WHAT IS A BIRTH PLAN?
Written By: Karli Steencamp
Your pregnancy is a special time. You should enjoy every minute. Through morning sickness, little kicks and bumps, the what ifs and what nots, it is an exciting journey. It can also be a little frightening. It might be your first pregnancy or you might be an experienced mother but every situation and pregnancy is different. A birth plan can be a great way to set out what you want to happen during the birth. Lay out your wishes and preferences and what you don’t want. Once a birth plan is set up, everyone mentioned in your birth plan will know exactly how you want your baby’s birth to go and all you need to do is relax and wait for your little bundle to arrive.
What exactly is a birth plan?
A birth plan is a document where you state exactly what you want during birth before and after. A birth plan is not a set plan, because a doctor and midwife might adjust as they see fit for your health and the health of your baby. It needs to be flexible, to make sure you are not disappointed if things don’t work out the way you want to.
During your pregnancy, it could be a great source of information if you attend antenatal classes. They take you through the A-Z of delivery and show you what options are there for you. Not only is it a great way to meet new people, but also to share experiences and information. It guides you in the type of questions that you need to ask your doctor or midwife. They will also have their own ideas to share with you. You can also do your own research on the questions but know that your doctor probably knows best based on your medical history.
Labour and birth
Your whole birth plan is centred around this precious time. Labour is when everything falls into place. By the time you are in labour, your birth plan would have been communicated to everyone involved. Your wishes will be taken into consideration if it is safe for you and the baby. In your birth plan, you should state where you want to give birth? Either at home, in hospital or unsure. It is important to state how you want to give birth. What are your thoughts about a caesarean? How do you feel about an induction? These are all questions that you can research and ask professionals about. You can write down how you feel about it so that you can go back to these answers when you need to make decisions if labour is not straightforward and you don’t want to make decisions under pressure.
You can state in your birth plan what position you want to give birth in. Antenatal classes help to identify the different positions that you might give birth in and what equipment you need to assist you. There are birth pools available, birth balls and stools. You have to find what you are comfortable with.
Labour can be a painful process, therefore it is necessary for you to put down what type of pain relief you think you might need. There are options to take a hot bath or shower, different breathing techniques, gas, massage or epidural. There are many more options which you can discuss with your doctor or midwife.
You can put down who you want in the room as your birthing partner if you want them to stay the whole time or leave at a certain stage.
In the room, you can play the music of your choice, ask for dimmed lights and things that would make you feel more comfortable. You might get hungry during the labour process, write down what snacks you would want, ones that can give you more energy and endurance.
Birth
When your baby is born, you might prefer the skin-to-skin method, that will entail that some processes get delayed while you bond with the baby. Do you want your partner to cut the umbilical cord? When babies are born, they get a vitamin K injection to prevent a vitamin k deficiency which could be fatal. Speak to your doctor about it, if you need more information. If you want to breastfeed and are against bottle feeding state that in your birth plan. This way you can get a lactations specialist to help you with the breastfeeding from the start.
There are loads of templates on birth plans, but you can also set up your own with your wishes and share it with your doctor, midwife and partner. It is a huge relief to know that you have figured out all the logistics about having a baby and that you can literally sit back and get ready for your little one to come into the world. Find other parents that you can talk to and find out about their experiences. In the end, you are going to do what you are comfortable with and what works for you. Your plan needs to be flexible to look after the best interests of you and your baby. In the end, it will all be worth it.
Reference:
Better health