Hellobee Boards

I'll probably make one but just for myself /DH to flesh out my hopes. We don't plan on handing a copy out to anyone at the hospital or anything.

nope! I just wanted a vaginal birth and was open to an epidural (which I got. praise the Lord for meds). When I was younger I wanted immediate skin to skin, but didn't get it with LO.
It wasn't a big deal to me since my LO is super healthy, happy and well attached.

I didn't. I knew I wanted an epidural and skin to skin. Those were things I could easily, and did, discuss with my nurse when I hot there. I made sure dh knew to tell her these things too in case I was in too much pain to talk about it.

I also made sure dh knew how I felt about csections and other things, which pretty much was I don't want it unless it's needed for the safety of me or the baby.

I didn't. All I knew was that I wanted an epidural and I got it! I just told myself going in that I chose my doctor for a reason and that I trusted her judgment, so I didn't have anything to worry about. Well, okay, there was tons to worry about, but you know what I mean.

@yin: What kinds of things did you find that you lost track of? I'm really curious about what will/what won't be on our radar!

Typed our two sided multiple copies *shameface*. I got my unmedicated birth, I was very passionate about not wanting an epidural, delayed clamping and immediate nursing. My doula laughed at me when I pulled it out.

I probably won't, because we're planning a home birth and most of my concerns/wants are protected by the location. If interventions happen, they'll happen because they're needed!

That being said, I think it's SO important for women to do their research and be their own health advocates. Learn what to expect in all circumstances, and how to deal with it. And include people at the birth who will protect your goals while you're busy having a baby. A partner, doula, or midwife can be the living birth plan. They talk back and you can't throw them in the trash!

@mrstilly: this exactly! I actually made a flow chart for different scenarios for myself almost as an exercise to work through everything.

I wrote one but I wrote it to keep track of myself...it probably wont be used as I already am becoming more open to the idea that anything could happen! And that's ok!

Trust in the medical staff is important. I watched the Business of Being Born which had me a little freaked out. I believe that for the most part childbirth can happen naturally without a whole lot of intervention, if any. But the video made it seem like many medical professionals work off of hospital policies, which are often outdated and not based on the best interest of the mother and baby, but on convenience and liability. And this was supported by a lot of birth stories I read where one intervention led to another and ended in a C-Section. A C-Section is major surgery and I didn't want a policy (i.e. mandatory IV, how you are allowed to labor, etc...) to start me on a path that would lead to a C-Section if it could be avoided. But in the end the midwives at my practice listened and reassured me. I am lucky to have a local policy that supports natural childbirth if that is the mother's desire.

I was not going too, however after attending our birthing class at our hostpial our teacher recommended it, so pretty much in it I made very broad statements including: no students administering epideral, ect. (it's a teaching hosptial), lights low, but that I would be going by the recommendation of my delivering team as I know they are best informed.

@mrsjyw: that is exactly how I was going in. There was only one absolute to me is no Nubain and I was able to achieve that.

Labor is so unpredictable there's no use stressing yourself out over what you wanted during labor before you've even ever been through something like it!

I'm not because all the things I'd put on it are relatively basic - and my hospital promotes them all. Things such as skin to skin, breastfeeding, etc. We aren't doing delayed cord clamping because we're donating the cord blood, don't need to worry about circumcision or anything like that. Our hospital allows dad to stay with the baby, too.

and I don't need a plan to demand pain relief, LOL - that is my #1!!!

No birth plan whatsoever. I just went with the flow and trusted my OB's recommendations. I didn't want to go into it with this full out birth plan and end up being disappointed and not enjoy the birthing experience. Best decision I made! I ended up having a csection because my son was breech and it didn't bother me one bit. I just wanted a healthy baby.