Birth Plans

[ELK Mama]

Is anyone writing a birth plan? I plan to. We had a home birth with our third (SO AMAZING) but we have moved to another state since then, and our insurance won't cover one here. I'm so disappointed but what can ya do. Anyway, since having the home birth, I am going to be pretty picky about what the doctor/nurses do/don't do. I basically want to say don't touch my baby at all unless necessary haha. I talked to my ob about writing one (I really dislike her) but she didn't really give me any info, or websites to use to make one. Anyone know of a site?

[AlexL2010]

I know there are a few websites, however have you looked into a birthing center? If you're going to use an OB be prepared for a very non-intervention free birth. They will have their hands in you, on you, and your baby as much as they want. How about a midwife?

[Consensus]

Popping in from October (hope you don't mind!) - I used this as a baseline for mine: http://nursingbirth.com/2009/07/22/w...-nurse-part-1/ (there's a part 2 that I found helpful as well) but different hospitals have different policies, at least in my city, and so what I experienced last time around at one hospital is very different this time around, and some of the items didn't apply because they're not part of hospital/birthing policy anyway. I went over mine with the OB after I wrote it so got a chance to figure out what policies were.

Not all OB's are super interventionist. My OB (who is the head OB/GYN at this university hospital) hasn't even checked me yet for dilation (I'm over 39 weeks), saying childbirth is a natural event and they treat it as such, and the nurses are pretty natural childbirth friendly. They even teach hypnobirthing at the hospital! Last year I had called around and spoke to a doula to get a recommendation for doctor/hospital that would best support natural childbirth, and having made a choice of dr. based on that I feel like my birth plan is a "I respect your professional and medical opinion and please respect my wishes" instead of a laminated war plan fighting against half their standard policies, written or not. The last hospital I delivered at was very interventionist, I'm grateful to have the option to avoid that.

When I searched for the site I posted above, I happened upon this birth plan written by an L&D nurse. It's quite a hoot http://www.babymed.com/labor-deliver...-birthing-plan

If you dislike your doctor so much now, is it too late to change?

[pumpkinpeejays]

I'm not writing one. I did with Sonja and all they read was the first page, which told them the basics: I wanted her placed on my breast ASAP, she was to sleep in our room, Matt will cut the cord, stuff like that. Of course, I was at a regular hospital. If you were to find a birthing center, I'd hope it's different and more personal. I wonder whether a birthing center has a form you can fill out with your birth plan?

This isn't the site I used but it's one I'm referencing now.... really user-friendly: http://www.babyzone.com/pregnancy/bi...erations_71578