AD | Collaborative post
Congratulations on your pregnancy! We hope it is all going smoothly. It’s a busy time of appointments, house prep and of course seeing family. It is important to remember to take time for yourself and be in control. A good way to take some downtime while also being productive is creating your birth plan.
Not everyone will want or need one but if you’re thinking about what you need to include, we have a few ideas for you. Read on for things to include while prepping your birth plan.
Medical
Having medical information at your fingers tips can make the whole day run smoother. From your allergies to pain management to instructions in an emergency, you can include a lot of detail in this section. Even if you are having a home birth, listing medical details can save a lot of stress.
This is also the ideal section to include what you want to happen with the placenta and after birth. There are a few options available to you such as placenta encapsulation, private storage, keeping it and of course throwing it away. If you have something planned, note it down.
People
Other than the medical professionals who are there to help you, you will have some say in who you want in the room with you. If you want it to just, be you and your birth partner, make sure people know this and it is noted down. This is mostly for the sake of your birth partner.
Within this section, if you have specific details on who can come into the room after the baby is born and how long they need to wait, have that written down so that your nurses and birth partner can help you out.
Lastly have important contact details for people you might need in an emergency. This can be your GP, doctor, family, or friends but if you want someone to be able to contact them, have their details ready.
Environment
This is somewhat easier to control if you are having a home birth, but you can always check what is possible in the hospital.
If you want to have music, dim lighting, want to be given updates in a specific way, yoga ball or birthing pool, make a note of it and agree upon it with the people looking after you. Anything that can make the whole process somewhat more bearable is worth trying for.
Do I need one?
This is not a compulsory document that you must have. If you would rather go in and just roll with it or just communicate as and when you need things, that is fine. If you do make one for yourself keep in mind you can make it as detailed or simple as you like. There are even templates online if you want to make life easy.
To put it simply – it is worth it if you think it is.