What sort of issues should the birth plan cover?

There are a huge number of issues that you will need to consider for this birthing plan. You need to consider issues such as how soon after labour commences you feel comfortable going to the hospital, who you would like to accompany you, and your feelings concerning intervention such as intravenous drips and medication to speed up labour. You may have strong opinions about pain relief. In addition, the conditions in the birthing room may be important for you – lighting, temperature, music, the ability to record the event, and ideas about food and drink. You might wish the staff to know that it is important for you to hold and feed the baby immediately after birth, and that the administration, such a weighing the baby, should be carried out after that.

The other issues which you should consider putting into the birth plan are issues surrounding the care of your newborn. If you are planning to breastfeed, for example, then you may want to ask for a sign on the crib asking that your baby is not given supplementary water. This avoids the possibility of nipple confusion. You may have strong ideas about not bathing the baby for the first day, so that the vernix (the creamy covering over the baby at birth) can be absorbed, or you might want the baby to bathed as soon as possible. You might also want to make decisions about whether you want the baby with you or if you think the baby should be in the nursery, brought to only for feeds and a cuddle, so that you can rest and recover before you go home.

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