| You asked for it! lol
Home Birth Plan
In General:
Ideally, if all goes smoothly, I would like for the midwives to generally remain in the background and not get involved in my labour unless I ask them to.
The labour:
I would like to remain active and use whatever position I find comfortable.
Please encourage me to stay off my back – particularly for the second stage!
I would like to minimise internal examinations and, if possible, have them done in a position other than lying on my back.
I do not want my waters broken.
Monitoring of the baby’s heartbeat should be done as unobtrusively as possible and in whatever position I am in at the time.
If the baby appears to be poorly positioned or labour is not progressing well for some reason, I would like to try different positions and movements that might help.
I would like to have music playing during the labour, and I want to be in charge of the iPod.
I would like for the clocks in the house to be covered or removed as I do not want to be clock watching.
Birth Companions
Only my mother, Laurie and my partner, Barry may be present during labour and birth. I do not want to be contacted by friends and family asking ‘is it out yet’. Mum or Barry can tell these people to ‘bugger off’.
Pain relief:
I would like Entonox and Pethadine to be available. However I do not want them to offered unless I specifically ask for them.
I intend to use baths and a TENS Machine to aid me in pain management.
The birth:
Please keep the room as quiet as possible during the second stage.
I do not want to be coached through the birth unless it seems as if I need some help, and if anyone calls me ‘mum’ instead of using my name I may hit them over the head with the gas and air!
I would like to give birth in my bedroom
I would like to give birth in an upright, kneeling, supported squatting or all-fours position to give the baby maximum space to descend through my pelvis. I do not want to be on my back or semi-reclining unless that position seems right for me on the day, having tried alternatives. If I am too tired to maintain an upright position then please encourage me to lie on my side instead of my back, to allow maximum mobility in my pelvis.
When my baby is born, please pass him or her straight to me.
Please only administer an episiotomy if the baby needs to be born quickly.
I would like the lights dimmed when my baby is born, and for the minimum amount of noise to be made.
I would not like mucus suctioned from the baby’s mouth and nose unless necessary.
Please do not announce the baby's sex as we would like to find out for ourselves.
Third Stage:
I would like a physiological third stage with the cord clamped and cut when it stops pulsating. I wish no drugs to be used unless specifically indicated. It is important to me that you do not clamp the cord until it has stopped pulsating, unless you need to take emergency steps which preclude this. **Please do not pull on the cord or use fundal pressure unless there is a specific indication to do so, as I have read that this is contra-indicated in drug-free third stages**.
I would like my midwife to set up her resuscitation equipment as close as possible to the place where I give birth, so that if my baby needs resuscitation, this can be done with the cord still attached - thus giving her the benefit of all the oxygenated blood which is transfused from the placenta to the baby when the cord pulsates.
Please offer my partner the opportunity to cut the cord if possible.
We do not wish to keep the placenta
Care of the baby:
I would like to breastfeed my baby as soon as possible after the birth
I would like to keep the baby unclothed and close to my skin immediately after birth, to maximise skin-to-skin contact
I would prefer that my baby is not given an injection of Vitamin K, but would like him/her to have oral Vitamin K instead.
In case of transfer to hospital:
I do not wish to be transferred to hospital unless my or the baby’s health are at risk.
If transfer by ambulance becomes necessary, please do not strap me in on my back - I would prefer to be on my side, to make contractions easier to deal with.
I agree to student doctors being present during my treatment
I am very keen to avoid a caesarean section if it is at all possible, as I do not want to enter future labours with a scarred uterus. I particularly would like to avoid a caesarean just for slow progress. If labour is simply taking a long time but my baby is not in immediate danger, please would you encourage me to keep going and perhaps to try changes of position or movements which might help. Please do not offer a caesarean unless my baby is in danger.
If a caesarean section becomes necessary, I would prefer to remain awake with epidural or spinal block anaesthesia. I would like my partner to stay with me at all times, and would like to breastfeed the baby as soon after birth as possible.
If there are problems after the birth:
If I suffer a severe post-partum haemorrhage, please do not perform a hysterectomy unless it is the only available course of action.
Please do not admit my baby to Special Care simply for observation, but only if there is a specific reason for concern.
Baby Feeding
Please do not give my baby supplements of glucose water or formula milk without my permission. I would expressly like to avoid having any formula supplements unless it is unavoidable, and certainly not in the first two days in any event.
Under no circumstances is my baby to be bottle-fed as this could lead to nipple confusion and hinder breastfeeding. If supplements are necessary, please give them by spoon or other method, not by bottle.
If I have trouble breastfeeding, I would greatly appreciate the help of a midwife who is fully supportive of breastfeeding, and would also like to be given contact details for local breastfeeding counsellors.
Going Home
I would like to go home as soon after the birth as I am able to move, unless I or the baby have health problems which require hospital treatment. | 
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