birthing plans?

Question

Im currently 29 weeks pregnant and every baby website i signed up for are telling me its time to think about a birthing plan. That's fine with me but im wondering how necessary and useful it is to have one? Has anyone made one and stuck with it during delivery? Thanks in advance!

thanks soo much for all your answers....i thought it wasnt necessary but you reassured me....thanks again!

Answer 1

I kept seeing those too and wondered if I should do one... so i filled one out, but never even used it. You know what you want and what you don't want and that should be discussed with your partner as well. I didn't think it was necessary. Good Luck!

Answer 2

My own babies were born long enough ago that we'd never even heard of a birthing plan. However, my oldest daughter just gave birth to her first child, our first grandchild, so we became familiar with the term birthing plan. My daughter's doctor said it was fine to decide things ahead of time such as do you want an epidural or do you want to try without it? She said to be realistic and know that things happen and it is rare for a birth to go exactly as planned. My daughter wanted to give birth without an epidural, she wanted to deliver vaginally not C-section and she didn't want to be induced. Her due date was April 26. At 9:15 PM April 14 her water broke at home. Throughout the night, she wasn't dilating nor having regular contractions. 12 hours later, she was exhauted, only dilated to 2 and only 80% effaced. She reluctantly accepted the epidural her doctor recommended then reluctantly accepted the pitocin. 25 hours after her water broke, her baby was born by C-section when she could only dilate to 8 cm for several hours. Her baby was turned sideways in the birth canal and they never could get him to turn. He is 8 days old today and is doing well as is my daughter and her husband. So, I think it's fine to have an idea on preferences, but know that you will likely have things happen differently in some way and that is OK. Regardless of how your baby gets here, if he/she is healthy and so are you then it is all good.

Answer 3

I have heard about them too...I haven't filled out one yet because I was worried I would give them to the doctors and nurses and they would think "yeah right...she's being a little neurotic"

I guess I'm too shy...but then again I really don't have any firm ideas about delivery...I'm open to any type of delivery, pain meds, I don't care who cuts the cord...etc. So if you're like that a birthing plan probably doesn't matter. However, if you do have some ideas that you really believe in (for example: no pain medicine, etc) then a birth plan might be a good idea!

Good luck!

Answer 4

I personally think it is very useful to think ahead of time of what you want. But then just keep it in your head. I have found that when you hand a birth plan to a doctor they freak out. Keep in mind what YOU want and just make your wishes known as each subject comes up. It's very important to start thinking about how you want things to go - but remember to be flexible. It's a plan, and plans can change.
I am still of the mind though, that if you aim for nothing, you'll certainly hit it. Think about it, maybe write or print it out, but do it just for you. It will help you consider things you may not have thought of. :-)

Answer 5

From a L&D nurses point of view... a patient comes in with a birthing plan...you go over it with them...I just always let them no --everything is possible, with the consent and agreement of their doctor. When you are in labor, situations change all of the time...so I tell my pts to be open and know things can change, in an instant. So not to let the birthing plan be the primary concern in your mind.

Also, if pts do a birthing plan, they need to go over with it with their midwife or Ob-Gyn beforehand. I can't tell you how many pts. I have taken care of come in, with the plan in hand, and their dr hasn't seen it and doesn't or won't agree with certain things in the plan...then we have a issue...

Just don't set yourself up thinking this is "the" way things are going to or are "supposed" to happen...because you really do not know what can/could happen.

Answer 6

LOL!!! I have three child and not a one went the way I wanted it to. The only thing I said about my last pregnancy was that I did not want to go into labor in the early morning. I went into labor at 4:20am and had her by 6:11am. So even if you plan, you can plan on it not working.

Answer 7

i had one, and put who i wanted in there, i didn't want a whole bunch of monitering, i didn't want an episiotomy, and no meds. But i delivered at a birth center so drugs weren't exaclty on hand so it's up to you...they made me write one but it didn't really matter... now if you are going to a hospital you might want to put in there your wishes about them doing a c-section, because some hospitals will give you one for anything.

Answer 8

yeah I had one with my son. We didn't have time to print it before we went to the hospital (my son was early). Good thing to, my birth plan would have been thrown out the window in like 5 minutes. :)

Answer 9

Usually, the hospital will sit down with you a few weeks before your due date, to discuss how you want things.

The only thing that i requested differently is that I didn't want nusing/medical students being around. I am glad i said that, because I had so many docs and other employees coming into my room.