Birth plans, anyone?

[john_stevens_x0]

Hey ladies! I have my 36 week appointment on Tuesday and it's the "special appointment" where the midwife sits with us and we make our birth plan. This is something she does with all her patients.

Comments

[mocking0jay]

In regards to umbilical cord clamping, some people chhose to leave it attached to the placenta and let them detach naturally. It's called lotus birth (I tihnk).

[designingdreams]

I don't think this is what the OP is talking about, though. She's talking about delayed cord clamping, where they don't clamp the cord until it stops pulsing, several minutes after birth. After the time passes, the cord is still clamped and cut.

The main benefit I've heard to cord clamping is to allow ALL the blood from the placenta to enter the baby instead of being left in the placenta. That blood has a lot of the iron that stores in the baby, and since breastmilk doesn't have tons of iron, babies' iron tend to get a bit low at around six months. Delayed clamping is said to help the iron stores last longer.

[john_stevens_x0]

Yeah, that's what I was talking about. I didn't know that about the iron, thanks for the info! :)

[katie_wagner]

http://cord-clamping.com/ bunch of stuff there to think about! In all, it's all about giving your baby every last drop of cord blood to get the last of what the placenta has to offer.

[john_stevens_x0]

Thanks so much for the link! Looks like it has lots of helpful information there!

[coolrunning]

I think it's important to make clear who you want present at your birth and how you want the hospital staff to handle any potentially pushy relatives wanting to see you/the baby before you might be ready. Maybe include if you want a mirror to watch the baby come out and if you want your SO to cut the cord. A friend of mine's husband was actually allowed to catch the baby (which was awesome) so if you think you want that and they'll allow it make sure to include it. I think it's also important to address any "what ifs." What if your labor drags on for days and you *need* pain relief? Or there is some other problem and you need an emergency c-section? Or the baby has to go to the NICU or special care nursery? Do you want your SO to go with the baby if possible or stay with you? Can your SO be in the OR with you in the event of a c-section? No one wants to think about those things and odds are you won't need them, but it's better to have what you want to happen in place before it happens rather than having to make split second

[john_stevens_x0]

Oh, I've already told my family that no one is going to be there waiting, and that they'll be called when they can come, LOL. I actually work in L&D myself (in a different hospital, but in the same network) and I have to deal with the pushy/rude family members on a daily basis at work. I'm ALL set with that, haha. But I'm definitely going to make sure to have that in the birth plan.

Everything else you mentioned are all really good points too, thanks! I'm not so sure that my fiance would want to catch the baby himself, but I know he wants to cut the cord. And you're right, definitely don't want to think about needing a c/s or anything else, but better to have something in there just in case.

Lots of things to talk about with her now! :) & yes I love my midwife to death, she is so awesome. And I feel like we're so lucky to have such a great hospital nearby us :)

[dancingdeer]

I had a reasonably similar situation to you, and did deliver naturally in the hospital with midwives. Here's a link to my midwife's webpage about birth plans - it covers more of what I think you're looking for. http://mamah.org/bptemplate.html

The only thing I didn't end up getting was the delayed cord clamping, cause in the last couple minutes of birth, my baby's shoulders got stuck and they wanted to check her out immediately so cut the cord fast. (Her hand was just tucked up under her chin, was OK).

[john_stevens_x0]

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out! :)

Oh wow, glad she was okay! Shoulder dystocia can be pretty scary (I work in L&D myself actually, at a different hospital than where I'll be delivering though). It's awesome that you got to have a natural hospital birth though, I feel like it's such a rare occurrence nowadays. :(

[thesparklegirl]

My midwife practice has more of a "checklist" birthplan that we fill out.

-Do you want a mirror to watch the baby coming out
-Do you want to reach down and touch the baby as it comes out
-Do you or your partner want to bathe the baby
-Do you want to take pictures during birth
-Do you want baby to receive the HepB vaccine
-Breastfeeding or not
-Who is your birth partner(s)
-Donating cord blood or not

That's all the stuff I remember having on it that had to be answered. Otherwise it's assumed that all the stuff you said happens. Skin to skin, jacuzzi, etc. The only thing I ever make note of is that we decline the HepB and that we donate the cord blood.

[john_stevens_x0]

Hmm, interesting points!

I'm not sure about the mirror/touching the baby as he comes out, but it'd be good to know if either of those are possible if maybe I decide I want to.

I know they do the first bath later on as like a demo/teaching opportunity (which is fine with me, I've never bathed a baby before, so I'll take all the help I can get, LOL!).

And the hospital policy is no pics/videos while the baby is coming out but everything else is fine.

Everything else we'll be discussing as well. Thanks for the input!