https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 21 Jun 2026 13:32:10 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1322051 Mon, 06 Jan 2014 10:07:24 +0000 catomd00 1322051@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I don 't have one and not planning on making one. I am more focused on what happens after birth then during. (e.g., skin to skin and finding a way to limit visitors until I am ready for them). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1321874 Mon, 06 Jan 2014 09:09:13 +0000 Alivoo01 1321874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope! The hospital where I gave birth at was already pro a lot of things I hoped for, and I told my OB I was open to an epi. Even when I got the epi, my nurse was super sweet and said they'll start me with a low dose so that I still have mobility, and if I needed to up it later, we would. The amount of epi I received was perfect, and my labor and delivery was awesome. Just wish my OB let me push longer than just 3 pushes before threatening to give me an episotomy so I pushed with all that I had that last push to make sure I got DS out and I wouldn't be cut open! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1321626 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 23:45:41 +0000 lemondrop 1321626@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm already very go with the flow to begin with and my doctor was all for minimal interventions. He really did a great job at trying to avoid a c-section and none of them pushed drugs at me. My hospital already does skin to skin and rooming in, beyond that I didn't have any other requests. </p> <p>Ultimately the doctors and nurses deliver babies every day, I do not. </p> <p>One of the things I was happy that I did was ask for a lower dose on my epidural, so I had minimal pain and a lot more control over my legs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1321594 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 23:03:24 +0000 Phxbee 1321594@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have one and have absolutely no regrets. I figured a lot of it was out of my hands, and trusted the doctors and nurses. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1321588 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 22:55:59 +0000 mrsjyw 1321588@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i didn't have one. i'm pretty go with the flow with anything hospital/dr related and trusted the doc/hospital. they were also pro- a lot of things i wanted (skin to skin, bfing, etc.) </p> <p>the only wish i had was to avoid a c-section if not medically necessary. </p> <p>i got my vaginal birth (with epi) and didn't feel any disappointment about my birth experience. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1321212 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 19:48:02 +0000 meredithNYC 1321212@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have one. I was lucky enough to deliver in a large city, which meant that I had several options for OBGYN practices. I figured I picked a group I trusted and so I would just let them do their job. The only thing I knew I wanted was to avoid a c-section, if possible, and get an epidural. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320820 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 15:52:22 +0000 Boheme 1320820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a list of birth preferences, rather than a plan. My birth didn't go how I had hoped, but it was awesome that the nurses took note of our wishes on the things that were possible - delayed cord clamping, immediate skin to skin, seeing an LC as soon as possible, no visitors, and doing all baby's procedures in the room rather than in the nursery. Zero regrets. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320580 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 11:48:09 +0000 artsyfartsy 1320580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lovehoneybee: This exactly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320555 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 11:29:07 +0000 Maysprout 1320555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have a written birth plan for either but I think for my first it might have helped a bit. Neither my husband or I knew what to expect but we did have preferences and I felt a little pushed around unnecessarily by one of the Drs. I'm not sure listing preferences would have helped but it might have. </p> <p>The second time around both DH and I felt more prepared and comfortable advocating for ourselves so I'm not sure that a birth plan would have had any benefit. We also had a wonderful very go with the flow Dr so we didn't run into any problems. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320552 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 11:23:11 +0000 lovehoneybee 1320552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Danizaur: This is pretty much what I did. At the top I said something like "These are my birth preferences, assuming that my labor progresses normally" but made sure to note that my only real goal was to get baby and me through it safely, whatever that took. </p> <p>The plan included things like wanting to have to ask for pain meds (as opposed to being offered every 5 minutes), how I wanted to labor (on a ball, walking, etc), that I wanted to tear naturally if possible, delayed cord clamping, have immediate skin to skin, breastfeed, and that it was important that D be the one to announce the gender. </p> <p>I even printed out a copy and brought it to the hospital with me (with my practice I had no idea who would be delivering but it wasn't going to be my midwife), but a long early labor on almost no sleep and the really unexpected back labor had me waving D away when he tried to take out while I immediately asked for an epidural. </p> <p>So I ended up with an immediate epidural (I was 5cm when I was admitted, and had been up for close to 24 hours--I just wanted to rest). I stayed in bed the whole time (I think I would have anyway, even when my epidural wore off I was most comfortable sitting up in bed, leaning over myself). I got a second degree tear on top of an episiotomy (which are not given standard at my hospital but he wasn't coming out and D thought it was best under the circumstances). He was sure to tell the OB that he wanted to announce the sex when I was pushing, and skin to skin and breastfeeding are encouraged already. No delayed cord clamping, and the babe was taken away from me for 3-4 minutes, but mostly because I was hemorrhaging pretty badly and needed immediate medical attention. </p> <p>To be honest, though, even though I didn't end up using it and my birth ended up being very different from what I imagined I'm still glad I wrote it. I was really scared of labor and delivery, and sitting down and thinking about (and writing out) what my ideal L&amp;D would look like really calmed a lot of my anxiety about it. Even though I know it might not happen at least being able to really think through the details of it made it easier to wrap my head around it all. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320529 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 11:07:24 +0000 Glitter 1320529@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not going to have one. I'll just ask my OB to try his best not to kill me or baby. Please. Thanks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320521 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 11:03:27 +0000 ShootingStar 1320521@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My OB gave me a really simple sheet to fill out as a birth plan. I barely had anything to put on it and wasn't sure I really needed a "plan." The paper stated they wouldn't do an episiotomy unless absolutely necessary, and the hospital policy was to do skin to skin immediately after. </p> <p>I did end up writing down a few things, but in the end I don't think it was anything that would've been an issue. I think the biggest item to me was to not try to talk me out of pain meds. My OB thought our plan was good because it was pretty basic and flexible.</p> <p> I think the good thing about a birth plan is that it gets you to think a little about what your preferences are. