Are you going to be a new mama?! Are you excited to have your little baby soon? Actually, you should be. Well, this is very natural to be excited in this period and that’s the reason why mothers frequently make mistakes before leaving for the hospital.
This is true that you don’t know what the exact time when your baby is coming is. But, there are lots of things that you can get fixed. You can avoid all the complexities by just noting down and scheduling everything evenly. You can assume a date and arrange everything before that date.
Sometimes, silly things create big issues, especially when you are facing the ultimate stage of pregnancy. That’s why you should always be prepared and note down every crucial thing that you need to do most before and after giving birth.
Today we have decided to give a clear conception about the birth plan checklist you should definitely make for your before and after pregnancy period.
What Is a Birth Plan?
The birth plan is not the thing that most people think about. Let’s know about the birth plan in detail but in an easy way. A birth plan is a document that consists of all your preferences regarding a medical professional’s help during and after your baby is born. You will definitely be in a critical condition and may not be able to talk at all.
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So, this is almost impossible to confirm those things asked of you at that time. Now you may think, how can I decide what to do and not for the medical representatives. Well, there are actually some things that you can decide. Which people can be on your side delivering? What types of pain management would you prefer? Who will cut the umbilical cord? Etc. You have to think about these things before and make a birth plan checklist so that doctors can do everything immediately with your consent.
What Happens When a Birth Plan Doesn’t Go as Expected?
We always appreciate how you develop your birth plan. These must be all those things that you were dreaming throughout your life to have. But, it is necessary to discuss your birth plan with your doctors or medical representatives before delivery.
They will analyse your medical conditions and history. In case of any potential difficult circumstances, they will make changes in your birth plan. It is the doctor’s responsibility to keep both you and your newborn baby.
So, they have to take into account your physical condition and strength as labour pain is unpredictable and tough to bear and you can’t be assured that you will do it. Always prepare for the situation when the doctor will say that they can’t do a particular thing according to your will.
You should feel good because everything happening with you is good for you and this is more important than anything. So, if there are any decisions from doctors that are against your birth plan, you should take it easy and cooperate with them.
Birth Plan Checklist:
You should confirm the following information regarding you and your preferences. So, let’s go to see what they actually are.
1. Names and Contact Information
This is very crucial to decide where you will give your baby born. You should note down every personal detail of yourself, including your name, contact number, the contact information of your dearest one. You should also mention the place where you want to give birth to your baby.
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You have more than one option for that. You can choose a hospital, home, birthing centre, etc. Whatever you choose should be written on the documents in detail so that people around you can easily take you to that particular hospital or birthing centre. If you are not interested in going anywhere, your family members can manage medical representatives at your home to ensure safe delivery.
2. Medical Issues
When you are in a hurry to leave for the hospital, you will get very little time to explain everything to your family members. In fact, you may not be able to talk much to your doctors and other medical representatives.
But, this is crucial to know about your physical conditions and medical history for further processing. There are so many issues that will create problems to do necessary things while delivering. The best option is to describe your medical complications and general information in the birth plan.
You should note down your blood group. You should mention if you have gestational diabetes and other critical diseases so that doctors can get to know about your medical condition at a glance and take the necessary steps.
3. Environment and Comfort
You can keep your preferences in the birth plan regarding the delivery time. Well, as we said before, you have the right to choose a place to deliver a baby among hospitals, birthing centres and homes. You can write your choice in the birth plan.
In fact, you can write down how your delivery room should be. You may choose a low lighting room with soft music that may relax you. You can also demand experienced doctors and nurses instead of student doctors. You have to write all these things in your birth plan so that doctors can make decisions quickly.
4. Labor
Doctors may face problems regarding your comfortability while birthing the baby. You should let them know which position is more comfortable for you. You may prefer standing, lying, sitting, and any other position.
There are lots of toys to reduce labor pain. You can use a birthing ball, birthing chair, birthing stool, etc. You can fix anyone from the above options. You should write all your preferences regarding the above things so that you can get your chosen options without wasting much time.
5. Pain Management
Most of the would-be-moms don’t know that they have several options regarding pain management. Normally they think that they only have the epidural way of pain management. But, there are so many ways to release your pain naturally.
SEE ALSO: Common Mistakes Women Make When Giving Birth
You can try breathing properly and also messaging. Breathing and messaging in the proper way can reduce your pain a lot. If you are interested in natural birthing, you can ask doctors regarding these things. The best way to let the doctors know about this thing is to note it down on the birth plan.
6. Delivery
This is definitely a big day for you. Delivery should be safe enough for you and your baby. So, you have to determine the delivery way wisely. Most women want vaginal delivery as it is good for you and your baby.
But, this statement is not right for all situations. Though C-section is difficult for you, sometimes it’s better to face difficulties to keep your baby safe.
If you think that you won’t be able to tolerate that much pain or there can be lots of complications with vaginal delivery, you should go for the C-section. You should note it down on the birth plan so that the doctor can get to know your decision quickly.
7. After Delivery
After delivery, the first thing is to cut the umbilical cord. This is not mandatory but people believe you should cut the cord by someone who is lucky to you. You can write down the name by whom you want to cut the umbilical cord. But, if you have no issues with this ritual, a doctor can do this job.
Another crucial thing is to decide when you will meet your baby first. Normally, the baby is cleaned and then weighed after delivery. Then the mother sees the baby. But, if you want to see your baby before cleaning, you can definitely tell the doctors to bring your baby and the birth plan is the best way to let the doctors know about it.
8. Care of Baby
Immediately after birthing your baby, you should give the baby breastmilk. This is a mandatory task and also suggested by the doctors. After that, you can continue breastfeeding. But, if you don’t want to do this, you can give a good-quality formula feed. You should decide before going to the hospital and note down your decision. If you want to feed formula food, you should choose the best brand before and indicate it in your birth plan.
Bottom Line
This is almost impossible to make every decision wisely when you are in a hurry to go to the hospital. The birth plan is the best option to make your mind give enough time and thinking about your preferences. Your family members, doctors, medical representatives, etc., get to know immediately what they should do and can take action in a very short time. So, don’t forget to prepare your birth plan checklist. It will help to have your baby with less ambiguity.
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