Just because I'm planning a homebirth, does not mean, I have no birth plan. I am a planner. I like to know what to expect and have every detail planned out well in advance. The benefit of having a detailed birth plan, is that you don't have to worry about what you want done. Everyone already knows what you want and your birth team will take care of everything. All you have to worry about is focusing on your labor and having a healthy baby.
Now, I won't be sharing every single detail of my birth plan, because some things are private. However, I'll give you a good idea of how my labor and birth will most likely go.
Attendants (birth team): Midwife, Apprentice Midwife, Coach, and Support Person(s)
A few weeks before labor begins:
- Gather all homebirth supplies and have them cleaned and set aside in a convenient place.
Homebirth Supply List: 2 boxes of disposable bed pads, 2 boxes heavy/overnight pads, 1 pack of depends-type underpants (if preferred in the first few days), 4 wash cloths, 4 hand towels, 4 bath towels, 2 sets of bed sheets, plastic sheets (for protecting floor or furniture), pillows (at least 4), 1-2 bottles hydrogen peroxide, newborn hats, several bottles of favorite juice or sports drink, flashlight with new batteries, 2 large bowls, kitchen size garbage can with bags, 1 roll of paper towels, 2 1/2 gallons sized zipper bags, thermometer, peri bottle, olive oil, heating pad, large cutting board or baking sheet (to provide firm surface to examine baby), new garden hose.
- Set aside comfortable clothes to labor in.
I plan to start off in some really stretchy yoga capris and a super soft t-shirt. As my comfort level decreases, I will go down to a robe and breast feeding sports bra. Once in the birth pool, it will be just the bra.
- Make a list of important phones numbers, including midwives and birth team.
- Stop all travelling and begin lock down.
This means we will be staying in town and not accepting visitors. I don't want to go into labor and have to travel back home, have to kick people out of the house, or have people trying to invite themselves to the birth.
When labor begins:
Depending on my mood and comfort level: The living room will have a birth ball, yoga mat, candles lit and music on. The kitchen will be draped, table moved and prepared, birth pool set up, floors bleached then cleaned to remove bleach smell. The bathroom will be sanitized. The bedroom will be darkened, candles lit, bed prepared, and clothes laid out.
I will have my hair French-braided to keep it out of the way and neat. I'll take a shower with antibacterial soap. I'll get dressed in comfy clothes that I can move and relax in easily. I'll also eat a high protein meal to give me energy for a the long labor to come.
Go for a walk, do some yoga, dance. . . I will do whatever feels comfortable at the time.
Active labor sets in:
Call birth team.
Try out different labor positions to find the most comfortable one.
I will be doing different things like rocking on the ball, doing yoga poses, leaning on Spencer, etc. Whatever makes me comfortable is what I will be doing.
Change positions as needed.
In order to stay hydrated and keep my energy levels up, I will be eating and drinking as much as I feel the need to. No fuel means over exhaustion.
When labor becomes intense, it's time to really focus. I'll be going into the bedroom to lay in the bed or into the bathtub or birth pool. The room will be lit only by candle light and everyone will need to be very quiet, so I can focus.
Time to Push:
Pushing can take hours. There's no need to rush things.
- Change positions as I feel the need to.
Changing positions is not only comfortable, but helps the baby descend and turn more easily.
- Baby emerges on it's own.
When the baby is comes out into the water, I want it to float free for a second before Husband reaches into the water and gently bring it to the surface. Don't worry, until air hits the baby, it won't try to breath.
Immediately after birth:
- If baby is born "behind" me, help me turn around while Husband holds baby in the water.
I may be on my knees, leaning against the tub wall when baby emerges. I would like to be kneeling in the water, but that may not feel right at the time.
- Keep baby's body submerged until time to cut the cord.
I want to keep baby in the water for warmth and soothing effects.
Breastfeeding right away is essential to the bonding process and releases an extra burst of oxytocin that helps dispel the placenta with hemorrhage.
- Wait until cord stops pulsing before it's clamped and cut.
Cutting the cord before it stops pulsing takes away several pints of blood that would have gone into baby. This causes allot of unnecessary problems like anemia in the baby. Once the cord stops pulsing, Husband will be the one to cut it.
- Allow the placenta to come out on it's own time.
The placenta can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours to come out after birth. It's ok.
- Wash Baby while waiting for cord to stop pulsing.
I want to get all the goo off of baby and get it clean asap, so it can be examined and dressed quickly.
Postpartum:
- Take a shower while Baby is being examined.
As soon as the placenta is delivered, I want to get up and get cleaned off and dressed. Then I will get into bed to be examined and bond with baby. A shower will be refreshing and being clean makes me feel better.
I will have spent many hours in labor and we will all need to refuel.
Everyone will need plenty of rest after such a long process.
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