Birth Plan – Preparing For Labour

In about 10 weeks I’m going to get another one of these! I’m so excited, despite being very uncomfortable at the same time.

It’s probably time to start thinking about my birth plan. You can never start too early when it comes to thinking about how you want your labour to look. Some ideas have been floating around in my head for a while now.

There’s a lot of information out there about the different options, and it’s best to start filtering it sooner rather than later, especially if it’s your first baby.

I wrote Childbirth: The First One and Childbirth: The Second One to help me think about the pregnancy and labour I wanted 3rd time round, and here’s what it’s help me come up with.

During Pregnancy

Perhaps the most important thing is that I want as healthy a pregnancy as I can get. I want to be calm and have as many positive influences around me as possible. Negativity can have such a detrimental effect on Mum and the baby’s health and well-being, as well as attitude going into labor. I go to antenatal exercise classes and pregnancy yoga, and I’m thinking of taking childbirth education classes, too. This, for someone who hasn’t fitted regular exercise in for about 3 years is a huge step!

I will use and abuse all the resources that are available to me to support me during my pregnancy. This may mean dear Husband changing a few more of Princess’s nappies and doing a few more bath times. The Teenager will also be roped in for a few more cleaning duties than normal. He’s got quite good at cleaning the bathroom now, for a small fee of course!

Hypnobirthing promotes the use of affirmations and I’ve come up with the following list of positive statements I’ll repeat to myself as often as I remember to do it. The key to using this technique is saying the affirmation with meaning so it penetrates your consciousness.

1. I will stay in control

2. I want a calm and peaceful labour for my baby, my husband and I

3. I will listen to my body and let it deliver my baby when it’s ready

4. I know what’s right for me and my baby and I will let my husband and midwife know what I want.

5. I will be firm if I need to be.

6. I will not be frightened, my body knows what to do.

Here’s some other ideas if you think this technique might work for you:

Early Labour

Staying at home for as long as possible seems to work best for me. With my last labour, I might have stayed at home a little too long! My maternity bag, a separate labour bag, and my notes will be ready and waiting to go. Notoriously, I’ll pack far too much! Mental note to self; make sure Husband knows where it all is, and exactly what needs to come into labour suite. There was a bit of toing and froing to the car last time!

Make sure paracetamol is to hand and as soon as twinges of labour start, take recommended dose! Rest in the early stages of labour is essential, and I’m hoping this tact might even let me get a few more hours sleep before things really kick in!

Eat! Essential for energy during labour. I’ve found that light meals like scrambled eggs on toast really work.

Drink! Have plenty of bottled water to hand and keep hydrated, as some hot sweats are pretty likely.

Experience has told me to wear the clothes that I want for labour as soon as things start happening, as it will be the last thing on my mind later. It might also help preserve a little dignity, you never know! My nightshirt, with button opening and joggers are already picked out!

I’ll be praying for a nice day too, as getting out of the house for a walk and some fresh air really helps focus the mind and gets those contractions going.

I’ll be keeping an eye on the time! We focused a lot on the times for contractions before, well my husband did! This labour we’ll be keeping an eye on the actual time too. This is easier said than done, but we live in a city, and driving through rush hour traffic when contractions are coming thick and fast is not my idea of fun. If it’s 3:30pm on a Friday, and I think my baby’s ready, I’m not having the midwife put me off because the ward’s busy! I want a calm and peaceful labour remember!

Active Labour

My aim is for a natural delivery, if it’s safe for my baby and I. I’d prefer not to have an epidural, or any pain relief that will effect the baby. I hope that gas and air will be enough! It worked wonders last time. I’m not brave enough to say I don’t need anything at all I’m afraid.

In the labour suite I’d like to have some music on, perhaps some aromatherapy oils and some other essentials to hand like a bottle of water, a cool towel and of course my husband.

I want to be upright, whether it’s walking or sitting as I find these are the best positions for me for labour. Those exercise balls are great too.

I want things to progress as naturally as possible for everyone involved. I know it can be done.

After Delivery

I don’t think that people think about this so much, but it’s equally as important as all the stages leading up to and including the arrival of your new baby. Are you going to be staying in hospital or not? There is a lot of pressure on Mum’s to go home as soon as possible, but I’m considering 2 nights in the hospital hotel.

I want breastfeeding to be well on the road to being established, and I want some time away from being at home thinking about how dinner’s going to get sorted and when the washing’s going on. I want some space to get to know my new baby. We’ll also have to start looking at some comfortable cribs for the little one to transition into, if not immediately, at least a few weeks later. I was going to take a look at some websites with recommendations, and I got a few suggestions to look at https://www.safebabymonitor.com/best-mini-crib-for-small-spaces/ and others as well, so that’s something that still needs to be sorted out.

My son is potentially going to be in the throws of his GCSE’s when baby is born, and the arrival of the new baby in the home needs to be as calm and smooth as possible for everyone. For this to happen, I’m going to take my time about getting home. Well, fingers crossed anyway.

Also, final note to self; do not forget to make sure husband knows how to fit the car seat!

It all sounds so easy doesn’t it! I’ll let you know how the plan works out.

Please leave me a comment if you found this article useful, I love to hear what you think.