Re: [ozmidwifery] Your thoughts on Birth Plans?

[Janet Fraser]

And in case you're interested, this is the c-sec part of my birth plan.   Transfer plan - caesarean •Epidural anaesthesia will be used. There will be no pre-operative medications, especially sedative drugs, and no sedatives after birth either. A general anaesthetic is a last resort and the parents must consent in full prior to administration. •The father and support person will remain with the mother at all times •The mother will hold the baby while the incision is being closed and has the assistance of the father if required. One arm must be left free. *A double layer closure is required. •A lotus birth is required. We can explain this to any staff who are curious but it is not optional for us. We will supply the bag to contain the placenta with us once out of theatre. In theatre an appropriately sized dish is fine. •The baby will be placed straight on the mother’s skin, unwashed. A blanket can go over both of them. Apgar and well baby checks will only be done by observation while the baby is on the mother. •No one will announce the baby’s sex. •There will be no unnecessary speaking, this is a birth for us, not an everyday working event. •There will be no period in the nursery. Rooming in will be immediate and continuous. Parents and baby will be in the recovery room after delivery. •There will be no separation of mother and baby unless one or other is genuinely seriously ill or unconscious. •If the mother is ill the baby will be carried in kangaroo care style by the father only. There will be no use of plastic boxes with wheels. •The baby will not receive Vitamin K or Hepatitis B injections.   In the event our baby is unwell: •Any procedures must be explained in full and informed, written consent must be obtained before any intervention is performed. •A parent will remain with the baby at all times - no exceptions. •The baby will only be fed breast milk. Absolutely no formula feeding or dummy without our written consent. We will use a donor for EBM if none is available and our baby requires more than colostrum until my milk comes in. •Even if our baby is premature, there will be no period in the nursery. Rooming in will be immediate and continuous unless there is a genuine problem with the baby and informed, written consent is obtained from the parents for treatment of the baby. •Kangaroo care and as much skin to skin contact with parents as possible while our baby is unwell.