Our Birth Plan

Come place your bet on when Baby G will arrive! The winner gets a boost in their self-esteem and can see baby pictures on Instagram.

As we all know, I may be addicted to birth stories. I love reading them and hearing someone’s story and realizing how different and personal every story is. I can’t wait for the day I get to write ours! If you love birth stories too, be sure to check out all of them that were shared last week.

In preparation for our birth, we have talked a lot with our midwives, in our birth class, and in a doula class to learn what is important to us. We want to be educated to be able to make smart decisions throughout the labor process and postpartum. With that being said, I thought it would be fun to share our birth preferences. And note….these are our birth preferences. We realize that birth never goes exactly as planned. And rather than being disappointed looking back at our birth experience and saying I didn’t follow our birth plan, instead we can look back and say well we did a, b, and c, and feel good about that. We may not be able to follow it all exactly as planned but that’s okay. Because these are our preferences, and they can change.

And before I hear any judging or being told an opinion on these things, know that every single point has been discussed with our midwives. We feel comfortable and educated with our decisions. I know not everyone will agree with our birth preferences, but that’s okay. Because it’s our birth preferences.

I loved reading birth plans as we started working on ours but had difficulty finding many so thought it might be helpful for others that are planning as well to read someone else’s. Here is a modified version of our birth preferences that we have provided to our midwives and have in our hospital bag.

GENERAL

We are choosing to use the midwives at our birth center with the goal of having a natural birth using the Bradley Method without any medications and minimal interventions.

If complications arise, we would like to be consulted and then allowed to discuss it privately (if time is willing) so that we can make the most informed decision.

ENVIRONMENT

Quiet atmosphere with soft music that we will provide.

Family and close friends have been asked to communicate with dad prior to visiting but we do wish to have the option to have family present as mom is feeling able to help provide a distraction.

I would like to eat light foods and drink liquids as able. {Also, please remind my dear husband to eat if possible!}

LABOR

I would like to have the flexibility to move around throughout all of labor including going to the tub or shower and trying many different positions.

Please place the baby on me immediately after birth, and allow me to keep her for the first 2 hours. (I understand that this may not be possible if certain complications arise.)

Please refrain from newborn checks until after our infant is given the option to nurse, daddy has held our baby, and I am ready to rest.

Please wait until the cord stops pulsating before clamping. Please ask daddy if he would like to cut the cord.

Please allow the placenta to deliver naturally and without medical assistance. We would like to keep our baby’s placenta to be encapsulated.* Please allow Amanda to see it before taking it away.**

NEWBORN CARE

Please give Vitamin K injection and Hepatitis B vaccine. We wish to decline the administration of erythromycin ointment in the baby’s eyes.

We would like to postpone giving the baby her first bath.***

IN CASE OF…

In the event of a complication, we would like daddy to be informed every step of the way. Our first priority is our baby and mom’s health over a natural birth and we will do what is necessary to make this possible.

If cesarean becomes absolutely necessary, daddy will accompany mom during the surgery. If the baby is not in stress, we would like her to be given to us immediately after birth and placed on mom’s chest immediately. Daddy will stay with the baby at all times.

We thank you in advance for your support and kind attention to our choices. We look forward to a wonderful birth and meeting our little girl!

*Through research we have learned how beneficial taking placenta pills can be, especially if depression runs in your family. I never in a million years thought I would be eating my placenta (gross!!!) but oh what I will do for my little one and to be the best mommy I can be!

**I love medical stuff! Seeing what has been fueling my baby for the past 9 months seems awesome!

***The vernix is actually really good for baby. You can read more about 6 reasons to delay baby’s first bath here.