Everything you want to know about your birth plan, from how to write it to why it is so important.
I know, the famous due date is getting closer and closer, you still have hundreds things to do and very little time to do them. It is easy to get lost, perhaps you already feel stressed and anxious, your hormones are soaring, your belly is bigger and bigger (and usually your ankles too) and everything seems difficult, even picking up something from the floor is a challenge!
I get it, you feel a bit overwhelmed! And thinking about your baby's birth too can seems too much, especially because you have to make choices about something that you really still don't know and even though it is not your first pregnancy, every time is a new experience and you can only suppose what will happen.
How to write your Birth Plan step by step
First of all, sit down, drink something, close your eyes and take three long deep breaths. Now think about your perfect birth, focus on what you feel you want, not just what you think you want, and only when you are ready open your eyes and write everything down.
Great! You are already half way through having you birth plan done!
Be concise. You want your midwives to actually read your birth plan and to undoubtedly understand your decisions, a very long birth plan is not only difficult to read, but can also result a bit confused.
Midwives will be there for you and your baby, even though they are very competent professionals, often when they see a very long-winded text they just skip it in order to be focus on you and your little one.
You can use the free birth plan template, which has the perfect space for each area so you can stick to the relevant things to write down, and use bullet points, in this way your choices are perfectly clear.
If you are practising Hypnobirthing, you want your whole experience of birth to be in a certain way and that the people who will be with you during the best day (or night!) of your life will respect. Moreover, you are already familiar with the language you are using and that you want to be used during your labour by your anyone present.
It is essential to clearly state in your birth plan your preferences and your choices.
Let's have a look at what you can write in each section.
"Important Info"
Here you can write what is really important to you, for example you can underline how vital is for anyone present during your labour to respect your Hypnobirthing choices
A midwife who is supportive of Hypnobirthing or that can support and respect my choice
Keep any conversation at the minimum. Ask to the dad (or my birth partner) in the first instance and only when necessary to me
Private time to discuss any procedure proposed
"Induction/ Augmentation"
First of all do you know what an induction and augmentation are and in which circumstances they are suggested? Read here if you want to know more.
Do you want an Induction? Which one or in which order and when? You can state that you want:
Induction by membrane sweep
No induction but only monitoring after 42 weeks
Induction for post-dates
If after the release of membranes the labour doesn't start I would agree for an induction
Would you agree for an Augmentation?
I want my labour to progress naturally as far as possible
If necessary, I agree for an augmentation of labour
"Environment during labour"
This is also part of what you've learnt with Hypnobirthing and you know how fundamental is to create the perfect atmosphere. You could say that you want:
Soft lighting and/or the possible to dim lights
A sound system to play Hypnobirthing audio and relaxing music
I want my birth partner to be with me all the time
A birth pool for labour and birth
The use of the word surge instead of contraction and to be asked if I'm comfortable instead of in pain
The possibility to create a calm and relaxed ambient
I would like to change position if I feel the need to do so and to move around (or to be in a certain position all the time)
"Pain relief and medical intervention"
If you are practising Hypnobirthing most probably you are looking for a natural birth with no or very little medical intervention and usually women who have being training with Hypnobirthing don't need any pain relief. However, you should be flexible and prepared to deal with any circumstances and, in case of need, you should know what to do.
Please don't offer me pain relief, I will ask for it if I'll need it
I want to practise my own breathing and being in the birthing pool
I would like to try massage (or acupuncture )
I want to try TENS (be aware that this method is more useful at the very beginning of labour)
I could ask to try gas and air (entonox) if I'll see the need
I could ask to try pain-relieving injections if I'll see the need
I could ask an epidural if I'll see the need
Also, think about if you want an episiotomy or not and list it in the section.
"Monitoring"
Some women can feel this practise a bit invasive during labour. However, especially at the very beginning, a vaginal examination could be useful to understand if actually the labour is started and how thing are going. In any case, this is your decision only and if you feel more comfortable without any or with more that one examination you should make it clear in your birth plan.
Vaginal examinations after the release of membranes at start of labour
One vaginal examination at the beginning of labour
One vaginal examination at the beginning of labour and then only when strictly necessary with my fully consent
More then one vaginal examinations during labour
"Second / Down Stage"
The baby is coming, how exciting! Soon you will meet your little one, during this time you need to be focus only on yourself and your baby. You could ask:
Please be quiet
I don't want any coaching during the second stage
I want to practise my own breathing
Please give me indications about the best position to facilitate my baby's birth
"After Birth"
Now your beautiful baby is born, but your job is not finished yet. You have to decide how long to wait for clamping the umbilical cord (and if you want your partner to cut it), if you want a natural expulsion of placenta or if you prefer an injection and how to interact with your newborn.
I want to maintain a calm and relaxed atmosphere with the lights still dimmed
I want a natural expulsion of placenta
I prefer an injection of synthetic oxytocin
I would like to wait... minutes before clamping the cord
I would like to wait after the cord pulsation has stopped and then clamping and cutting the cord
I would like my partner to cut the cord
I want to hold our baby undisturbed for at least one hour after birth
I want to do skin to skin with my baby
"Baby Care"
Few more things to decide, you are almost there! Have you decided if you want to breastfeed or not?Also, read about vitamin K so to what decision to make.
Please help me to initiate breast feeding at or soon after birth
Please help me with cows milk formula to be given to my baby
I would prefer a vitamin K injection to be given to my baby
I want my baby to receive vitamin K orally
"Anything else"
In this section you can write anything that you have in mind and that is not related to the previous sections. Listen to your maternal instinct, it will always guide you to make the best choices.