Why Make It and What Are My Plans Really?
“Plan? I don’t even have a pla,” Phoebe Buffet from Friends said it, but aren’t we all thinking it at some point in life?
Whether it is in relation to what our next step is in life, what we are making for dinner tomorrow, or how to start putting together a birth plan, or should I say birth preferences. Knowing what your options are, what you want, and arguably more important what you don’t want, is a significant step to take in those last few weeks before you meet your little one. Being on the same page as your partner and/or support team, as well as your medical team is key as well. So that when the magical moments are happening you aren’t trying to discuss and make decisions at the same time as you are trying to get a human out of you, and breath like it’s just a light jog around the block.
Some of your options are about laboring- at home? IV or not? Gown or not? Meds? Epidural? Contrary to what most people assume, and what you see on TV, you are allowed to labor and give birth in whatever outfit you choose (assuming you aren’t having a c-section). Now, those gowns aren’t restrictive at all and so if that is what you are most comfortable in, go for it! But just know if you’d rather stay in your sweats and sports bra when you get to the hospital you are able to.
Many hospitals check you in and immediately want to hook you up to an IV. Now, this is just their normal procedure, and many people don’t know any different, so they just go with it. However, being connected to an IV constantly severely limits your mobility while you labor, especially if using the tub is something you’re interested in trying as a way to cope. Many hospitals only require a port to be in place in case you need to act quickly, but for me that was the way to go!
Some of your options are about the birth: What position do you want to be in? Do you want delayed cord clamping?
Delayed cord clamping- what even is that? This just means that instead of having the umbilical cord cut moments after baby is on your chest, you can request to wait until the cord is emptied into baby naturally (it will look more grey with all the blood gone). This gives baby all that amazing cord blood (another option is to donate the cord blood, but I won’t go into that today).
Still other options are for after birth: Golden hour of skin to skin and breastfeeding? Delayed first bath? Heb b shot and eye ointment? Vit K shot? Circumcision? Delayed Apgar/testing?
Many of these I will let you ask your Midwife or OB about, given that they are very personal choices, but I just want to bring to your attention a few of the things that the hospital will just do if you don’t mention you would like something different.
Making your birth preferences and going into it knowing you are ready and comfortable with the choices you’ve made for yourself and your baby in such a fragile few hours is so empowering. A little research ahead of time can make all the difference.