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320505 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 10:50:14 +0000 knittylady 1320505@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No birth plan and no regrets. The only thing I knew going in was that I was not a candidate for an epidural. Fun. I also had a midwife who I had 100 percent faith in, and knew that she had an arsenal of methods to ease pain and get me through it. I think in retrospect that was the biggest help and comfort. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320443 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 09:52:06 +0000 Mrs. Tiger 1320443@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: I was super mad! Especially because getting stitched up was so painful. But oh well, like you said the happy ending was the most important thing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320424 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 09:28:13 +0000 Lindsay05 1320424@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No birth plan. I had what I wanted in my head, but kept it very vague and flexible. The only thing I expect this time around is that the nurses talk to me thoroughly about what they are doing. I feel like last time they just did stuff without explaining it first. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan/page/2#post-1320413 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 09:11:14 +0000 ALV91711 1320413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have a birth plan. I had told DH that I wanted to try to not have an epidural, but I ended up having one. When I asked for it, he made sure that is what I wanted. </p> <p>When I first got checked into the hospital and the nurse was going over my medical history she also asked me questions for delivery such as skin to skin and a few other things. </p> <p>I don't see the need to write things down when this is what they do every day and if there is something that you really feel strongly about you can just communicate it and make sure your SO knows. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320408 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 09:02:54 +0000 MapleMoose 1320408@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@swedishfish: Oops, that's a typo. DD was face up, not down. Sounds like we had the same birth experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320388 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 08:30:28 +0000 blackbird 1320388@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I knew I wanted to delay the epidural, but that's about it. I really just wanted her out safely. I think birth plans can cause more harm than good </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320387 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 08:28:32 +0000 brady80 1320387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My plan was to get the baby out safely and an epidural for me ASAP! I ended up with an emergency c section. I'm glad I didn't have a plan because I may have been disappointed in how the birth ended up </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320382 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 08:24:22 +0000 MamaMoose 1320382@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Coming from someone who is an obsessive planner, I just don't think a birth is something you can plan for. I trusted my doctor and we had honest communication about my preferences throughout my whole pregnancy (she knew I wanted to avoid a c section unless absolutely necessary, knew I wanted an epidural but absolutely no IV pain meds, etc). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320379 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 08:21:00 +0000 misolee 1320379@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>During one of my prenatal appts, I was given one of those standardized check list from my HMO group about what I wanted during birth. Basically, you went down the list and checked whatever you wanted. I forgot to bring it. When I mentioned it to the nurse and the midwife, they both replied, "No one ever reads those. We will ask you and inform you of everything before we do it and respect your wishes" and that's exactly how it was done. I trusted the doctors and nurses there and had an amazing team of medical professionals. (I live in a big metro area and the hospital I chose is THE hospital to deliver as it's known nationally for giving birth). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320371 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:54:54 +0000 BabyBoecksMom 1320371@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I wanted an epidural and skin to skin, but other than that I didn't have a plan because babies don't read birth plans and I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320370 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:52:34 +0000 swedishfish 1320370@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MapleMoose: your birth sounds almost exactly like mine except that my LO came out sunny side up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320368 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:51:12 +0000 swedishfish 1320368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@night cheese: I wanted skin to skin after delivery but there was meconium in the amniotic fluid when my water was broken so LO went straight to a NICU team. DH didn't even get to cut the cord. I didn't get what I wanted but LO's health was more important. I figured everything that happened was what was best for me and the baby. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320365 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:46:26 +0000 swedishfish 1320365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@beaker: I would've been SO mad! My OBGYN kept telling me she was going to have to give me an episiotomy because my pushing was crap but I was adamant I did not want one. </p> <p>I did not have a written birth plan. I was induced so I was not allowed to walk around like I wanted to. I tried to go med free and lasted till 6 cm when the OBGYN broke my water. I immediately requested an epidural. I just went with the flow. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320351 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 07:23:34 +0000 hellobeeboston 1320351@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Like you, and many other posters I also had no birth plan with the idea that it was really out of my control and I totally trusted the hospital/staff that I chose to deliver in to do the best for me and my baby.</p> <p>I had a great birth (still tough, 23 hrs and 5hrs of pushing) but the nurses and doctors were great and I look back very fondly on my experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320334 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 05:29:11 +0000 Dandelion 1320334@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope. No birth plan with this LO. After a preemie and a stillborn, I've learned that things can be turned on their head in an instant. </p> <p>Actually my plan now is to just trust the doctors to get my baby out safe and sound. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320310 Sun, 05 Jan 2014 03:18:50 +0000 lamariniere 1320310@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have one with either baby, I was open to anything reasonable for a safe delivery and healthy baby and mama. I ended up with an epi with DS. Going into DD's birth, I planned on asking for an epi early on, but I progressed SO fast that I couldn't have one and DD was born totally med-free. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320205 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 23:50:27 +0000 googly-eyes 1320205@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't and I'm glad I didn't.h only plan was for an epi around five cm but l&amp;d was unpredictable and I was admitted at 8cm. I think being flexible helped.. I was given te option to stay in l&amp;d the night before but wanted to go home and sometimes I wonder if I would have ended up with a c section if I'd stayed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-not-have-a-birth-plan#post-1320203 Sat, 04 Jan 2014 23:48:41 +0000 Colee 1320203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No birth plan and no regrets! My childbirth experience was not ideal, but I don't think a plan would have changed that. And in the end, I got what wanted! A beautiful and healthy baby! </p>