My Birth Preferences and Dr letter

Suggestions from you seasoned pros or well researched Moms??

 

THANKS!!

 

 

 

Dear Dr. K**** and our Health Care Providers,   

Jason and I have chosen you and ******** obstetrical staff as the people we want to attend us when our daughter is born. After a successful attempt with my first daughter 4 1/2 years ago, and again with my son 11 months ago, we have again chosen the Hypnobirthing method; a quiet, relaxed, natural birth (as long as you don’t count the last 10 minutes when I will be screaming like a banshee, begging for drugs).  

The information that follows is a copy of our Birth Preferences. We have given careful consideration to each specific request in our plan, and feel it represents our wishes at this time. We realize that as labor ensues, we may choose to change our thinking and wish to feel free to do so, as our ultimate goal is a healthy baby and a healthy Mom. I am aware that pain medicine during birth has become status quo but I wanted to take a few minutes of your time to explain my reasons behind my choice of a natural birth, hoping you would be more willing to help.
 
This baby, our daughter, is a happy accident. She is my 9^th pregnancy, we have a healthy (almost) 5 year old daughter, and a healthy 11 month old boy, but have suffered many loses – we were told 6 years ago that we wouldn’t be able to have children and certainly none without serious fertility intervention. Her existence is a gift and proof that “they" are sometimes mistaken, her birth is not something I want to numb, it’s not something I want to dismiss, I don’t want any medication to enter her new little body, and I want to try to keep my body chemical free in an effort to circumvent post partum depression.  

We’re looking forward to a normal birth and understand that these choices presume that this will be the case. Should a special cir****tance arise that could cause us to deviate from our planned natural birth, we trust that you will provide us with our options and an explanation. In such an event, please know that you will have our complete cooperation. In the absence of any special cir****tance, we ask that the following requests be honored.  

Thank you,  

Kim & *******

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Page 2....

 

Birth Preferences 
Kim *****

FOR HOSPITAL ADMISSION
I request:

~To decline routine IV prep upon admission, hep lock is fine. I want to be able to move freely, get in the shower or sit on the toilet. 

DURING THINNING AND OPENING PHASE OF LABOR
I plan on using the Hypnobirthing method and request:

~ That the staff honors our need for quiet with few disturbances
~Husband and Doula present at all times
~To be free of blood pressure cuff between readings
~Minimal vaginal exams
~Freedom to walk, move, and get in the shower
~To allow labor to take its natural course without references to “moving things along"
~To be fully appraised and consulted before the introduction of ANY medical procedure. 

DURING BIRTHING
I request:

~Episiotomy only if necessary and to be quickly consulted if there is a need, I would prefer a small tear over an episiotomy.  

FOR BABY (Reese)
We request:

~ Delaying cord clamping until pulsing ends.
~ Father will cut the cord
~ For baby to lay on my chest immediately after delivery until I am ready to hand baby over.
~ Delay use of Erythromycin / salve for baby’s eyes to allow for optimal sight for bonding 
~ Delay use of vitamin K injection until after parent bonding.
~ baby stay in the room for routine post birth tests and treatments 

DELIVERY OF PLACENTA

**As discussed and agreed upon with Dr K****, I refuse postpartum Pitocin (a.k.a. the devil) unless medically necessary.

**I understand that postpartum hemorrhage is 500ml or more in a vaginal birth. I understand that postpartum hemorrhage can happen instantly, I prefer starting uterine massage, administering oxygen, or elevating my feet as a precaution.     

I thank you in advance for your support of my choices

 

 

It seems like you should only see a few of these OBGYN's if it is a large group, so they can stay familiar with your desires. I'm sure you know that some of that stuff (pitocin, episiotimy, ect) may be medically needed regardless of your wishes, Everything I've read says that an episiotimy is less traumatic and easier to repair than a tear. The idea of having total control over the birth sounds nice but sometimes things don't work out that way and wouldn't the main goal to be avoiding a c-section? Dunno, personally I would just try and keep more of an open mind.

Don't think you read the whole thing... that was the point of the letter. The episiotimy and Pit. I was cut with my first and tore up and down with my 2nd - I'd rather tear a little.

