https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 22:55:30 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2473578 Thu, 25 Feb 2016 00:54:17 +0000 sarac 2473578@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I didn't have a birth plan for my second, because everything I wanted was just hospital policy anyway. I labored in my own clothing (maternity leggings and a long sleeved tee) until it was time to get into the birthing tub, at which point I took everything off except my sports bra. I think I just pulled it up to put the baby to breast? I can't even remember. But it wasn't a problem. I'd planned to deliver naked, but that's just what felt right in the moment. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2472827 Wed, 24 Feb 2016 13:45:50 +0000 pastemoo 2472827@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprild: congrats on your VBAC!<br /> :) My VBAC plan has the top 4 things:<br /> 1. have my husband near me at all times<br /> 2. don't offer pain medication unless i ask for it<br /> 3. i would like to be conscious for the birth, and if i am not, i want my husband to be there for it<br /> 4. donate cord blood if possible</p> <p>that is 4 more things than were on my C-section birth's birth plan<br /> and the rest is just check boxes on the hospital's form </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2472519 Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:08:57 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2472519@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@aprild: that's awesome you were able to have a VBAC! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2472515 Wed, 24 Feb 2016 11:06:08 +0000 cat620 2472515@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a full one paged typed birth plan with my second son about how I wanted to have a natural birth and lots of bonding time. I think a lot of what I put on there is standard hospital procedure anyway, but I really wanted to have a certain type of experience. However, after being in labor for 48 hours with a posterior baby and my water was broken the whole time, I ended up with a C-section, so nothing on my birth plan happened the way I envisioned it. I realized then that while the birth plan might have made me feel like I could control what happened, the reality is that I couldn't. At least not with a c-section. So with my second birth, which was a VBAC, I had no birth plan. I just said I'm trying for a VBAC, but please do whatever is necessary to keep myself and the baby healthy. My VBAC was successful, and it was a great birth experience! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2471953 Tue, 23 Feb 2016 20:23:35 +0000 SFMummy 2471953@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have one! I told the nurses I wanted pain meds, and that was that. Three separate ones actually told me they were so happy when people didn't have crazy birth plans, and that not having one seems to mean an easy labor. I pushed 15 minutes, and the whole thing lasted 7 hours. I also didn't take birthing classes, so the whole winging it thing is more my personality. I think the key is to do whatever you feel comfortable with! If you want a long one, make a long one, don't want one, skip it; etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2471724 Tue, 23 Feb 2016 16:38:02 +0000 pastemoo 2471724@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: yay! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2470893 Tue, 23 Feb 2016 09:59:12 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2470893@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@pastemoo: I did and so far two of the five care providers I have reviewed the plan with have signed off on it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2470591 Mon, 22 Feb 2016 21:43:54 +0000 pastemoo 2470591@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Our hospital has one where you check your own boxes that they pre-list, and then there are a few lines to add stuff you might want.<br /> I really like that because I can customize it, but the staff are familiar with it. I plan to highlight the top three most important things.</p> <p>Did you decide on your finalized plan? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2436014 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 11:24:08 +0000 Eko 2436014@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I think as most people suggested they were able to wear a sports bra. Sometimes I think it depends on how labor goes. For me, the pushing was super quick, only lasted 11 minutes. As soon as DS was born they put him on my chest and leaved him there the entire time the placenta was delivered. Just in my personal situation I really enjoyed not having anything on when they immediately put DS on my chest. </p> <p>On a side note, I remember I was feeling very very agitated during labor and probably would've been pissed off if I had to take cloths off. I ended up yelling at the doctors when they asked if I wanted to 'see' the baby. :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2435856 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:36:47 +0000 Foodnerd81 2435856@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: almost everything was done in the room with me, per hospital policy. They did take her several hours after birth to do the first vaccine (hepatitis?) vitamin k and eye ointment, I think, and I believe DH went with her? It was a blur. Then her breathing was slightly fast so they took her monitor that once a day, but I had them do it at night so I could sleep while they did. I don't think it needs to be in the birth plan since you will be awake and able to talk about it anyway. </p> <p>I didn't want to labor in my clothes anyway. But had