Published Feb 7, 2011
CB44
9 Posts
I won't intrude past this post and any answers I might receive! :)
(I am not a nurse)
I have a 15 month old son, and I am expecting my 2nd son around March 1st.
Not once have I ever thought of having a birth plan. I don't really want one.
My husband joked, saying that we should get a piece of paper and (with a crayon) write "Get baby out safely" with a check box next to it. We are very easy going people... When I had my first son, I admit that I was very on-guard with nurses. Having never in my life been in the hospital before, or really dealt with nurses.. I had only (very false) preconceived notions of nurses and their abilities. I only found out after I left the hospital and did a lot of research (including getting my medical records and emailing the nurses that signed the "Congrats" card that was sent to my house) that the nurses were my guardians. My champions. They were the ones who stood up to the doctor for me when they realized she was taking unnecessary medical procedures and applying them to me as freely as a band-aid. To this day I love my nurses and on a side note, I would like to thank each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart for doing what you do every single day.
Now before I get any more off topic!
I guess my situation is this:
I have a new OB/Gyn, a new hospital and a new city. Even though my previous OB performed many unnecessary procedures during my labor, I have not become soured to all doctors. I really like my new OB and her entire staff (especially the NP). They are a "teaching office" so sometimes during regular visits, they ask if a student can come in and observe. (Fine by me!)
As I said, I don't really care to have a "birth plan" - I just want my baby to come out safe and sound.
I am going to be having an elective BTL then as well.. When they asked about my birthing plan I said "All I ask is that I am not sent in for a Cesarean Section unless it is absolutely medically necessary." After several days (and 2 days before my appointment this coming Tuesday) I am now realizing that I should have been more thorough. Or does it matter? I plan to exclusively breast feed my son, as I did with my first son. Do I need to tell the doctor's office that, so that they note it? Will I be able to nurse him if I am having a BTL? Will they tell me he has to be formula fed? I guess I am just looking for some outside guidance here, without having to call my Hospital's L&D and harass the poor nurses there lol
If it makes a difference to the replies/general procedures, I live in South Carolina.
I know my post just jumped all over the place.. Sorry for that. I feel like I am just starting to get my head back on straight after this pregnancy lol
Again, thank you to every last one of you. You make the world go 'round.:heartbeat
klone, MSN, RN
14,856 Posts
Nobody wants to do a C/S that's unnecessary. So I would try not to worry about that. Is having a midwife an option?
As far as breastfeeding, there is no reason why you can't breastfeed right after surgery, whether it's a C/S or the BTL.
There are no midwives at my current OB office. I had a midwife all throughout this pregnancy up until 34 weeks, when she retired. We had actually gotten pretty close, too
She took me outside and advised that I find a new OB office because, as she said (verbatim) "If this doctor sees you in the hospital for more than four hours and you are not ready to push, she will pull out that scalpel so fast it will make your head spin." (I wish I could recall what agency I got the info from, but it seems that my previous OB has a 75% C/S rate.)
She recommended the OB office I have now. She said that even though there was no midwife there, they are a good practice and I could trust them.
Which thinking back upon, makes a little sense. Every time I saw the OB walking through the office halls, she was wearing surgical scrubs and splash goggles for regular OB visits.. I guess that should have alerted me lol
The breastfeeding thing is a huge relief. Thank you for your reply!!
Also.. Is there a way to get the message to the L&D nurses without sounding like a complete a$$hole that I prefer THEY (nurses) discuss any medical procedures with me? I always feel like the docs just spout all the medical jargon at my head and run off.. With nurses, they are always careful to explain everything thoroughly and answer all of my questions.
Well, I don't think you will be able to prevent the physicians from trying to talk to you about what's going on, but you can always ask the nurse afterwards for a translation.
tntrn, ASN, RN
1,340 Posts
Nothing you have said is unreasonable. A birth plan is just a guideline anyway, because there are times when what is on the plan just isn't going to happen, for any number of reasons.
It is always okay and encouraged for you to ask for more information, clarification, different terminology when you don't quite understand. We should be more careful anyway about overloading a patient with information in a foreign language (medical talk).
Discuss all of this with your OB, but also with the nurse who admits you. You sound like a very reasonable person and if you weren't so far away, I'd be happy to be your nurse!
