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Category Archives: Spectrum Health

Is it Wise to Have a Birth Plan?

03 Saturday Aug 2019

Posted by nldoulaservices in Natural Childbirth, Spectrum Health

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Is it Wise to have a Birth Plan?

fb image for what to include in your birth plan_preferences

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One question/concern that I frequently hear from my clients about birth plans is about the wisdom of having a plan for such an uncertain event as labor and childbirth.

Is it wise to have a birth plan when I know things might change?

Labor is unpredictable and my wishes in labor could change, so is it wise to get this idea in my head of how I want things to look when I know that there is a chance that it won’t end up that way?

Couldn’t a birth plan that didn’t go as planned make me feel like I failed at such a vulnerable time?

So, is it wise to have a birth plan?

My answer to the concern that a birth plan isn’t wise, is to always keep in mind that birth can be crazy and things happen that we weren’t expecting, but putting together a plan of how you are hoping things go helps point the birth team in the same direction. It keeps you, your care providers, spouse, and doula all on the same page.

If the verbiage of birth PLAN still bothers you, then considering it birth preference list may help. The options that you are outlining are how you are prefer that things happen in your labor, but if things don’t go as you hoped, the negative thoughts that you somehow failed are much less likely to be there.

What are some things that I should consider as I put together my birth plan?

Some areas that you should include in your birth plan information include:

  • Your care provider and birth team names
  • How you want to handle early labor
  • What you would prefer in the case of induction or cesarean
  • Positions and pain management techniques you want to try
  • If you would like medication offered to you or not
  • What kind of atmosphere you would like to see in the labor room
  • Do you want newborn eye ointment, vaccinations, circumcision, etc.
  • How you want the third stage of labor to be managed, if at all
  • If you are a survivor of sexual abuse or trauma
  • Who you want to announce the gender of your baby
  • Who speaks first when baby is born
  • Who is cutting the cord and if you want delayed cord clamping
  • Whatever other information your feel pertinent to your labor and the birth of your baby

If you are going to be delivering your baby at Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial in Fremont, Michigan, you should receive a copy of their birth plan to fill out in one of your third trimester packets from the OB/GYN office. You could also print out this template and use it to create your own.

How long should my birth plan be?

As you can see above, there are many things that you could include on your birth plan. While you want to include all information that you feel is important to you, you also should try to remember that you want this to be easily read by your support team. One to two pages is adequate and should cover your preferences.

What to include in your birth plan/birth preferences list. Don't know where to start on your birth plan? This post will give you the basics as well as a printable to help guide you through the process of putting your labor and delivery choices on paper. #pregnancytips #naturalchildbirth #medicatedchildbirth #vbac #birthstory

What are the benefits of having a birth plan or birth preferences?

The biggest benefit of creating a birth plan or a list of birth preferences is that you will, most likely, learn more about the options that are at your place of birth and seek your own knowledge about the birth process and its stages.

How does a birth plan help my support team?

Besides keeping everyone on the same page, a birth plan or preference list helps your team to know that they are giving you the options that you were hoping for and expecting them to offer.

A birth plan is especially helpful for nervous or first-time birth partners. While some partners will be able to remember what you have said is important to you, some will have a hard time seeing you work through the contractions and may forget everything that you said. They may want to “help” you so much that they start offering things that you don’t want. Having a birth plan in the labor room for them to read through as needed can be very calming and helpful for them. {If you have a nervous partner, you will also likely greatly benefit from having a doula there to help them through the labor process as well.}

If you have a doula with you, she may offer things that weren’t on your preference list, but also aren’t going against the type of birth that you were hoping for. Hopefully you will have covered your birth plan in depth in your prenatals.

Your care provider should be excited that you have learned about your options in labor, delivery, and postpartum, and should be supportive of your choices. Showing your care provider your birth plan is a good way to make sure that they are supportive of your rights as a patient and that they will seek to validate those rights in the labor room.

Do you have any questions about creating a birth plan or birth preference list? Let me know below!!

Landon’s Birth Story

08 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by nldoulaservices in Birth Stories, Natural Childbirth, Newaygo County, Spectrum Health, Uncategorized, VBAC

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When I first met Diana she was in her second trimester of her second pregnancy and was hoping to have a vaginal birth after her cesarean with her daughter.

Diana has had many surgeries in her life and was hoping for a chance to experience a vaginal birth. Her previous birth experience was a long, slow progressing labor that ended in a c-section after a couple of hours of pushing and no progress.

landon

During our prenatal visits Diana and I talked about her past experience and how that was shaping her ideas of the upcoming birth. We talked over her birth plan- both for herself and baby, we did some fear release exercises, massage, talked about the postpartum period and prepared for the possibility that a VBAC may not happen. Birth is an unpredictable thing and all the preparation in the world does not mean your birth will follow “the plan”.

One thing that I tried to find for Diana were positive and encouraging stories of vaginal birth from women who have Spina Bifida. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any, if you too, are looking for an encouraging birth story then you have come to the right place.

