OUR NATURAL BIRTH PLAN

I recently sat down with a friend and soon-to-be-mom to go over some first time mommy stuff, like birth plans, what to expect in labor & delivery, good books to read, etc, and it wasn't until after she left that I thought hey, wait a minute, I'm about to do this whole birthing thing again too! Yes, that's right, I forgot that we both have an upcoming appointment with the labor & delivery ward and that both of us need to get our birthing plan in order. Then a few weeks later when I picked up some nursing cream for her baby shower it didn't occur to me until I got home that- earth to Sarah!- I needed some too, amongst other similar lapses. Please tell me this is normal for third time moms?

Anyway, one important thing to mention before delving into birth plan talk; this is a no-judgement zone! I wholeheartedly support natural birth, but life is unpredictable, not everything goes according to plan, and not everybody has the same ideas about how to approach it all. And that's okay! I've been really fortunate to have short and uncomplicated deliveries, but that doesn't mean that interventions don't have their place too. So praise God for good doctors and for the interventions that we're blessed to have when needed. And to be perfectly honest, I'd be a total liar if I said I wasn't tempted to just get an epidural this time!

That being said, this is the birth plan we've used for both Asher {read his birth story here} and Silas {read his birth story here}. I borrowed it from a friend {thanks Jamie!} and stuck to it pretty closely for both boys. This has been a great guide to follow and I hope it's helpful for some of you moms-to-be, too!

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OUR NATURAL BIRTH PLAN

LABOR & DELIVERY PREFERENCES

Pain medication: none preferred.

IV and Heparin lock: none preferred if not medically necessary.

Membranes: allow to rupture naturally, even when dilation nears 10cm.

Electronic fetal monitoring: external and only for initial 20 min strip, after that I would prefer intermittent monitoring.

Freedom of movement/positioning: throughout labor and pushing stage.

Perineum care: no episiotomy unless absolutely necessary.

Skin-to-skin contact immediately following delivery, and immediate attempt at breastfeeding to promote natural delivery of the placenta.

Umbilical cord not to be clamped until after it has stopped pulsing. 

NEWBORN SCREENING/TESTING/VITALS

No Hepatitis vaccination.

NEWBORN CARE & HANDLING

Exclusive breastfeeding: No bottles of any supplements or formula or pacifiers. 

Prefer baby to remain in room with mother; If baby needs to leave for any testing, father/birth partner will accompany baby at all times. 

INTERVENTIONS & EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

No interventions desired unless absolutely medically necessary. 

Cesarean section: In the case of this surgery, dad would like to be present and to remain with the baby at all times following birth. 

A couple of notes; I did have a Heparin lock both times {the receiver for the IV that goes around your wrist}, I did have Pitocin following the delivery for the sake of delivering the placenta both times, and I removed a bullet from this list about having a warm compress for perineum care during labor that I didn't have either time. 

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And there's one thing I didn't mention on our list, the most important of all; PRAYER! I admit that it's another thing I haven't been doing consistently enough when it comes to preparing for this birth, so I need to change that. But I know that whether our big day goes according to plan or not, Christ holds all of the details in the palm of His hand. He's my source of strength and sufficiency in all things, especially the sacred blessing of birth. I hope and pray that you have the same assurance!

One last thing- here's my 10 Things On Breastfeeding post, another topic I need to brush up on. Big changes coming around here!