Birth Plans Where do i start

As the title says, i never had a plan when i had crystal and was hoping someone can point me in some sort of direction

I would say as it is your 2nd birth think about your birth with Crystal and what you liked and didnt like, what you would do again, what you wouldn't want to happen.

Do you want to be as mobile as possible? do you want to have access to bath, what drugs do you want/not want.

I know if I was to have another, I wouldnt want the morphine that was given to me, I want to be able to move around (I was strapped to a monitor through my whole labour as I was induced and having constant contractions) I also wasnt prepared for having to go to theatre after the birth because I retained my placenta.

The advice I got at an NCT class was make it all one liners and a max of about 10 items. For example:

I want to remain active and upright

I do not want an epidural

My husband wants to cut the cord

They also said the most memorable birth plans were those done with a bit of flair. An example given by a MW was one who was on pink paper with butterflies around the edges. The team called her 'butterfly lady' when they were talking about her and everyone knew who she was!

Personally, I wrote a vague one, didn't show it to anyone and just went with the flow on the day 😊 So much for that then 😇

I agree with the others hun, I would just think about what happened during Crystals birth and put down what you would/wouldn't want to happen the same this time. If you were lying on your back to deliver and didn't like it for instance maybe you would like to be upright this time? What sort of pain medication you were thinking about using, using a birth pool?, do you want baby delivered straight on you (all being well) or taken away and cleaned up first?, would you like to watch baby crowning? (some women find it beneficial and it spurs them on during the pushing stage. Your midwife should make a birthplan appointment for you nearer the time though do don't panic. She will go through what to put or not and may even help you write it down. I never used mine either, i just went with how i felt at the time tbh. Xx

Cheers or the replies think i will just make notes as and when i think bout things and see how it goes

I'm seeing my new MW in just under two weeks time to run though my birthplan.

When i had Georgia-Mae i must say it was totally ignored!!

This time my list is:

Being mobile (last time i was strapped to a bed being monitored)

Access to a bath

No epidural (they tried to administer one last time against my wishes and the anaesthetists was rather rude and then could not blummin do it)

I would like to control labour using a tens machine (must buy or hire one first)

DP to cut cord

I'm not bothered about baby being cleaned before being passed to me - would like skin to skin contact to encourage bfeeding like i had with Georgie.

Both my previous 2 birth plans went right out the window! I'm doing 1 on 24th feb but I suppose I won't really know what to 'wish' for until I see the consultant on 27th March- all down to him really.

If I do get my 'trial of labour' though, I would probably have no option but to have an epidural- but I would just be happy to go with the flow.

Lou x

Um Lou, are you assuming that you would have to have an epidural as you have had to c-sections previously, and you think they would like you to have one incase you need to go to theatre in an emergency to save time? If so, i was thinking the same thing when i had Jake but it was actually the opposite. I was told that an epidural can mask some of the signs of possible rupture ie.when there is a problem you are in pain constantly and not just during contractions. With an epidural in place you may not feel this and so an early sign that all is not well could be missed? So you may find that even if you get your trial of labour you will not have to have an epidural? Hope that helps some? Xx

mum2popsnjak said:
Um Lou, are you assuming that you would have to have an epidural as you have had to c-sections previously, and you think they would like you to have one incase you need to go to theatre in an emergency to save time? If so, i was thinking the same thing when i had Jake but it was actually the opposite. I was told that an epidural can mask some of the signs of possible rupture ie.when there is a problem you are in pain constantly and not just during contractions. With an epidural in place you may not feel this and so an early sign that all is not well could be missed? So you may find that even if you get your trial of labour you will not have to have an epidural? Hope that helps some? Xx

Blimey, thanks for the heads up on that one! Yeah, I just assumed that they would want to be able to rush me into theatre if need be- what did you use when you were in labour?

Lou x

WelshMum said:

mum2popsnjak said:
Um Lou, are you assuming that you would have to have an epidural as you have had to c-sections previously, and you think they would like you to have one incase you need to go to theatre in an emergency to save time? If so, i was thinking the same thing when i had Jake but it was actually the opposite. I was told that an epidural can mask some of the signs of possible rupture ie.when there is a problem you are in pain constantly and not just during contractions. With an epidural in place you may not feel this and so an early sign that all is not well could be missed? So you may find that even if you get your trial of labour you will not have to have an epidural? Hope that helps some? Xx

Blimey, thanks for the heads up on that one! Yeah, I just assumed that they would want to be able to rush me into theatre if need be- what did you use when you were in labour?