This is my 3rd birth and I am open to anything, but I also know that I don't plan to be induced using Pit so my chances of a C-section are greatly reduced. Both times I gave birth I had similar preferences and the nurses are actually very excited to work with someone who opts and goes through with it naturally, I find that refreshing. There seems to usually be a nurse of 2 on duty that like to deal with my style - hope I get lucky again. :)
Both times before I have stayed home until I was pretty close, last time - 8 months ago, I got there and 2 hours later the nurse caught him :). I simply believe that my body can do this and it hasn't failed me yet. :) I have horrible pregnancies and fantastic births.
I avoid C-section by not being induced and not having Pit to hurry things along - everybody's body is different.
I have had 2 births where I have had almost total control - it's my body and my birth... hence my choices. I realize that the 3rd time may be different, I'm hoping not.

Thanks for the input! Have you had a baby? Have you had to have a C-section?

I have a 12 yr old, and no control over the labor or delivery. Probably because I was 19 at the time and none of my wishes or concers were taken seriously. The nurse who was assigned to me said I was acting like a baby, because I wanted more of the eppidural after it wore off. She claimed she had 3 babies all over 10 pounds, all natural. it was a horrible experience but I did leave me with the feeling of how things can be taken from your control when they claim soemthing is in the best intrest of the baby.
It sounds like all your labors have been succesful with hypnobirthing, and you are aware of your body's limits. That is a good thing. I hope everything goes the way you want it to.

Thanks!

I used to be all ...do it natural, everyone should do it natural, epi's are not necessary, why would you want to induce... then I passed 11 kidney stones the last month of my last pregnancy and I was BEGGING them to induce and take the baby so the stones could be treated the way they would be if I wasn't pregnant (they wouldn't do it thankfully). So I learned that my body and my births are my experiences... and no single body, baby, or pregnancy is the same. And I learned that my words don't taste good. :/

I'm sorry you didn't have any control over your first - thats horrible and I'm sure has left a bad birthing scar.

My OB told me on my last visit that the reason the Pit hurt so bad postpartum was because I breast fed right away and had I waited the 8 hours to feed until the pit drip was done I would have been in much less pain, he also told me that I could get induced so he would be sure to be there - that that would be the same as a midwife who knew exactly what I wanted... SO FREAKIN' SAD, I laugh at him - and he knows it, what if I was a first time mom and thought that Dr's always know best?? How sad a path he would have lead me.
I would have liked to do a birthing center or a home birth this time but it's $5800.00 up front and then it's a coin toss if the insurance company will reimburse, and in December with Christmas and 2 kids birthdays, that's not possible.

I wish you well - and hope your next birth is all about you, your baby, and your choices!!

Have you looked for a HB MW?  I have a few friends that have had HB here in TX and most are only around 2K.  That includes the birth and the pre and post partum midwife visits.

I actually have a friend that used a mw only for the birth and it was very inexpensive.  She is close to Houston.

it sounds good but in reality I would condense it because you have a greater chance of health care providers of reading it/glancing at it especially in the hospital on the l and d floor if its shorter. I am stating reality...pick the MOST important and stick to that cut out the fillers. they will take your hx when u get there pregnancies etc. most places have a paper with that info on it when you are admitted. just my opinion many times l and d is very busy nurses are lucky to go to the bathroom and maybe eat two bites of food. and then you have shift change/nurses cover for each other etc. you also have your doula there to reiterate things for you. \

oh and I didn't see anything about nursing if you want to nurse state that.

good luck!

Thanks! Took a few obvious out and added the BFing!

i was very fortunate in regards to afterbirth....I nursed right away and we took pics et****pt her for an hr then they took her but that gave me time to go potty and go to post partum room and get things settled she wasnt away long and then we roomed in all but 2 hrs when i had the nursery take her so i could nap at 3am!  but my main thing is I plastered everywhere NO BINKYS NO BOTTLES NO FORMULA and I had a little card for her bassinette.

It sounds like you have had good experiences and if you labor at home most of it you will avoid most medical intervention.

Was that your first? I had no issues at all with afterbirth with my first. It gets worse each time, I didn't even know they gave PIT after you had the baby! I was nursing and it started going in and I freaked out - that stuff is horrible!! And they say that it gets worse with each baby! UGH! I'm hoping to do the natural methods, oxygen, breast feeding, elevated legs, and massage first because I think the PIT was a huge reason I had PPD last time.
I passed 11 kidney stones the last month I was preg after having HG the entire pregnancy - I was looking forward to holding my baby and being in less pain, proud that I did it again, etc... but the Pit had me in the fetal position crying, I couldn't hold him! :(