Our Birth Plan for a Natural Delivery

Well, I assume that everyone will have opinions about this post, but let me remind you that I'm not commenting on YOUR plan to tell you what is right or wrong for you. This birth plan is what my husband and myself, after researching, reading a dozen pregnancy and delivery books, attending Bradley classes, watching birth videos, and talking with other moms, have written as our birth plan. It's highly personal, and I hope the readers of this blog will respect that. We know things don't always go according to plan, and that we have to be flexible. Still, this is our ideal. We are glad that we have a birthing center near that is in line with our plan, Family Beginnings at Miami Valley Hospital.

I really debated even posting it, but if it's at least a little help to a mom out there, then I'm glad that I posted. I should note that we also included (but did not post here) the names of our midwife, pediatrician, and places for them to sign. So here it is:

We are glad that you are part of this exciting birth of our baby boy. We are first-time parents and have prepared ourselves through exercise, nutrition, books, and Bradley Method classes. We hope that these preparations will help us have a smooth labor and birth. 

We desire to have a birth that is natural and free from interventions. We do not want to be induced, have artificial rupture of the membranes, or be offered pain relief such as an epidural, Pitocin to speed labor, or a routine IV or catheter. We do not want any residents or nurses in-training observing the labor and birth.

During First Stage Labor

·         Minimal vaginal exams- one when first admitted, one when the mother feels ready to push 

·         Intermittent fetal monitoring

·         Privacy for the mother and father as much as possible

·         NO Heparian lock IV

·         Freedom to walk and move into positions of comfort, including use of the tub

·         Freedom to eat and drink

·         Low lights, aromatherapy, and music of our choice

·         The mother would like to wear her own clothes

·         All guests need to be OK’ed by the coach (father)

·         Positive language used by all support persons in regards to the mother’s progress

During Second Stage Labor

·         Freedom to move to positions of comfort- tub, squatting, hands-and-knees, and so on while pushing

·         No episiotomy- the mother would rather tear; use perineal massage to avoid

·         Mirror available to see progress if desired

·         Father to catch baby and cut cord when it stops pulsing

After the Birth of Our Baby Boy

·         Immediate skin-to-skin contact with baby for holding and nursing; privacy of the family at this time is desired

·         Delay bath, testing, weighing, etc. until baby has had skin-to-skin time with mother and father

·         First bath given by mother and father

·         We decline eye drops and the Hepatitis B vaccine for our baby at birth

·         We accept the hearing test, the vitamin K shot, and PKU test

·         We would like our baby circumcised

Complications

-Please allow us time to privately discuss our options before any additional procedures

-If fetal distress requires a C-section, father is to stay with mother continually; baby is to be given to mother as soon as possible for nursing and skin-to-skin time

-If baby must be taken to NICU, please do not feed sugar water or introduce a bottle or pacifier; mother will pump or nurse to feed the baby as soon as possible