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Home › Articles › Labor Preparation › Birth Plan Considerations

Birth Plan Considerations

Tips on Making These Important Pre-baby Choices

By Shannon McKelden

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Anesthesia/Pain Medication

"There are three main choices in pain management during labor – natural pain management, narcotics and epidurals," Hunt says. "Most women will go into labor with a strong sense of what kind of pain management they plan to use."

Narcotics lessen pain but may have side effects. Epidurals eliminate pain but confine Mom to bed. Consider this when making your choices. Remember, you don't have to choose now. Mention on your birth plan that you'll ask for pain relief when/if you desire some.

Cesarean Preferences

"With one in three women currently giving birth by Cesarean section, it is important for parents to consider what would make their birth experience more meaningful if they should have a C-section," Dr. Slavin says.

According to Dr. Slavin, choices include the following:

  • Being awake for surgery by having a spinal or epidural anesthesia.
  • Having a mirror available to see the delivery.
  • Setting the environment with music and asking the surgical staff to refrain from idle talk.
  • Having more than one support person in the OR (e.g. father and doula) so one person can remain with the mother if and when her partner goes with the baby to the NICU.
  • Having the baby placed on or near Mom's chest after delivery (if Baby's APGAR scores are good), or having Baby placed skin to skin with father.

    Episiotomy Preferences

    Discuss episiotomies in advance so you know your physician's practices. "It would be unfortunate for a couple to feel strongly that they would like to avoid an episiotomy only to learn in month nine that their provider does them routinely," says Shelly Holbrook, former childbirth educator, labor and postpartum doula from Bellevue, Wash.


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