Kooky Korky, BSN, RN
5,216 Posts
Are you familiar with Dr. Frederick LeBoyer? I know his methods are old. To me, though, they are so right. Read "Birth Without Violence". You might want to try for a birthplan as close to that as possilbe.
Just becasuse a doc recommends a CS does not mean you have to agree. If there is a medical problem with you or the baby, though, the CS can be a lifesaver. Be certain you understand the reason for any recommended CS.
what other medically unnecessary things did your first OB do?
Understand that MD's and midwifes/NP's have a somewhat different focus. The doc usually is in a hurry to be done. The nurses are almost exclusively "natural" birth.
Your plan could say something about pain medication during labor, being able to walk around during labor, keeping the baby with you immediately after birth, episiotomy, visitors, who's allowed, who's not, are you going to want to keep the placenta for making soup, etc. Yes, some people used to do the placenta soup thing.
Don't let people force you to have a plan if you don't really want one. Maybe you could read some that other people have made.
Do you want the vaccinations that are given nearly before the child is out these days? Or are you an objector to them? Do you want the baby bottle fed until you have milk? Do you want a circumcision?
Best wishes to you and your little family.
I would also strongly suggest a tour of the facility where you will deliver. Last week, we had a patient deliver her 4th baby, and she actually left AMA because we couldn't take the baby to the nursery so that she could sleep. We only have a NICU, and her baby was term and healthy. If she had taken a tour, or read the information given out by her doctor, she would have already known that.
Talk to the nurses or whomever gives the tour and you'll be better informed as to their layout and policies.
Good luck.
OldNurseEducator
290 Posts
Congratulations! And may God bless you and your family. Please let us know what happens!
retiredlady
147 Posts
March is a beautiful time to have a baby. Had mine in March. Yes, you can nurse up until the time you leave for a tubal and right after. (C/S moms do right after). I nursed right after the tubal and my baby had just been circumcised, we comforted each other, lol.(This was many years ago,so I know they will now) Relax and just let the nurses know what you want when you go in. OB nurses are very understanding. How old is your first baby? A lot of the hospitals have sibling classes to teach them about the new baby. It's a lot of fun. Good luck!
CrunchyMama, ASN, RN
1,068 Posts
My sister is due on March 2nd! But she's having a girl. Anyway...she recently gave her midwife her birth plan. What you have to remember is it's YOUR birth, which has been forgotten in our society. And unless something is medically going wrong, then you should be able to labor/birth the way YOU want. You have a month, which seems like a lot of time but it'll go by fast, so look into as much as possible and be prepared to have to educate the nurses/doctors on certain things. You seem pretty good on the breastfeeding issue, which is a topic that is sadly missing educated healthcare professionals. I personally didn't want anything ruining breastfeeding so I made up a little card to put in my babies hospital bed, "I'm breasfeeding, so NO bottles or pacifiers". Also, the topic of circumcision should be on there as well. I obviously don't know your stance on the issue but definitely look into that if you think it needs to be done. There's no medical reason for it. I could definitely supply you with info on that if you want. Vaccines too....that's another important issue that needs to be looked into. I personally don't believe in vaccines on newborns or any young baby/child. Anyway...I'll stop here...isn't parenting fun? LOL Anyway, good luck!!!
I'm not going to circumcise.. I am going to vaccinate (personal preference).. BF is pretty much a must for me.. I never thought of making little cards like that! That is a great idea!
On a side note..
I slid off of the exam table yesterday. I was so embarrassed to tell the CNP lol
I have no idea how it happened. One minute I was sitting there bare bottomed with those annoying crinkly paper sheets covering my lower half.. Then WHOA! Slipped off.. Fell onto that foot stool drawer thingie.. I have a 10cm welt across my big ole butt.. She said it broke skin in 4 places.. Now I have a giant black and purple bruise across my butt.. My butt bone hurts.. But the NST showed no problems.
If anything, my son is moving about 100x more now that that happened.
Isn't that weird? My CNP had to run out to get the clinical supervisor to check me and write an incident report. I was making jokes like "Oh man that is just what I need. I am going to leave the office and you are all going to be making fin of the fat pregnant chick who fell off the exam table!" and "Oh man my DH is going to make so much fun of me."
In reality, it still hurts pretty bad lol
But as long as the baby is fine, I am a-ok with a sore butt.