Birth plan?

Question

I don't understand the purpose/need for a birth plan. Does labor ever really go the way you want it to? I get the whole planning of who's gunna be In the room with you and all that but as for the giving labor part the only thing we truly have control over is whether or not we want an epidural or anything else or not...

Answer

I don't even know what people mean when they say birth plan. What is there to plan? Other than epidural and who's in the room. He's going to do everything to get my son out safely whether I have a "plan"or not. Imma let him do his job

Answer

I think "Birth Plans" are ridiculous. Plans were made to be broken. I don't want to be so attached to my plan that I get emotional because everything doesn't go according to it. I know myself and I want to be stress-free. My husband knows my wishes as we have discussed several scenarios and are on the same page and my doctor is/will be as well. I think if you communicate concerns and wishes with those involved that that is enough. Creating a plan just kind of sets you up to be disappointed with your birth and I think there are a lot of factors that are out of your control so best to play some of it by ear. You may be induced you may require a c-section. Your husband could be caught in traffic and miss the whole thing! Rejoice in the NATURE of birth and keep control as flexible as possible. Just my opinion. I also don't think women are baby vessels that's ridiculous. But I do think our body sometimes knows more than our brain and baby has a lot of say in the matter too!

Answer

Birth is about more than getting a healthy baby at the end. You should be able to expect to be treated like a person that can make decisions about their own body. You should be able to expect to have a positive birth experience, whatever that means to you. I think that saying "oh you should be okay because you got a healthy baby" is really dismissing women and our role in our own births. We're not just baby vessels.

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Having a plan is great but in the end the most important thing is that the baby comes out safely. I had a birth plan but I knew that my doctor was going to do anything he had to do to make sure my son and myself were safe. Nothing is set in stone.

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My doctor said its good to have a plan a-d and be happy with plans a-d no matter what.  The moms that he sees that get upset are the ones that only have a single plan and have not mentally prepared for anything else.

So for example:

Plan a could be-- all naturals no drugs no interference

Plan b - laughing gas Natural birth

Plan c - epidural natural birth

Plan d - get the baby out in whichever way possible as long as he's healthy.

Answer

You need it so that in the rush and confusion of labor/birth, the staff can know your wishes. Of course you can change your mind but it's a guideline of how you would like your birth to be handled. It's important in my opinion.

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Birth plans can be pretty useless in my opinion. Mostly because everyone I know that has one thinks their birth was a huge let down because it didn't go like they planned. I would advise you to just know your options and what you would prefer especially where pain control is concerned, but also be aware that birth tends to have its own plan so it's good to go into it with an open mind that you might not get the birth you want. As long as you have a heathly mom and baby then it was a success!

Answer

I have a birth plan that way the nurses and my doctor know what I want when I may not be able to speak for myself- my husband will enforce. I want to labor any way I want to- ball, squatting, shower. I don't want an episiotomy. I want to push in different positions. I don't want pitocin or anything else to "help speed my labor". I don't want vacuum or forceps assistance while pushing. You so have so many options and so many choices!!! Don't let anyone tell you that you don't. Epidural and pain management is such a small part of my birth plan

Answer

I've written a birth plan for all three of my births, and not once did it go the way I wrote it. So this time, I'm not even bothering to write one. If I was having a home or birth center birth, I could see how it would be really beneficial but in a doctor/hospital birth, it just simply doesn't work that way. You can say you want a fully natural birth all you want with no forceps or vacuum but if that baby gets stuck in the birth canal, they aren't going to not use them because some Word document you wrote says you don't want that. They're going to use those forceps and save your lives.

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My hospital has the birth plan in the computer. I went in on February 8 for preterm labor and we almost had to deliver so they started with the questions of what I do and don't want. Also my husband is my health proxy and power of attorney so if I'm not able to speak for myself, what he says goes and he knows what I want.

Birth plan?

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