When little one decides to make an appearance you will be so busy it’s best to have something to tell everyone what you want. This plan can contain everything from music choice to what to do should an emergency occur.
We have a few suggestions on what you might want to include in this important document.
The Medical Necessities
Upfront and probably most important is the medical side of things.If you have any medical conditions your doctor should already know about them and it’ll be on your records, but for peace of mind add them to your birth plan. This should include things like allergies especially if they are associated with medications and any medications you currently take. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
Pain management is something you have full control over. You can dictate what you would prefer whether that is an epidural or if you would like to try going without medications to start with. Layout your plan a and plan b just in case.
Your birth plan is also an excellent place to note down what you want to do with the placenta. If you don’t want to think about it, doctors will normally throw it away as medical waste.
However, if you have discussed donation, it is good to have a record for yourself of what you are doing. If you have chosen to privately store your cord blood, tissue and placenta with a company such as Cells4Life, note down the company and information you or your birthing partner will need to know. Having important notes in one easy-to-find place can make the world of difference.
The Environment
Things can get stressful in a birthing suite. Create the environment you want by putting things in your birth plan. Do you want music? Do you want the lights dimmed? Do you want a quieter atmosphere? Include these details so that you can create the experience you would like.In line with this, you can also choose how much you want people to discuss everything going on with you. If you want to know everything as it happens or would rather have periodic updates when needed, you can request this.
The People
This is important. Some important medical professionals will move in and out of the room, but you can to a degree have control over the people involved in your birth experience. Note down your midwife’s name, your birth partner’s name, if you want family with you etc etc. or if you would rather keep visits to a minimum, especially after the baby is born.Personal Choice
These are just a few tips for things you may want to include, and you can customise this till your heart is content. Our best piece of advice though is to not leave this till the last minute and even if you think something is obvious, get it in writing.Keeping everyone, from birth partner and midwife to the doctor in charge, on the same page can mean the difference between a good and bad experience on the big day.
*Collaborative post
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