birth plan
plan Go with the
when you're in the throes of labour, it's a good idea to have everything laid out clearly for those around you. That's why it's a great idea to have a birth plan. mm shows you how...
labour, with no pain and no mess. Tanking you in anticipation', but there's slightly more to it than that... From the outset you need to bear in mind
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that a birth plan is basically a 'wish list' of what you would ideally like to happen at your baby's birth, so, if there's one word that you need to bear in mind when you're drawing one up, it's 'realistic'. Experts agreed that a birth plan is most
effective if you remain flexible and recognise that it is a guideline rather than a guidebook. Tat's because problems sometimes arise, which may make it difficult for your midwife or doctor to fully comply with your requests. When you're writing your birth plan, you have to give serious consideration to the
4MODERNMUM Autumn 2016
hen you're pregnant with your first baby, you may think that the ideal birth plan is 'I'd like a very short
type of birth experience that you would most like and what this might involve. You probably won't want to write it all in one go though - you'll probably draſt it during your pregnancy as you learn more about birth through your antenatal classes or through talking to other mums. Tat way you'll get a feeling for what is important to you. Once you start draſting a plan, you may
find it very helpful to talk through your ideas with your midwife. (In some areas women are offered a page on their medical notes to write out their birth plan!)
Who is the birth plan for? Te birth plan is primarily for your birthing partner so that he or she will be aware of your wishes. You may, however, decide to give the plan to your midwife once you to into the hospital so that they can ensure that the medical team, who will be looking aſter
you, know the type of pain relief etc that you wish to have.
What should you include? Your birth plan can cover every aspect of your labour and delivery and it's entirely up to you what you want to include, but try not to go overboard. Many women now draw up plans that resemble a military operation, but there's really no need to go into the minutiae. No matter how detailed you make your plan, there's always the chance that difficulties may arise and your plan will simply go out of the window. You should, however, try to include some of the following:
Birth partner: Make sure that you name your birthing partner so that the midwife is aware of who they should be primarily speaking to (in addition to you, of course!).
Midwives:Tere can be occasions when student midwives have to attend births as part of their training. Are you happy for them to be present?
Delivery room: If you wish to have other people in the delivery room in addition to your birthing partner, include their names in your plan. It may be a good idea,
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