birth plans

today i want to talk about birth plans. i know the idea of a birth plan is somewhat controversial in birthing circles.....pam england (birthing from within) is not a fan although other than this http://www.truebirth.com/2008/03/the-birth-plan-trap/ i can't find much via google that goes into the cons of writing a birth plan theres this http://community.livejournal.com/trustbirth (scroll down to the very last entry) which doesn't specifically adress birth planning but does discuss the ways in which some hcps might try to change your plans....

i think really the thing that would be bad would be relying on a birth plan that you haven't gone over with your care provider rather than actually communicatng with said hcp

i think a birth plan is a great tool for figuring out how you envision your birth going and lots of people have already written a lot on that subject

a birth plan is really just a jumping off point to start doing your own research....presumable after choosing a provider who is already aligned with your general birth philosophy, someone who practices evidence based medecine etc

alot of what i'm reading as i look into this are posts from moms who were dissapointed that they made a birth plan but didn't have the birth go according to plan. there seem to be 3 main reasons this happens

1. unanticipated medical issue (in some cases an emergency, in other cases not)
2. hcp who have had their fingers crossed when they signed off on the birth plan
3. hospital policy

not too much you can do about the first assuming a non-preventable situation like say a prolapsed cord or something

the other two though....

i personally suggest researching your hcp before you start writing up a birth plan. finding out section rates seems to be the preliminary question. i called around town and rates vary from %30 to %9 where i am. (of course the birth center an hour and a half away has about a %4 rate so guess where i'm going :> )

not only should you research your individual ob or midwife but also the place of delivery which may have its own set of protocols in place

you can look at the mother and baby friendly hospital initiatives for more info as to what numbers to be asking about in terms of place of birth

http://www.motherfriendly.org/pdf/Having_a_Baby-English-8_5x11.pdf

also i'd be sure to have the hcp sign off on anything that goes against the typical standard of care for your chosen birth place and have it on file with the birthplace as well as brinbging a copy witrh you

as to figuring out what your birth philosophy is i found this post got me thinking http://labortrials.wordpress.com/2008/01/29/trust-birth-or-dont/

hth somebody....