Our Birth Plan

When it comes to birth, everyone wants the perfect experience. Of course you can't predict what will happen. All you can do is prepare for all outcomes.

A lot of times you will also hear, "Don't write a birth plan you can't control what will happen and then you will be upset." I have to say, this is a bunch of bologna.  Of course you can't control everything, but you still have your preferences and if you have researched, taken classes and are informed you can still have a great birth even if nothing goes according to your original plan.

If you didn't have a plan written out, but are still informed you are still less likely to get the experience you want because you don't have it on paper. Even if you have had a verbal discussion with your care provider and they have agreed, what happens if they aren't there when you deliver? Besides that, most of the time if you are having a hospital birth the nurse is the one who takes care of you and the doctor just catches the baby. Also, they have a lot of patients and don't remember what each of them say. If you have your care provider sign your birth plan then it is a lot harder for them to convince you of something else or say they never said that.

So, here is our birth plan. Of course our goal is a birth center birth, but we included things that could happen as well.

Birth Plan

Gaddis, Kirstin (Blood Type) - (place of delivery, optional) Baby: (name)

People Present:

• Bobby Gaddis - Dad/Husband
• Lindsay ____________- Doula
• Care Providers

Labor Requests:

• Eat and drink as necessary
• Hands on massages, counter pressure, hip squeezes, belly lifts, prayer, encouragement, essential oils when appropriate, lots of movement as feels comfortable, playlist on phone, etc.
• Low lighting, when possible
• Labor where comfortable: shower, tub, bed, etc.
• Blue room if available

Delivery Requests:

• Water birth
• Push in position most comfortable
• Low lighting continued, when possible
• Immediate skin to skin

Post-Delivery Requests:

• Skin to skin with mom
• Skin to skin with dad while mom is getting post-delivery care
• Delay cord clamping until it stops pulsing, Dad cuts cord
• Herbal bath
• No eye ointment
• Nurse as soon as baby is ready
• No pacifiers, formula or bottles

Non-Emergency Transfer: ____________

• Follow the above as much as possible
• Do not offer pain medication
• Intermittent monitoring, no IV, only Hep Lock if needed
• No breaking of waters, pitocin, or other medications & unless discussed and agreed upon first

Emergency Transfer: _____________

• Keep baby and mom safe, but inform mom and dad as much as possible along the way

If Non-Emergency C-Section Occurs:

• Family centered/gentle cesarean
• Husband and Doula present
• Drape dropped to see baby
• If all is well with baby and mom:
• Skin to skin with mom/dad
• Delayed cord clamping, at least 2 minutes, Dad cuts cord
• Assessments done while skin to skin and establishing breastfeeding
• Measuring and weighing done after bonding occurs and breastfeeding has taken place
• Follow post-delivery requests as much as possible