Search Results for: blog choosing goals for your birth plan for labor

Should You Create A Birth Plan?

Should you create a birth plan?  It can be a helpful tool for making your wishes known both to your healthcare provider and the labor & delivery staff, but it also seems a little silly to plan something like one’s labor: after all, if we could control it, we would all have easy births. When I first heard about birth plans, I decided that they weren’t for me.  I’m a very Type A person; I get stressed if even my silliest of plans get messed up, if they’re ones I’m excited about.  Trying to plan my baby’s birth, and everything … Continue reading →

Top Tips for Creating a Birth Plan

Today’s blog topic comes from Elizabeth Stein, a women’s health expert and certified nurse midwife of 25 years. She is also a patient advocate of patient empowerment, so she has put together a list of tips on how to create a birth plan to ensure a positive emotional experience for the mother-to-be, and to give her as much control over her birthing experience as possible. When Ms. Stein’s publicist contacted me to share this list, I just knew I had to share it with you. A birth plan can be a very valuable tool. To learn more about Elizabeth Stein, … Continue reading →

How to “Act” Like You’re in Labor

Posted on by

Actress Dianna Agron is doing a little personal research for her upcoming birth scene on the show, “Glee.” She has been getting advice from her mom and friends about what she should do since she has never given birth in real life. What advice would you give Dianna? Obviously she could go with the classic Hollywood birth scene. You probably know it by heart. Woman is doing something ordinary and abruptly either 1) howls in pain over her first contraction or 2) displays a look of horror on her face because her water has broken at a completely inopportune moment. … Continue reading →

Birth Plan Vs. Reality

Posted on by

Before I had my son, I said, “No induction! No pain medication! No episiotomy! No nothing!” Then I ended up experiencing what I like to call “lazy labor” and wasn’t stretching quite enough to fit the little guy’s head through. I did have a drug-free birth, aside from the Pitocin. I’ve heard Pit makes your contractions ten times stronger; needless to say I’m eager to know what natural contractions feel like compared to the ones I felt. I would like to go into labor naturally next time without the use of Pitocin. Will the natural labor feel like a walk … Continue reading →

When Should the Umbilical Cord Be Cut?

One procedure more parents are considering as part of the birth plan is when to cut the umbilical cord. Should the cord be cut just after the birth? Should you wait until it stops pulsating to cut it? There are two completely different opinions on when to cut the umbilical cord. Some doctors believe the cord should be cut immediately after birth and not later than 30 seconds after the baby is born. This is largely due to a belief that delayed cord cutting can cause breathing difficulties in the new baby. Other doctors and most midwives are advocates of … Continue reading →

The Pregnancy Blog Review for September 20-30

Somehow I overlooked the week in review last week. I will review the rest of September’s blogs in this review. The Pregnancy Blog offers useful information on everything from the time you start trying to conceive until you are home, resting and healing with your little bundle of joy. The week in review is a great place to catch up on your reading in one place. What Causes Stretch Marks? This blog covers one of the most annoying and lasting effects of having a baby. Once you understand how stretch marks are formed, the next question is how to get … Continue reading →

Choosing Goals for Your Baby’s Birth

In the first part of this blog, I discussed setting goals for labor. Those goals focused on your perfect labor and how goals can help you achieve it. The same is true for the actual birth and the time immediately following the birth. Clear goals and expectations can help you have the best possible experience. Your birth plan should reflect your goals for the birth of your baby. Many of the issues that will need to be addressed involve medical interventions. Philosophically speaking, how do you feel about the interventions commonly used in child birth? Is your basic belief that … Continue reading →

Choosing Goals for Your Birth Plan for Labor

A birth plan is an essential part of having the birth that you want. All pregnant women should write a comprehensive birth plan that describes their preferences for labor, birth and the immediate post partum period. Before you can write a birth plan, you need to know what you want. That is where having goals is beneficial. Setting goals for your birth is a big topic. For this reason, I will split it into two blogs, one for labor and the other for the birth and beyond. In our society, we often focus on what can go wrong during birth. … Continue reading →