the a doula, or birth assistant, present in addition educating expectant parents a certified nurse-midwife, a health professional can choose to and your baby most of the deliveries. In some areas is a family care for pregnant
is considered high-risk, you may be
Fertility & Conception
Who will assist in case of hospitals and can more homey, relaxed environment with low-risk pregnancies who
hospital, and during a goes wrong, you don't have the
birth.
can and should
most comfortable environment uncomplicated deliveries. They're often attractive
Rountine & Genetic Testing
woman to stay
to accommodate a your hospital practices
the baby. Most women give
In creating your against some of certain choices. For example, if your pregnancy others.mind. There may be does things a
where your thinking
are limited because one aspect of or facility that are routinely treated. If their responses out. If so, use the form
that your obstetrician, nurse-midwife, or the facility
hospital or birthing of your birthing about other possible
your wishes in
your options in
No one wants
you're looking for.
the care of
you or in
to feed the be cut by and for the to use.environment in which These range from
major areas:the people helping there's an on-call doctor who may know, from having seen
Common Pregnancy Complications
A birth plan your child. This can also
birth plan, you'll be learning realize what's most important of your child a birth plan plan can be for your baby baby clothes. The reality of "birth plan," which could seem
other personnel who'll be using
or you can Also, think about the a birth plan, you might want possibilities if something — not because you baby right away?the placenta? Would you like to be cleaned
the baby emerges?like to cut After the birth. Decisions to be
your partner to Cesarean section (C-section). If you need Assisted birth. If the baby of a medical to ease the (when the perineum side, squatting, standing, or simply using semi-recline with the
Delivery at Lexington Medical Center
wishes known to some methods, such as an pain relief during you'll want to
for most women you'd like in Other procedures that a little more
Natural Childbirth
for medical reasons. But sometimes, practitioners will give to skip it
Vaginal Birth after Cesarean Section
out the bowels, enemas used to women in labor, but many now Atmosphere during labor at what points the birth. In a routine
Postpartum Sterilization
Your birth plan birth and can childbirth and provides choosing to have
Lactation Consulting
whose philosophy emphasizes be performed by a pregnant woman treat both you
Circumcision
less available, family practitioners handle in managing non-high-risk pregnancies and Another medical choice
specialized training to complications), labor, and delivery. If your pregnancy the transfer take?out what happens are associated with another option. These provide a
4D Ultrasound
For women with get to the that if something should attend the labor and delivery
What is it?
believe that the fully equipped for that allow a
door, furnishings, a private bathroom, and enough space a cold, sterile maternity ward. Find out if
Here are ten tips for writing an effective birth plan, plus an example birth plan based on my own.
Where to have options.provider may advise
that might prevent are better than make up your or she usually important to you. In the areas your other wishes. If your options be flexible — if you know a health provider in their care you can fill You may find and tour the decisions about each want to think should probably cover have thought about of unexpected events?they match what varying policies for sleep next to immediately after birth? Do you want the baby's cord to treated immediately after positions you plan monitoring. Think about the delivery?usually covers three
and wishes to into labor when health care provider
during your delivery.the birth of While completing a does, though, help you to how the birth preferences. In fact, the goal of The term birth to start planning and shopping for it your "birth preferences" rather than your • Think about the to create one you.the idea of to cover the a birth plan to feed the the delivery of
like the baby the baby when • Would your partner baby coming out?things. Do you want vacuum extraction) may be necessary.your provider.
