MSE Pregnancy Club 28

sexymouse

Well although I'm only 28 weeks on Friday, I've spent this morning writing my birth plan. After 2 traumatic births (for different reasons), my anxiety about the birth is quite high, so it has helped me to feel a little more in control as I now have my wishes on paper. I'm seeing my consultant at 32 weeks and he said that he'd discuss the birth plan then, so I felt that I ought to do it whilst I have the chance, as it's harder to sit down and take the time to think things through when my 4-year-old is around.

Mancmama if you google NHS birth plan, there is a fairly good one on there (I used this with my son) that you can fill in online and print, or print and fill in by hand. I suspect I may make a few tweaks to mine over the coming weeks, but essentially it is ready now. For me, it was really important to include information about my traumatic previous births (and anxieties as a result) and the fact that this is a pregnancy after loss, so these were additional things to those that would be on a standard plan.

rubywhatashmoo

Blimey newcook your OH is a brave man to make comments like that!! :rotfl:

Been a weird week over here - still pregnant though! 39+2 today and hoping the supermoon does it's magic and tempts baby out tonight, enough is enough!! Listed our house for sale last week - had 3 viewings and 2 of those have cancelled already - very annoying getting the house all sparkling for no reason but it's nice to have the place tidy I suppose - not sure how easy that is going to be to maintain with a newborn here!!

My midwife waved a page from my maternity notes at me 4 weeks ago and said to read over it for some ideas about the birth and we'd discuss it at the next appointment - well there's not really anything on the list and she wasn't at my next appointment anyway! I think the only thing I really have a strong preference on is that I want the baby to be given a quick wipe before he's handed over Can't face the idea of having a slimy baby plonked on me :eek: Other than that he should be having the vitamin K injection (depending on how the birth goes) and then having skin to skin contact while he hopefully has a crack at breastfeeding

sexymouse

rubywhatashmoo wrote: »

I think the only thing I really have a strong preference on is that I want the baby to be given a quick wipe before he's handed over Can't face the idea of having a slimy baby plonked on me :eek:

This is also one of my requests. My son was wiped, but where my daughter was so tiny and fragile when she was born (at 14 weeks), she wasn't and the photos we have of her are a bit alarming as a result which is a shame.

pink_petal

newcook, I think if you want a pool birth the drugs you can take are pretty much limited to gas and air. Anything that makes you immobile or drowsy is a no. We discussed it at my class last week and it actually put a few people off using the pool - they were aware you couldn't have an epidural but thought you could still have opiates but apparently not! We also learned about a drug called remifentanil which sounded great as you can control it...but you cant have that in the pool either! I'm still leaning towards the pool though as it's pain relief on it's own...but reserving the right to change my mind if it's too painful haha!

MancMama4

Yikes, looks like the NCT classes will help me a lot then with this - I guess with the GD diagnosis and the worry over all that I hadn't really thought about what will happen when I am actually giving birth!! If I even get to do it naturally and don't get induced... I'm hopeful for now though, I've had some success in keeping my blood sugars in the recommended range (with a couple of exceptions) so will be interesting to see our growth scan this week and see if he's still measuring bang on... gosh I miss chocolate though!!!!!

I'll start with the NHS plan for now - thanks all.

Kynthia

Newcook your OH is a cheeky one! When he goes through labour then he can decide on the level of pain relief! I bet when he sees you in pain he'd be quick to change his mind.

One thing to bear in mind is that pools aren't always available, you might get there too late to use one, you might need to get out of the pool if it slows your labour down or you or the baby need monitoring for some reason, etc. So don't limit your plan to the pool scenario and put whether you're willing to consider other pain relief options.

pink_petal

So true about the pools Kynthia, the hospital we're going to only has two birthing pools so if someone is using them we won't have that option. Also, if I can't get this little lady to turn from being breech I won't be using it either! I've been using moves from the Spinning Babies website every evening but I can still feel her in the same position every time she stretches out! Clearly she is way too comfy!

psychopathbabble

Kynthia, I found my birth 'preferences' useful and wrote it with the help of my hypnobirthing book... Things like:

You have my consent to take my blood pressure/baby heart rate etc whenever required

I don't want examinations unless deemed medically necessary

Dim lights in room

Delayed cord clamping until placenta delivered

At least 1 hour skin to skin directly after birth before any checks are done

Vitamin K can be administered via injection

Talking to be kept to a minimum so I can concentrate on the hypnobirthing and the birth I'm trying to achieve

No directed pushing, I will trust my body to do what comes naturally (this sounds very hippy ish but it's surprisingly true!)



I probably sound like a diva but if you do have any preferences, no matter how small, it's worth writing them down. I was in so much pain with my sciatic nerve, I was not able to have discussed any of my 'plan' whether I wanted to or not. My husband gave the midwife a copy of it, although at that point I couldn't have cared less, and she was absolutely fantastic... I knew she had read it straight away as the lights were immediately dimmed! She also discussed everything with my husband before deciding whether I needed to discuss it.. For example I was pushing for a very long time (the little madam had her hand up by her face!) and the midwife said although I didn't want directed pushing, she could help me if I wanted her to... She gave me advice to help me rather than telling me what to do. She also asked if I wanted her to do the checks yet but it was ok if I wanted to keep hold of baby longer. They were even trying to get me a pool room but I went from 4 to 10 so fast, that I didn't really have time to wait for it... Even then they still gave me the option to wait and move to the pool room but by then I couldn't have got off the bed or climbed into the pool! The bath at home had also slowed my contractions so probably best we didn't end up having one.


I hope you are all doing well xx

psychopathbabble

MancMama4 wrote: »

Oh Kynthia I don't even know where to start with a birth plan!! I'm hoping the midwife will shed more light on it at my 34 week appt... I feel so uneducated on it all!

My midwives never went through it with me, I was given some leaflets when I asked but I found the birth plan on NHS website useful, I would have a look at that if I were you. I mentioned birth plan at 36 weeks and was told to mention it at 38 week appointment, still didn't discuss it even then but I had more or less written it myself with the help of website and my hypnobirthing book.

One thing the hypnobirthing book said is try to keep it to bullet points and one page, the midwives may not have time to read it properly if it's more than one page and not easy to read.

Also, make sure you pack plenty of snacks in your bags. I only used the aerosol water spray out of everything I had packed but I was starving after birth and while we were waiting to go home, so I made use of the snacks and drinks then! The best advise I had was take bottles of water with straws.. My husband then constantly fed me water but I didn't have to use my hands as the straw was so easy to use

Kynthia

Dim lights and snacks are good tips Psychopathbabble. I remember living on my snacks and paracetamol from my bag after the birth as it wasn't until the following afternoon that I was released and my after - pains were terrible. You don't often get them with your first but they apparently get worse each time to my sister has suggested I buy codine to take in this time, but I'll have to check whether that is safe with breastfeeding.