6: Write your Birth Preferences
It helps to write down how you would like your labor to go – which things you would like to avoid and which you may or will choose. This is not necessarily HOW everything will go. You should be prepared for every possibility and be flexible. No one knows how labor will progress until you are there. You may find yourself changing your mind several times throughout labor. However, having your written birth preferences allows your birth team to remind you of what you wanted throughout labor. You should discuss your choices with your provider ahead of time as some items may be against the hospital or provider policy and may need to be adjusted.
Some questions to ask yourself:
What are my feelings on interventions? Which do I want to avoid? Which am I ok with?
Would I like to decline cervical checks or have them regularly?
How do I plan to cope with the pain of labor?
Would I like to be offered pain meds or would I like to go natural?
Would I like to be coached on pushing or push as I feel inclined?
Once baby is born, would I like immediate skin-to-skin? Would I like to wait to clamp the cord until it stops pulsing? Who would I like to cut the cord?
These are only a few question to get you started! There are many more things to decide.
What were some things you included in your birth plan?
It helps to write down how you would like your labor to go – which things you would like to avoid and which you may or will choose. This is not necessarily HOW everything will go. You should be prepared for every possibility and be flexible. No one knows how labor will progress until you are there. You may find yourself changing your mind several times throughout labor. However, having your written birth preferences allows your birth team to remind you of what you wanted throughout labor. You should discuss your choices with your provider ahead of time as some items may be against the hospital or provider policy and may need to be adjusted.
Some questions to ask yourself:
What are my feelings on interventions? Which do I want to avoid? Which am I ok with?
Would I like to decline cervical checks or have them regularly?
How do I plan to cope with the pain of labor?
Would I like to be offered pain meds or would I like to go natural?
Would I like to be coached on pushing or push as I feel inclined?
Once baby is born, would I like immediate skin-to-skin? Would I like to wait to clamp the cord until it stops pulsing? Who would I like to cut the cord?
These are only a few question to get you started! There are many more things to decide.
What were some things you included in your birth plan?
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