I'm guessing it'll be quiet in here for a bit but if you get a chance to share your thoughts over the next couple of weeks it'd be much appreciated!

So, just back from the midwife. All good. BUT... is this a pile of pants or what?!

1) I see local midwives for check-ups

2) But I'm going to the other local hospital, not the one they deal with

3) When I said I was worried about birth etc. she said that this other hospital don't do a birth plan with you... where as "they" do... write in yoour hand-held notes at one of your later check-ups

4) hmmm whether that's true or not I don't know - I've only see the hospital for scans / bloods

5) So I asked about a birth plan for me??? Do I just jot things down, put them in my notes myself?!

6) She said go on NCT website, alter their template, print that and put in notes.

7) NO offer to go through a plan with me etc?!

8 ) WTF?!! Even if I'm going to a different hospital, why can't she do it with me? Because she doesn't know what they offer or do? Like pain relief, cutting cord etc etc??


Any ideas welcome. I know they go out the window anyway but am getting a bit worried at the prospect of having NOTHING to go by when I get to labour ward xx

Hmm id like to help but with c i kept my birth plan minimal-give birth, have pain relief, neil cut the cord and even then i never discussed it with midwife i just wrote it myself as i wanted to keep an open mind in case things didnt go my way-in the end they didnt so was just as well i didnt have a big in depth plan.

This time round im having a planned sec so dont know how birth plans go for those and need to ask mw

Good luck

ummm thats rubbish! my birth plan was pretty good, but of course, ended up being completely different as i was induced early etc etc

i had:
minimal pain relief

water birth if possible

we know the sex of baby

i want baby on me straight away (unwashed - at my hospital you can require they are washed first haha)

i want the room as dark as possible

i want to be included in all decisions, or my husband to take my place if that isn't possible

i do not under any circumstances want forceps but would prefer a section if necessary

i want an injection to help my placenta deliver and my husband to cut the cord

i want my baby to have a vitamin k injection rather than drops

i intend to breastfeed.

what i actually got labour-wise was:
a 2.5 hour labour with gas and air/failed diamorphine/hundreds of people/medication for blood pressure/bright room with windows open (yuck! haha i remember seeing it hailing outside and thinking...thats wrong, its may)...but the important bits went right, i got help to bf, my husband was consulted as my contractions were too close to talk, and he cut the cord etc so although it wasnt what i invisaged it was pretty good for the situation we were in

my midwife asked if i had a birth plan several times after week 26 and
when i said yes ive done it now, she said thats good but didnt look at
it (i could have lied and said i had done my homework!). just
type/write/fill in whatever comes to mind and stick it in your notes or
have a copy with you - its YOUR labour, and you might need it to hand
when you aren't thinking straight! (plus make sure whoever is coming
with you knows their role in it)

I didn't have a written birth plan. My MW said basically they're suggested so that the MW knows you've researched all of the options available to you and thought about what you'd like. They also encourage a flexible approach to pain relief.

When I went into the delivery suite my MW asked me, whilst Dave was present, if there were any things I did and didn't want. She then wrote them in my notes. My requirements were to be the 1st to hold her, for Dave to cut the cord, that I wanted to attempt bf, and that I didn't want an epidural until I'd tried everything else.

I cannot sing praises loudly enough for my MW's at the hospital, they were PERFECT, absolutely AMAZING. I hope you get the same ones! xxx

I didnt have a birth plan with either... I just thought I would take it as it comes and would make it clear what I wanted if and when I felt like I needed it.

I probably should have had one this time around, as I asked for an epidural and they kept saying 'no'. I insisted and they sorted one (yay!).

When I then explained why I had wanted one and the awful labour I had with Aimee, the MW explained that it wasnt in my notes and if I had done a plan explaining what had happened then they would have given me one straight away.

x

there was a birth plan page in the back of my notes which i filled out myself, it had questions and i wrote the answer of what i wanted, i did have lilly at a birth midwife lef unit though but i dont think that would make a diff, the mw never went through it with me but when i went it to have lilly i said i have a birth plan i would like to follow and they adhered to it completely, if there are certain things you want make sure you write it down a make the point of telling them its there and thats what you want, hope you get it sorted hun xx

Laura, u can get an epidural delivering with a MW? wow..that's so rare in Indonesia. I thought only an anesthesiologist is allowed to give u an epi?

I'm glad u gals stick with vaginal delivery, as the trend is increasing for c-sections everywhere in Indo. I think about 60-70% of the pregnant ladies opted c-sections.. if thats the way maybe I should take a specialist in Ob/Gyn.. more c-sects means more delivery per day, means more $$$.... (j/k) ^.^

@grace: just take notes about what u want during ur delivery and run them through ur MW/OB when u go to the other hospital.. hopefully they can provide u that.