Towards the end of your pregnancy is it a good idea to think about what you would like for your labor and birth. Of course you can start thinking about it for any stage which is that around 38 weeks that your community midwife will discuss your wishes with you. So you may be thinking how can you possibly plan for something that is so unknown and unpredictable. Well, the answer is you are not making a birth plan but are considering your birth preferences.
That is how you would prefer your labor and birth to go whilst keeping an open mind that it might not all follow your wishes exactly. A good place to start is to research as much as possible about your options. This might be through these videos through the information pages in your handheld notes, through literature you have received or read throughout your pregnancy or the things you have heard about from friends and family who have experienced childbirth. Being aware of all of the options available to you, will ensure you are fully informed and enable you to make the choice that's most suitable for you.
When it comes to writing your birth preferences there is a template for you to do this in the front of the intrapartum meaning labor section of your handheld pregnancy notes or you may choose to use a template you have found elsewhere and prefer simply to write a letter to your midwife on a piece of paper, the choice is yours. You may decide you don't want to write anything down at all and that is okay too but it's still a good idea to think about your preferences, so that you are prepared and can communicate your wishes clearly to the Midwife and teen caring for you.
It's also up to you how detailed or basic you would like your birth references to be there is no right or wrong as long as you cover everything you want your care provider to know. Here are some ideas of things you might like to consider when writing it.
Where would you like to give birth depending on how your pregnancy has progressed you have various options available to you. The labor board, the birth center or at home. If you would like to discuss these options further and whether they would be suitable for you. You can ask the community Midwife things that may make the environment more relaxing and calm for you. This might include music, dimmed lights, water massage, comfortable pillows and who is with you. Here will be with me throughout your labor and birth up to two people may support you.
This may be your partner, a parent or another relative or friend that you feel will be a good support to you. You may like to have the baby sibling there you can also consider whether your birth partners will be with you throughout, whether they will swap or whether a particular person will leave at a certain stage. You may like to consider the positions you would like to be in or things you would like to use during your labor.
For example if you would like to be mobile, whether you would like to kneel or stand whether you would like to use the birthing pool practice, hitting the bat things, use a birthing ball, use aromatherapy clay. Some particular music will have a certain picture with you to look at.
Do you know when and how we would like to monitor your baby whether that be intermittent or continuous monitoring and also how we will monitor your observations and progress. Do you have any objections to this or prefer something different if so you can have a discussion with your midwife about it.
Consider what pain relief you would like during your labor and in what order such as breathing relaxation, water, hypnobirthing, tens machine or enter knocks peppered in or an epidural. Make sure you are aware of all of the options available to you, so you can ask for something if you need or would like it.
Look at the information in your hands house notes, think about how you would like to birth your baby, positions you might like to adopt, who will be present and where in the room they will be. We will cut the cord, this could be any of your birth partners or you yourself or the midwives. You might have a special requester and discovering the sex of your baby. Consider whether you would like to have active management or a physiological delivery of the placenta. Ask your midwife if you would like more information on your options.
Are you happy see your babies, have immediate skin-to-skin contact or which you prefer. The baby to be dried off first, how are you planning to feed your baby, would you like your baby to receive bitumen k and if so are you happy for that to be given by injection or would you prefer the oral route, any requests regarding spending time alone with your baby or anything else you would like.
Maybe your partner adores her life from skin-to-skin time of the baby, before he or she is dressed. That is an overview of the main point you might like to consider, but you can also include absolutely anything that is important or relevant to you. That might be information about a disability or any religious beliefs or requirements or perhaps you need some special equipment or an interpreter.
You might like to include some of your feelings of our labor or there may be a certain aspect of the birth that you're particularly worried about. I want to make the midwife aware or maybe you would like to provide some information about how the midwife can best help and support you in certain situations or with particular anxiety. You might like to include your thoughts about if the labor doesn't follow your wishes or unexpected circumstances arrive such as going to theater or your baby going to the neonatal unit.
Anything particularly, we'd like to make the midwife aware of or request remember to keep an open mind you are considering your birth preferences not making a plan. But this is your opportunity to communicate your Midwife and care providers how you would ideally like for labor and birth to go, to enable them to try and help you achieve your wishes as much as possible.
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