med free birth and no iv or anything. Intermittent monitoring was standard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2435847 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:29:44 +0000 peaches1038 2435847@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: yes, I meant heplock! Mom brain :silly: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2435843 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:27:45 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2435843@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: DD stayed in the room with me. The pediatrician came by to check her out. However when she needed some tests she had to go to the nursery and we didn't go with her. If everything had been routine she would have stayed with me the entire time. As far as bras go I am uncomfortable being bra free. I sleep in sports bras. I wore a soft bra that has straps that can unhook during labor and delivery. (A Coobie bra). When it was time for skin to skin A nurse helped me unhook it and push it down. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2435829 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:19:22 +0000 looch 2435829@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I labored in my own clothing, it was hospital policy. So I had on a bra and a long sleeved tee. </p> <p>As for the checkups, we had to go to the office to see the ped, so someone had to be with the baby, they didn't do rounds in the rooms or nursery specifically. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2435826 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:16:43 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2435826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peaches1038: is a picc line same as a heplock (that's in my plan)?</p> <p>@Anagram: thanks! The bra I wanted to wear is comfy for sleeping because it doesn't have any hardware. I'll look for a nursing bra instead. I'm hoping the baby will be able to crawl to the breast for the first feed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have/page/2#post-2435808 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 09:09:33 +0000 Anagram 2435808@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: a note about the sports bra idea...if you have an IV for any reason, you won't be able to get the sports bra down for skin to skin, unless it's the type that unhooks.</p> <p>If you want a bra, I would get a regular nursing bra that clips in the front or back, so you can pull it down easily for skin to skin. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435745 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:09:34 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2435745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@catomd00: @peaches1038: thanks, I'll skip the request on my birthplan. At the hospital tour the nurse pointed out the equipment in the L&amp;D room to evaluate baby. If we see staff try to wheel him away- L&amp;D or recovery room we'll just ask that DH go with them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435742 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:07:37 +0000 peaches1038 2435742@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I had a med free birth and the only thing that was hooked up was a monitor for the baby's heartbeat. I only had that intermittently though, so maybe 5 minutes every 2 hours. By the end, I refused the monitor bc it felt horrible strapped to me, so they used a little Doppler. And ask for a picc line instead of an iv if that's not already in your plan. Way more comfortable </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435740 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 08:04:35 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2435740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Eko: we're going for a med-free birth, but I will likely have things hooked up to me since I'll be in a hospital. My doula shared her birth plan with me and she had a request to keep her own clothes on. Since we're having a doula and laboring at home for as long as we can I imagine that I may be clothed at home or in my tub partially naked. I just can't envision what labor "street" clothes look like. Just trying to get a feel if this was thing or not.</p> <p>I would love to keep my sports bra on as long as possible... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435733 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 07:57:38 +0000 peaches1038 2435733@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Everything was done in the room. The only time DS was away from us was for the circ. Even that was less than 30 min. I was naked the minute I stepped into the hospital room. I couldn't stand anything on me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435722 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 07:39:31 +0000 Eko 2435722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Everything, even baths, we're done in room. That is their standard policy. Circumcisions are a procedure so it makes complete sense that's done elsewhere. I definitely liked that everything was done in room. It helped me keep track of everything was going on versus oh why did the baby leave the room that time? Also, I don't know if I would want to labor in my own cloths. If you want things like an epidural and skin to skin I think your own cloths is pointless. Unless you are talking one of those personal hospital type gowns. But you are just going to get a lot of crap on it. I can see a hospital honoring that as long as you say you are ok with blood and fluids getting all over it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435703 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 07:21:22 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2435703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@MoonMoon: ugh! I typed mine out last night and used complete sentences starting with "we request/ we prefer/ we plan" at the advice of our hypnobirth instructor. I forgot how short &amp; concise yours was. :happy: I may need to tweak mine after DH gives it a once over. