Birth Preferences (1st draft!)

Jos

13 years ago

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I loved Oak’s birth preferences letter here, so I’m going to be stealing much of it, some of it word for word. Thanks! 🙂 I’m not at the point of being ready to write that letter in a cohesive manner, so in the meantime, here are the basic points that I’m trying to organize in my mind so that I can go over questions with my midwife at my next appointment this Thursday. Feel free to let me know in the comments about things you think would be important to add!

Just FYI, this will be a hospital birth, but that birth will be attended by my midwife – not an OB – unless an emergency c-section is necessary.
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During Labor
-I do not want any meds offered to me or pain scale questions asked of me. If any medical interventions become necessary, I want to be fully consulted first.
-The birth will be a hypnobabies birth – please keep lights and voice low. Minimal coached pushing.

(Hypnobabies is a very successful 6 week complete childbirth education course using Gerald Kein’s Painless Childbirth techniques instead of simple relaxation, breathing or guided imagery. This allows our Hypno-Moms to enjoy “Eyes Open Childbirth Hypnosis,” easily remaining deeply in hypnosis while walking, talking changing positions; being as mobile as they would like to be during childbirth. We are famous for much shorter, easier and more comfortable labors, making childbirth the joyful experience it was meant to be.)

-I would like to be assigned a nurse that is partial to natural birthing (which thus far we are feeling pretty positive about, since the two nurses we know so far are both big natural birth proponents).
-I want to be able to walk, move, or change positions as desired during labor.
-Can I eat/drink during labor? If not, why not?

Post Birth

-No cord traction for placenta removal / No Pitocin after delivery unless necessary

-Delay cord clamping until pulsation has ceased

-Immediate skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby, please delay any cleaning or rubbing.

-No Vitamin K shot (look into oral options?)… or is this necessary for blood clotting reasons if it’s a boy and circumcision is being done?

-No Antibiotic Eye Ointment (NO silver nitrate, and I am allergic to the alternative option of erythromycin so could baby be? Mom – do you remember what actually happens to me when I take erythromycin?). I can do a STD test pre-delivery to rule out any chance of passing on gonorrhea or chlamydia if that’s the only concern. If there are other concerns, what are they?

-No Hep B shot.

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I’m sure I’ll think of more questions, but that’s it for now. I’m actually hoping to keep this list very simple in the end, but first I need to get a few questions answered so that Charlie and I are prepared/educated about our options and rights in the hospital.

Finally, I’ll leave you with this note from my Mom about her own doctor and birth preferences with me 30 years ago. My Mom, the rebel. 🙂

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After the 37 week line Dr. D. typed “Pt. has numerous questions, many things that really have no relationship to her pregnancy. Has many ideas that seem to be pretty much in defiance of normal medical treatment, seems to be P. Will continue supporting pt., numerous explanations are given for the routine cares.” DLC

This made me laugh to read. My “defiance of normal medical treatment’ had to do with not wanting drugs, not wanting an episiotomy, not wanting the baby circumcised if it was a boy, wanting to walk around during labor, wanting to deliver standing or squatting if that was more comfortable at the time, etc etc. I had total faith that my body was made to have a baby, and I did not need all the rigamarole. Dr. D. wasn’t used to such requests back in 1982!

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