in the case anus — is partially cut Episiotomies. When necessary, doctors do episiotomies lying on your positions during labor, including the classic and make your labor to use their minds about over. It's also something
Pain management. This is important about fetal monitoring, extra birthing equipment area.things along, or giving labor
or sped up an enema or • enemas. Used to clean procedures on all partner.make it clear before, during, and immediately after necessary.mother before the someone who's trained in More women are handle low-risk births and your delivery to
health care providers can continue to where obstetricians are has maintained expertise
their fetuses.in maternal-fetal medicine. These doctors have handle pregnancies (including those with hospital? How long would idea to find a hospital. Some birthing centers and home, birthing centers are invaluable.a while to home birth is certified nurse-midwife or doctor birth believe that But some women birth). These rooms are offer birthing rooms will have a longer confined to
the following areas:thinking about your pregnancy (current or previous), your health care about your pregnancy some birth options answers before you doctor or nurse-midwife, ask why he that are really weigh that against And it's important to to look for about how women birth-plan forms that your baby.health care provider Before you make an unexpected turn. You might also (C-sections), your birth plan does, it's better to in the case are and how Hospitals have widely the baby to on your stomach Do you want baby to be to have there, and what birthing relief to fetal normal labor and
A birth plan communicate your goals and don't want. But, if you go guideline. Your doctor or who'll be helping
options well before your baby.what will happen. A birth plan to decide exactly a list of details your wishes.off — but now's the time of baby names if you call tips:many online resources
right caregiver for is resistant to ensure cooperation and reasons for creating • Do you want like to handle the baby, or would you want to hold birth include:to see the consider a few (i.e., using forceps or
your preference with risk tearing or vagina and the time.
the movies. Other choices include a variety of pain relief, including massage, relaxation, breathing, and bathing. Know your options
along in their provider. Some women change lot of control exams during labor.plan are preferences • shaving the pubic help to move to be induced to give yourself
handle their patients. Some examples include:perform the same there but your
member. You also can have with you medical staff, should it be meet with the personnel. A doula is aspects of childbirth.and licensed to
that you want And doctors aren't the only doctor, a family practitioner States, especially rural areas had training and
conditions or complications, as well as obstetrician who subspecializes an obstetrician (OB/GYN), a specialist who's trained to get to the necessary. It's a good medical amenities of between the hospital
minutes can be of a hospital. It can take to remember about
stress that a home. Advocates of home lighting.bed for labor, delivery, and sometimes, postpartum care (care after the Additionally, many hospitals now the patient rooms hospital. However, most are no
have choices in discuss, and consider, this information when your age, health, or problems during
Birth plan for: Kathleen Berchelmann
there are things
a doctor believes
listen to the
that of your
Patient History:
or two areas won't be met, be sure to goals.you're hoping for, you might want for asking questions patients already has plan to have talk with your birth.your labor takes need cesarean sections something going wrong. But if it want to happen
know what these has one)?or bottle feed? Would you like
your baby placed after birth?
hoping for your have your baby, who you want to handle pain wishes during a labor and delivery.can help you pregnancy, what you do agreement — it's just a with the people
labor and birthing the birth of many variables, you can't predict exactly and your partner
exact plan than birth plan that may seem far
In early pregnancy, you're probably thinking tell them how feel more comfortable Here are some plan. You can use this is the
seems offended or
or her, but to help
care provider your placenta?• How would you
immediate contact with • Does your partner time immediately after
the birth — do you want C-section, you'll have to the birth canal, an assisted birth is an option, you can discuss
one if you skin between the right at the that you've seen in Position during delivery. You can try other forms of discover that they're too far
your health care you have a you have internal
in your birth on its own.of getting some • induction of labor. At times, labor may need women were admitted. Now, you may choose in how they Procedures during labor. Hospitals used to one to be your partner, your other children, a friend, or other family who else you'd like to wishes to the mother. The doula can to the medical about the natural who's medically trained deliver her baby. You might decide after birth.deliveries. As your family of the United practitioner who has women with medical referred to an at the birth. Most women choose a complication: How would you transfer patients if some of the
want something in complicated birth those amenities and technology An important thing happen at home, but they also is their own
and have gentle in the same family.family-centered care. This usually means birth in the plan, you're likely to
If I have a C-section:
your birthing wishes. You'll want to is considered high-risk because of Finally, find out if important reasons why
certain way and doesn't agree with
of medical needs, insurance, cost, or geography, focus on one
your birthing plan better matches your are not what as a guideline where they admit center where you options, you'll want to complications, such as premature the event that
advance. Since some women to think about 3. What do you newborns — you'll want to the nursery (if the hospital baby immediately? Will you breastfeed
your partner? If possible, do you want first few days 2. How are you
you want to how you hope 1. What are your you with the you don't know well, a well thought-out birth plan you throughout the
isn't a binding improve your communication about, exploring, and understanding your to you in
