Our Birth Plan

Our Family Birth Plan

Mother-to-be: Kris
Father: John
Support Person: Jena, Doula

This birth plan is intended to express the preferences and desires we have for the birth of our baby. It is not intended to be a script. We fully realize that situations may arise such that pieces of our plan cannot be followed, in which case we request the opportunity to consider all relevant information prior to choosing a course of action.

Plan A:

Peaceful, calm, supportive environment, dim lights, peace and quiet, music of our choice, if desired, visitors as desired.

Prefer to keep vaginal exams to a minimum, will request information as desired such as the time of day and progress made.

Prefer to maintain ability to move freely, eat and drink to satisfaction.

Intermittent monitoring with a Doppler.

Please do not offer pain medications.

We plan to use various relaxation and pain relief techniques, including water, hot or cold packs, massage, others as suggested by doula.

I prefer to use natural methods to start and maintain labor.

Freedom to choose positions during labor and delivery.

Will employ spontaneous bearing down, no directed pushing, no counting for pushing.

I would prefer to tear than have an episiotomy, and request the use of compresses, massage and positioning.

I would like to be able to touch the baby during delivery.

Father to assist in catching baby and will cut cord following delay.

Delayed blood work and vaccination of baby (oral vitamin K if advisable), no eye medication.

Breast feeding only, no pacifiers or glucose water.

No separation of mother and baby.

I would prefer not to use pitocin for delivery of placenta unless there is excessive bleeding or more than 30 minutes has passed.

Plan B:

Should the health and safety of mother or baby become an issue, we request all necessary information be disclosed to assist in our decisions. Should medical and/or technical interventions become necessary, we hope that the following requests be honored.

We request that all possible accommodations be made to help maintain a peaceful and supportive environment.

Mother and father not be separated for any reason.

Father to cut cord following delay, if possible.

Delayed blood work and vaccination of baby (oral vitamin K if advisable), no eye medication.

Breast feeding only, no pacifiers or glucose water.

Immediate and continuous contact, between mother or father and baby.

If cesarean birth is necessary, please explain the surgery as it's happening.

Allow mother a free hand to touch the baby.

Father will remain with baby throughout any necessary procedures.

If baby is not well, parents to have unlimited visitation and handling of baby, parents to make all decisions as to baby’s treatments.

If you want a natural, drug-free birth

My suggestions:
If you're prepared to work through labor without medications, you'll do it. What I did and recommend - read supportive books like Mind Over Labor by Carl Jones and Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin, avoid books that assume all women need pain medications and other help like the What to Expect books, read and think through labor and birth affirmations everyday, listen to an affirmations/guided imagery tape or CD like A Meditation to Support a Healthy Pregnancy & Successful Labor by Belleruth Naparstek daily, take Bradley classes, use a midwife, hire a doula (I don't think we needed one, but it was kinda like having insurance), do perineal massage, write a birth plan, politely ignore your friends and relatives who unknowingly (or intentionally) doubt your ability to give birth without drugs, keep a positive and fun mindset about childbirth and look at web sites like this for other women's stories and experiences. Good luck!

Our Family Birth Plan 2

Expected family members to be present :

Mom: Kris
Dad: John
Big Brother: John
Grandma: Salie
Aunt: Kari

As with our first baby’s birth, we expect and have prepared for an uncomplicated, unmedicated, no-intervention delivery.

We would like to maintain a peaceful, supportive environment, with dimmed lights.

Prefer to keep vaginal exams to a minimum, will request information as desired such as the time of day and progress made.

Prefer to maintain ability to move freely, eat and drink to satisfaction - no IV.

Intermittent monitoring with a Doppler - no EFM after the initial brief strip.

No directed pushing, will employ spontaneous bearing down, push as is comfortable.

I would prefer to tear than have an episiotomy, and request the use of compresses, massage.

I would like to be able to touch the baby during delivery.

Dad to help catch baby and will cut cord following delay.

Please allow mom or dad to discover and announce the baby’s gender.

Immediate and continuous contact, between mother, or father, and baby.

Delayed newborn procedures, blood work and vitamin K shot, no eye medication.

Breast feeding only, no pacifiers or glucose water.

No separation of mother and baby.

I would prefer not to use pitocin for delivery of placenta unless there is excessive bleeding or more than 30 minutes have passed.

After birth:

Would like to take placenta home.

Request visit with lactation consultant.

Heel stick and vitamin K shot performed in room.

No bath for baby.

Baby to remain in room with mother continuously.

Plan B:

Should the health and safety of mother or baby become an issue, we request all necessary information be disclosed to assist in our decisions.

Should medical and/or technical interventions become necessary, we hope that the following requests be honored.

We request that all possible accommodations be made to help maintain a peaceful and supportive environment.

Please take a few moments to discuss the risks and benefits of any suggested medical intervention or procedure.

Mother and father not be separated for any reason.

Father to cut cord following delay, if possible.

Delayed blood work and vitamin K shot, no eye medication.

Breast feeding only, no pacifiers or glucose water.

Immediate and continuous contact, between mother or father and baby.

If cesarean birth is necessary, please explain the surgery as it's happening. Allow mother a free hand to touch the baby.

Father will remain with baby throughout any necessary procedures.

If baby is not well, parents to have unlimited visitation and handling of baby, parents to make all decisions as to baby’s treatments.

Kris's Journal
Prepregnancy June 2002 July 2002 August 2002 September 2002 October 2002 November 2002 December 2002	January 2003 February 2003 September 2003	March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004	January 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005	March 2006 April 2006

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