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435702 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 07:20:43 +0000 catomd00 2435702@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: even though baby roomed in, she did go to the nursery for a bath and whatever other tests they do. DH went eith her because I was in too much pain. It didn't matter to me as long as one of us was there. I'm sure I could have requested it be done in room but I was too tired to think. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2435699 Mon, 25 Jan 2016 07:16:39 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 2435699@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Bumping.</p> <p>New question: for those when baby roomed with mother (hospital policy) unless mom specifically asks for baby to go to nursery did you feel the need to request all procedures/ pediatrician evaluations take place with parents present?</p> <p>We already know the circumcision takes place in a part of the nursery that parents are not allowed to enter. </p> <p>Did anyone request to labor in their own clothes? If you did and it was honored, what did you wear? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393173 Fri, 18 Dec 2015 00:54:40 +0000 mauxie 2393173@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD - Typed out bullet points for my OB (1/2- 3/4 page?). We went over it around 36 weeks and she kept it on file, but I doubt she referred to it at all during the actual delivery. She/the nurses engaged me in the process and asked questions about what I wanted as things happened, which was fine! </p> <p>DS - I did not print one out. My (new) OB and I just talked about my preferences in the final weeks of my pregnancy and that was it. It will be the same for DS2. I'm comfortable with that and think I can advocate for myself without having a birth plan written down :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393163 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 23:43:23 +0000 gingerbebe 2393163@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I had a fill in the blank/multiple choice one from our hospital and I liked it just because it gave me and DH things to talk and think about that we might not have thought of. We said we preferred DH to cut the cord and skin to skin, but those are standard practices at our hospital. Most everything else our answers were along the lines of "provide me with the options as the process goes along." Augmentation drugs, induction, pain management, etc. We had multiple losses and a high-stress pregnancy going into delivery so we weren't going to go in tied to a certain vision of labor. The only thing I wrote out specifically was that I wanted my placenta for encapsulation.</p> <p>My water ended up spontaneously breaking with no contractions whatsoever after 24 hours. When we were admitted they asked us for a "birth goal" or priority list to bullet on the whiteboard in our room to remind everyone. I was asleep so my husband said "born alive" which our midwife snorted at and was like "um, how about healthy mom and baby?" He was like "I'll take alive mom and baby, healthy would be a bonus." They laughed at him, but after the 3 years it took us to get there, he was pretty serious! I did add "placenta" to the board.</p> <p>We were pretty flexible as things went along and the staff gave us plenty of time to weigh our options at each step. We just wanted all the pros and cons to weigh through to make an informed decision. So even though I had an induction, epidural, pitocin, and emergency c-section, we felt very respected and empowered and at no point pressured - we felt like we signed off on everything and we have no regrets about our birth. And I got my placenta! OB made a big fuss about it in the OR and I was presented with a baby and a gallon tub of placenta in recovery! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393160 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 23:28:04 +0000 Portboston 2393160@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My midwife group highly encouraged making a birth plan. Mine was one page bullet points, geared towards a natural birth. A lot of it did not get followed as I had back labor for 26 hours &amp; needed intervention. But the experience of writing it and knowing my options was incredibly valuable! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393142 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 22:57:56 +0000 anonysquire 2393142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No epidural, no hospital. Nothing else mattered to me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393104 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 22:02:15 +0000 Smurfette 2393104@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It was healthy baby &amp; Mom, and epidural. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393102 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 22:00:17 +0000 catomd00 2393102@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't have one and didn't feel I needed one. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/what-kind-of-birth-plan-did-you-have#post-2393097 Thu, 17 Dec 2015 21:50:27 +0000 PrincessBaby 2393097@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think birth plans are full of shit! You deal with what is happening the best way you know how, and that is all. </p>