Diana’s biggest fear during her pregnancy was that her back was not shaped correctly and that was why she had needed the previous cesarean section. Because of how her back and how sensitive to pressure certain spots are she decided that her best game plan was to stay active and upright. Diana also planned on using Stadol as a pain relief option in the event that she felt she couldn’t handle the pain.

Diana’s birth team also include her husband Nate, her mother Joann and her friend Lisa besides having myself as her doula. A birth party had helped her cope with her long labor before and she was hoping for the same results but with the ending of a vaginal birth instead of a cesarean section.

When Diana reached 38 weeks in her pregnancy I was on call 24/7. I checked in with her every couple of days- encouraging her to stay positive, active and relaxed. On July 27 around 4:30 AM I finally got the call I had been waiting for.

Diana’s contractions started in the middle of the night. Many women experience this because at night and while sleeping because it is then they are most relaxed and their body can work unhindered.
They were rather frequent but not long, hard or consistent. Diana and I spoke and decided that she would call me later with an update.

Around 8:00AM Diana and I spoke and her contractions were getting harder but she didn’t feel that she needed me there yet. She decided to get into the bath and see if that would help her to relax and allow the contractions to work better.

At 9:30 Diana decided that I could come to their house so I dropped off my boys with their babysitter and headed fo Diana’s house. When I arrived her contractions were frequent and getting harder but not consistent. So we packed her car, finished some things around the house and got ready to head to Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial Hospital.

We arrived around 11:30AM and Diana was definitely having to breathe through her contractions. When checked into triage she was dilated to 3 and 70% effaced. While on the initial monitoring strip Nate and I tried to distract Diana with conversation and using alternatives to movement like cold wash cloths. Eventually she was allowed to get out of bed while on the monitor.

Once we got to her room Diana had to wait for an IV to be inserted so that she could get the pain relief medication she wanted and move around like she was hoping. {Because Diana was attempting a VBAC the hospital required constant fetal monitoring, a contraction monitor and a Heplock.} While she was waiting for the IV to be inserted Diana labored in the bed. Lisa and I applied pressure to her back during contractions and tried to keep Diana’s spirits up with the encouragement that she could do this. Her body was doing it. She was dilating. She was coping with contractions well.

By the time her IV was inserted {it took a while because Diana has veins that like to move around} Diana was checked and found out that she was at 8 centimeters and almost completely effaced. Unfortunately for her it was too late to get the Stadol that she was hoping to use to take the edge off the pain. Since the IV was in we suggested that she get out of bed and start moving around as her contractions got more intense. Diana labored leaning over the bed, on the toilet and on the birth ball. We were all excited to see her progressing so quickly.

Not too much longer Diana was almost complete but had a little bit of a lip left. At this point she was in the midst of transition and was questioning her ability to push her baby out. I looked her in the eye and told her she was doing it and that she needed to start telling herself that she was doing it and she could do it. {The connection between our thoughts and our body is critical during labor. If a mom starts to question her abilities than many times her body will stop progressing or labor can stop completely.} Her doctor decided to help Diana a little and held back the cervical lip while Diana pushed through it. One and a half hours later Landon made his appearance. He was born at 9:18PM weighing 8 pounds 8 ounces and was 18 1/2 inches long.

Diana’s labor was 18-20 hours long. She got the VBAC she was hoping and praying for. It wasn’t quite according to her plan since she needed to labor in the bed much longer than she wanted while waiting for her IV Heplock and since she didn’t get the pain relief she was hoping for from the Stadol but Diana late told me that she is now recommending unmedicated labors to all her pregnant friends.

landon2

I loved working with Diana and getting to know her and her family. I am always so blessed that the women of Newaygo County and beyond allow me to be with them at such a sacred time.

Review of Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s Early Pregnancy Class

20 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by nldoulaservices in Early Pregnancy, Natural Childbirth, Newaygo County, Spectrum Health

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A few weeks ago I attended Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial’s Early Pregnancy class and I highly recommend it.

A REview Of Spectrum Health Gerber Memorial's Early Pregnancy Class

I like the format and being able to talk about early pregnancy symptoms and solutions with other mothers-to-be who are facing the same things. The time spent on diet and exercise is beneficial to all who come, not just the expectant mommas. I also like the interactive book that is handed out, it has a lot of great information and covers the whole pregnancy beyond the early weeks and trimesters.

If you are going to attend this class here is a layout of what will happen:
*you check in at the OB office desk like you would for any appointment
*you will go back with a nurse to get your blood pressure taken, do a weight check and possibly give a urine sample
*then you will return to the waiting room
*a nurse or Samantha Kauffman, RN, CCE (class facilitator) will take you to the waiting room in the Family Birth Center where you will have the class
*Susan Wente, CNM will take patients out one at a time to get heart tones and to answer any questions you may have for her

This class and appointment last around two hours. I would recommend it for any of my clients, no matter how many babies they may have had, because they may be able to share solutions to early pregnancy discomforts with new, younger mommas who need suggestions. If you are a younger momma you might find others there due around the same time as you who you can add to your support circle or group of friends.

If your provider does not mention the class to you, make sure that you ask about it at the desk when you check out and are scheduling your next appointment.

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