Photo Credit: Adapted from MorgueFile
If you have been following the blog or our Facebook page for any time at all, you will have noticed that as we prepare for the upcoming birth of our first baby, we are planning on having a natural birth. When planning a natural birth, unless you are also planning a home birth, it is important that you write a birth plan. This does not have to be an extravagantly long document, and in all honesty should be kept as simple as possible.
But…. What’s in a Birth Plan?
While many birth plans you find on-line are amazing about helping you with wording or giving you ideas of things you may forget to include, lets be honest…no doctor or nurse in the hospital wants to read a 5-6 page document detailing everything that may or may not happen. To help us prepare ours, we used the one found here for guidance.
My advice is to create a one page document that includes information about both procedures for you (during labor and delivery) and baby (immediately following). Ideally the Top 5 things for each you and baby will keep everyone happy.
For ours, we included:
1.Our names and a picture of us so if the birth plan is taken out of our room with our chart, doctors and nurses remember who we are.
2. A blanket comment that simply states “Please ask for our consent before any routine procedures”.
3. A bullet list for Labor & Delivery that includes our Top 5 wishes. For me this includes, minimal vaginal exams during labor, unlimited movement during labor, not asking about pain medications or inductions , delayed cord clamping, and a statement about what I would like should a c-section become necessary.
4. A bullet list for our baby that includes are wishes. For us this includes statements regarding, the hospital allowing myself or Andrew to go with the baby at all times if there are any complications, delaying routine procedures to allow for immediate skin-to-skin contact, our wishes towards vaccinations and eye drops, bathing the baby in our own products that we will bring, and a statement about the baby being exclusively breastfed.
We're Parents is a unique mom and dad natural parenting blog focusing on topics such as breastfeeding, babywearing, and car seat safety. You'll also find Delicious recipes, inspired travel recommendations, and more as you journey with us through parenting. 
Harvest Moon by Hand says
October 31, 2012 at 1:18 amSounds like Natasha had quite the experience with the birth of her son. I din't have a birth plan for my daughters because both were adopted from China. I think having a birth plan sounds like an excellent idea! Then everyone is one the same page once you get to the hospital and you're there for some time.
Were Parents says
November 1, 2012 at 5:23 pmI agree about being on the same page! That's what I really want! And you are a blessing for adopting your daughters! They are very lucky!
Natasha Dythia says
October 30, 2012 at 11:08 pmI couldn't have a birth plan. Well I guess I could have, but no one would have listened. I went into preterm labor at 30 weeks…managed to keep him in to 35 exactly…then he came like it or not. He had the cord wrapped around his neck, so that was cut immediately. I was cut because his head wouldnt fit out that hole. I had so many exams in my lady parts for those 5 weeks – I thought of
Were Parents says
November 1, 2012 at 5:22 pmOh my Natasha! While you made me laugh, I know at the time it was no laughing matter! I'm glad he's healthy now!