Birth Plans

Sheza, that's great you've got an idea of what you want but won't be guttered if it doesn't work out how you expected. I was the same as you - wanted to go as natural as possible, but if I needed something for my or the babies safety then for goodness sake I was gonna have it!! Lol. Anyway the labour went to plan, no drugs at all, and it was amazing. Seeing you're gonna try go this way, I totally recommend you try acupressure (there's a thread on it). And also just trying to stay calm and focused helped me too.

Oh, and yeah the 'labour' went to plan but the recovery didn't! I didn't even think of the implications of tearing badly lol.... so after no drugs, I certainly made up for it afterwards But I had my boy so that was all I cared about!

Ooo it's getting close for you now!!

ETA: Was just thinking about how I managed to have no drugs, but it could have very easily have gone the other way. I was very blessed to have a short labour and able to manage it... sometimes physically that just doesn't happen though so I count myself very blessed...

Edited by arohanui

Liz I was actually telling DF on Tuesday night how your hubby did the acupressure on you and I said to him thatw e should look into it, as Im having a water birth so he should be able to do that for me while Im in the pool.
I must admit, I am very scared about tearing and being cut etc, that scares the living day lights out of me, but like you said, after it all I'll have my little boy and thats all that matters(whatever happens).

I think in the next few weeks my midwife and I will start discussin my birth plan. I just wanted to get some thoughts together of that I wanted out of it and such, but Im not going to treat it like a contract lol, its juts a wee...list of guidlines Id like to follow

Edited by Sheza

I think that's definitely the best idea Sheza. Sounds like so long as you get those key points across to the MW then she will be able to do her best to accommodate them.

My main thing was that I wanted to have Rowan on my chest as soon as possible and if I couldn't for some reason - like being under general - then I wanted DH to do it. And they did that. Although she had to be dressed initially in the theatre they stripped her out of her clothes again and put her on my chest as soon as we got to recovery.

And don't worry about tearing etc. - I bet you'll be so busy with your new baby you initially probably won't have time to notice plus the hospitals are great with pain relief (not that I tore as such having a c-sect)


Edited by Bobbie

MrsMojo wrote: Sheza wrote: I must admit, I am very scared about tearing and being cut etc, that scares the living day lights out of me, but like you said, after it all I'll have my little boy and thats all that matters(whatever happens). This is total TMI but I thought I'd share anyway. I was terrified of tearing too so I practised. There are two things we were told (1) the only thing you can compare pushing a baby out with is pushing a bowel motion (only heaps larger) (2) if you ease the baby out slowly giving your perenium the opportunity to stretch then you're less likely to tear or if you do the tear will be smaller. So I practised. Everytime I had a bowel motion rather than actually 'pushing' it out I breathed it out. I really don't know if this, or the hot flannel on my perenium during the final stages, helped but I do know that I didn't tear at all (just felt very bruised downstairs). See, told you it was TMI.

Not TMI at all Our AN Class teacher actually said giving birth is like pushing out a huge poo lol(thats what she said lol)!! I kinda have to breathe it out in the loo anyways cos I have hemmies down there now, not bad ones but enought to not wanna push (sorry if that was TMI aswell lol)
Im having a water birth so Im hoping the warm water will help prevent tearing or at least bad tearing.

lilfatty-lol, but you have Issy now so its all good

Edited by Sheza

I spent most of my labour at home in the bath. At the start I'd had really bad constant back pains but the minute I got into the water they dissolved away and I could distinguish the contractions. I would definitely do the same next time.

Another tip, after quite some time in the bath my back pain returned so I stayed in the bath with a hot water bottle on the painful area which helped.

Birth plans are really good to give the staff an idea of what you want. We live in an area that occasionally your m/w is several hours drive away delivering other babies and so you have to have a back-up (or even ambulance staff) so it is almost essential to have a birth plan so that everyone knows what to expect.

However, do be prepared for your plans to go out the window. I kept changing my mind about place to deliver even when I was in labour.....all in vain anyway as everything Id planned went out the window when I had to be induced - so much for the natural birth I wanted.

Still I know what to expect next time round and will still do a simple birth plan.