Planning for Labor & Your Baby’s Birth

Some believe that planning for labor as a first-time mother is impossible because you have no idea what it’s like. This makes planning for it seem rather overwhelming and unrealistic. But the fact that you don’t know what will happen is exactly the reason why you need a birth plan.

Let’s start by putting out what a birth plan is not; It is not a script for how you want your labor to progress, neither is it an agreement with your doctor, midwife or doula about what they will do during your labor. It is not to determine the outcome of your labor either.

A birth plan is for you. It helps you know what may happen during labor, what options you have so that you settle for what you would like and express your ideas and expectations. It helps you inform your birth team what options you have chosen and would like to try during labor and those you would like to avoid. They get to understand what type of support you are looking for leaving you to focus on the amazing birthing process. A birth plan may also help you determine if the caregiver you have chosen is the best match for you. If a situation arises during labor and a decision must be made, it is easy for your birth team to check your birth plan and see how you wanted the scenario handled.

In a nutshell, the purpose for a birth plan is to help you determine how to react during labor; and to help those attending to you understand your decisions about how to handle both the normal and the unexpected situations.

Here are four steps to getting your birth plan to work for you.

1.  Know Your Options
   Different doctors, midwives, doulas and hospitals will give you different options for handling the same situation. As you talk to the different birth team members, find out what their birth policy and philosophy is. Get to know the different options that are provided.
2. Make Your Choice
   Now that you know what options are available to you, genuinely ask yourself what you feel about the options. What you strongly feel about is important to you and is definitely your choice, so stick to it.
3. Write Down Your Plan
   You can keep the plan in mind but putting it down on paper helps communicate it to your birth team. Write the options you would like to try and those you would like to avoid. Start by planning how the normal labor is to be handled, then how you prefer the unexpected to be handled. Some areas you may want to think about include:
   • Support: husband, friend, doula?
   • Environment: music, TV, quiet, lighting
   • Equipment: Birth ball, pool/tub, stool, bed
   • Examinations and monitoring: Which and how often
   • Coping techniques: positions, massage, hypnosis etc
   • Birthing: positions, pushing, episiotomy
   • Yours or your spouse’s participation during the actual birth
   • After birth: holding your baby, breastfeed, placenta
   • The baby: stays with you throughout, vaccines
   • Interventions you are open to at all stages
4. The Reality Check
   Determine if what you have decided can be offered by your caregiver and hospital. Be assertive remembering that it is your choice and birth but also pay attention to the thoughts and rationales of your birth team as this may influence your decision to change your plan or your team.
5. Share your Plan With Your Birth Team
   Get to discuss the plan with each member of your team. Ensure that each of them understands your preferences, expectations and are willing and ready to support you. Ensure they also understand how you would like the unexpected handled. Give a copy to each team member and keep a copy with you.

Finally, when interventions are recommended, the mnemonic BRAIN will help you remember what to ask;

Benefits: What is the advantage of the intervention
Risks: What are the risks the intervention is preventing?
Alternatives: Is there another way?
Intuition: What do you feel about the situation, recommendations?
Need time: If possible, take some time to make your decision

Remember, your dream may sometimes be realized and sometimes it might not. Your birth team may also keep you so comfy, you forget you had a birth plan!
So, be flexible and don’t use your birth plan as a benchmark for how well or not your birth went.