MissLJBeauty

In amongst all the fun though, don’t forget to spend some time creating your birth plan. If you are a little stuck on what to include or even a pro at this just looking for a reminder of things to include, we have you covered with our tips on what to include.

List the Important people

At the very least it’s always a great idea to have a list of the important people.

Have your doctors, midwife or doula, your emergency contacts and your birth partner all listed so that should one need to be contacted they are all right there on paper.

You could, if you fancied it, also specify who you want to be coming in out of the room if they are not medical professionals.

Further to this, if you would rather have only you and your birth partner in the room once you have given birth, make sure to include this too. Post-birth rules are just as important as the birth itself.

Medical Information

Even though your medical information should be on record somewhere if you are having a home birth or an emergency occurs it is a good idea to have information easily at hand.

You will be pretty preoccupied on the day so trying to remember specifics are best left to someone else. If you have any allergies, especially if they are to mediations, include them on your document. Your birth partner should know where this is in your birth plan just in case.

If you have a plan for your afterbirth, even if you previously discussed it with your midwife, write it in your plan. Whether you just want it disposed of or if you plan to privately store your cord blood and tissue, get all the details on paper. Even if you tell everyone in the room all the details, have it on paper for safety.

The Environment You Want

This is an important one for you and your birth partner to be aware of.

Having a baby is an exciting but stressful time and if you are unhappy with the environment, you are in, it can feel pretty awful. Lay out how you want the room to be. Do you want the lights dimmed if possible? Do you have specific music you would like to play? Would prefer a quieter room and to be mostly left to get on with it during your labour? Have this in the plan and make sure you advocate for yourself somewhat.

Flexibility and Plan Bs

As much as we want everything to go exactly how we want, things can change in the moment. Do not be afraid to write in some plan bs and make sure that you are happy to be flexible on some things just in case on the day, events occur differently from what you expect.

If you are planning for a natural birth, make sure you have some notes about what should happen in the event of an emergency c-section. If you are having a c-section, make sure that you lay out how you want to be treated and informed of events as they occur. You are still in control of course but it never hurts to have a backup plan.



Conclusion

At the end of the day, the document is yours to create just how you want it to be. You include as much or as little as you like. This is something for you to have complete control of.