Lou x

That's ok hun, it may be different in your case as you have had two previous sections where as i had only had one, different areas sometimes seem to do things differently too, so i can only let you know what my midwife told me. I used a tens machine during labour from the start (it was great! 😀 ) I thought i may have to take it off in hospital as i was monitored the whole time. I knew i was going to be on the monitor a lot but i was actually on it for the whole time i was in the hospital. I did refuse to lie on the bed though and sat in a chaor with it on. As it happens i was allowed to keep the tens machine. M waters didn't break spontainously so they broke them as my labour wasn't progressing with them intact. Things went really really fast from then on so i started on the gas and air (was using the mouthpiece to bite on rather than really inhaling the gas though!). Apart from that i didn't have any other pain relief as things were moving much quicker than expected. I went from 6-7 to Jake being delivered in around 30mins. I really hope your consultant lets you have your trial hun. It was a fantastic labour for me and i hope your's will be the same. Obviously the most important thing is that baby is safe though! Xx

mum2popsnjak said:

WelshMum said:

mum2popsnjak said:
Um Lou, are you assuming that you would have to have an epidural as you have had to c-sections previously, and you think they would like you to have one incase you need to go to theatre in an emergency to save time? If so, i was thinking the same thing when i had Jake but it was actually the opposite. I was told that an epidural can mask some of the signs of possible rupture ie.when there is a problem you are in pain constantly and not just during contractions. With an epidural in place you may not feel this and so an early sign that all is not well could be missed? So you may find that even if you get your trial of labour you will not have to have an epidural? Hope that helps some? Xx

Blimey, thanks for the heads up on that one! Yeah, I just assumed that they would want to be able to rush me into theatre if need be- what did you use when you were in labour?

Lou x

That's ok hun, it may be different in your case as you have had two previous sections where as i had only had one, different areas sometimes seem to do things differently too, so i can only let you know what my midwife told me. I used a tens machine during labour from the start (it was great! 😀 ) I thought i may have to take it off in hospital as i was monitored the whole time. I knew i was going to be on the monitor a lot but i was actually on it for the whole time i was in the hospital. I did refuse to lie on the bed though and sat in a chaor with it on. As it happens i was allowed to keep the tens machine. M waters didn't break spontainously so they broke them as my labour wasn't progressing with them intact. Things went really really fast from then on so i started on the gas and air (was using the mouthpiece to bite on rather than really inhaling the gas though!). Apart from that i didn't have any other pain relief as things were moving much quicker than expected. I went from 6-7 to Jake being delivered in around 30mins. I really hope your consultant lets you have your trial hun. It was a fantastic labour for me and i hope your's will be the same. Obviously the most important thing is that baby is safe though! Xx

Were you induced or did you go into labour naturally? I'm trying to do a bit of research into VBAC inductions, mainly so I can go in to the hospital with some background knowledge rather than just completely rely on what I'm told- although I am pretty sure that my consultant will do as much as he can. I had thought about TENS as a possible pain relief, and I appreciate that they will want to monitor me constantly which I am fine with- so long as I don't have to lie down the entire time, would rather sit up. 6 weeks 'til I see consultant, hoping I'm still 'favourable' then!

Lou x

I really didn't want to lie down to be monitored either hun. I had a newly qualified midwife for the first half of my labour in hospital as they were so busy. She was rubbish tbh but i had to tell her i was NOT lying down to be monitored for the whole time. I sat in the chair instead, until they broke my waters. I went into labour naturally 3days overdue. My consultant told me that they don't like to induce if they don't have to as it is not a natural labour so they are forcing contractions which don't always build up the same and can make it more likely to cause uterine rupture. If you are induced in a normal low risk pregnancy the odds of you ending up needing a c-section are slightly raised anyway. He also said he didn't want me to go too far over my dates though. But as i only went 3days over we never got round to discussing the next stage. I had a sweep booked for 5days over though, which obviously wasn't needed. If you are over a certain age though they may not want you to go overdue at all? Feel free to ask me anything else you have questions about hun!

ps - Sorry Laura, we have highjacked your post! 😊 lol Xx

this is just my own opinion but am wanting to be mobile but as the contractions come closer together be ....(cant think of the word here but not completely lying down but not upright if you ken what i mean??) I would like air and gas with me incase i decide if i want it.