Things don’t always go as planned. In fact, most times they don’t go as planned. However, it is still worthwhile making a plan to be prepared with a mental image.
Planning can help provide a bit of clarity as we apply what we know on paper. At the same time we can be flexible and accepting that our control is limited. I think that planning with what we know can help us make decisions during the unknown.
So, here is a bit of my birth and breastfeeding plan. I know it may not look like this in real life BUT I can tweak it a little as I live out the real event.
Chapter 1: The Contractions
Whether I wake up and start having contractions OR I am about my day and suddenly I start to feel contractions, I will make sure to mentally relax. To be completely honest, the fear of the labor pains has struck me since about week 33.
Of course, my husband will be the first to know. He works well under pressure so he’ll monitor me and help me, accordingly.
I will make sure I:
- shower
- have my NORA tea
- eat breakfast/lunch/dinner
- rest
- make sure my kids are taken care of (fed, dressed, etc)
We’ll just assume that I am giving birth within 24 hrs of the first sign of contractions, no matter how mild they are.
The way our home is currently laid out, we will prepare the living room for me to labor in. I will not labor in the bedroom because that’s where our kids will sleep – we share the room and bed.
The couch will be covered and protected:
- canvas drop cloth (maybe) OR shower liner
- towels
- chux pads
If we have the birth pool, I will ask my sister to help me set it up. We’ll use the hose to fill it up and a laser thermometer to monitor the water temperature. If not, I will prepare the bath tub (i.e. clean it) in case I want to get in water.
We’ll contact either my mom or my mother-in-law to see if one of them can take the boys. My daughter wants to be at the birth so she’ll stary. I think the boys will be a distraction/get scared.
I plan to use my exercise ball and peanut ball to labor. The exercise ball can be used to for movement and sit on it. The peanut ball can help with laying positions and opening up the pelvis. Depending on how I feel I may ask my husband to apply counterpressure at the hips/pelvis for a bit of pain relief.
The above it primarily for the early labor stage. Once I enter the active labor stage I will continue to move around and try to keep breathing through the contractions. I will request that my husband put on worship music if I feel like having that on.
Chapter 2: The Pushing
If I feel a pressure even in the slightest as if I need to poop, then we will know that it’s time.
At this time, we may notify the midwives. Truthfully I prefer not to have anyone that may want to monitor me. Personally, I don’t like that pressure. They said I can decline and truthfully I prefer not to be bothered at all.
I want to relax and allow my body to push slowly. This will allow my body the time to open up and reduce the change of tearing.
I would like to birth in the water to further reduce the chance of tearing.
Tearing makes recovery longer (esp 2nd degree and higher) and I don’t have the capacity for that. My husband may not be able to stay home to help for many days and I don’t know that anyone else will have time to help me.
Whether I labor in the birth pool, bathroom bathtub or on the floor/couch, my husband or I may catch the baby.
If the midwives are here they may be the ones to catch the baby. It really depends on when we call them and when they arrive.
After baby is born, we will wait for the umbilical cord to stop pulsating then cut the cord. The midwives will clamp the cord when it’s time.
My placenta generally doesn’t take long to be expelled. So, it’s likely it will come out a few seconds or couple minutes after baby is born.
The placenta will be placed in a stainless steel mixing bowl where it can be transferred with us and/or checked by the midwives. The midwives will check it to make sure if it complete.
In the meantime, baby will be placed on my chest. If I birth in the pool or tub, I will get out, get dried off, and transfer to the couch. We will likely use a towel for the baby as well – dry off and maybe wrap him/her in.
The idea is also have chux pads or towels on the floor as trail for me to walk on (this makes cleaning easier).
We will put some oil on baby’s butt (makes meconium easier to clean) and diaper.
I have newborn shirts that I can open on the front for skin-to-skin. Since baby will be born in May, it may not be cold so a full outfit may not be necessary. We will have flat bedsheets to cover me and baby, if needed.
Midwives may do their checks on me – tearing, uterine contraction, etc. – if they wish.
Baby will be on my chest to allow baby to breastfeed.
Chapter 3: The Breastfeed
Baby will be directly on my chest, lips to nipple and allow baby to smell and taste on his/her own. I will not force the baby to feed. What I will do is make sure to nudge baby or gently direct baby to the nipple. Ideally, baby will use his/her vacuum reflex to suction onto the breast on his/her own.
The plan is to allow baby as long as he/she needs to initiate the feed, which typically starts from 30 minutes to about an hour post-birth. Then baby will stimulate and feed off the breast on and off over the period of about 3 hours. Dr. Robyn Thompson calls this the 3 golden hours. These should be undisturbed/uninterrupted.
Baby’s nose, 2 cheeks, and chin should be touching the breast. It is important that the baby comes to the breast and is not forced onto the breast. My arms will be relaxed and gently holding baby. My hands will not touch the back of baby’s head or shoulders.
Since baby will not automatically switch to the second breast, when baby comes off the first breast, I will gently move the baby to the second breast within the 3 hour period.
During this time, if baby poops I’ll clean baby’s diaper and put more oil on baby’s butt in case more meconium is expelled.
It seems that when baby falls asleep it’s an indicator that he/she has completed the feed. Baby may sleep for a long period of time – even up to 6 hours.
Chapter 4: The Baby Tests
At this point the midwives may gently measure the baby – weight, length, glucose etc. – not beforehand.
If they wish to also further check me, they can.
Once they are done with baby, baby can go to my husband or in the bassinet.
Chapter 5: The Postpartum Care
Depending on things go, I would like to take a shower.
Generally, at the hospital I take a shower the same day or the next morning. I am not sure how I’ll feel here since I may be in the pool or tub. I am not sure if I’ll feel dirty.
Minimally, I’d like to replace the:
- towels
- chux pads
- bra
- adult diaper
At the hospital, I usually wear the hospital gown. So, I’m assuming I may want to wear a gown or something that is nursing friendly.
The midwives mentioned that they will need to make sure I eat AND also make sure I pee before they leave.
So, once baby is fed and I have changed, I will eat something. Ideally, we’ll have something we can share with the midwives to eat (like pizza – the easiest quick thing to eat).
Chapter 6: The Clean Up
The midwives will help clean up. I will make sure to have the cleaning supplies available:
- paper towels and/or bar mop towels
- lysol wipes and/or lysol spray
- hydrogen peroxide spray (for blood stains)
- large garbage bag to throw away the disposable cleaning items
- large garbage bag to put all the washable cleaning items
I believe that the midwives will leave us after they have seen baby feed and taken the measurements/tests they need to make sure that baby & I are doing well.
The midwives I hired have a postpartum checkup schedule as follows:
- 24-48 hours
- 2 weeks
- 6 weeks
I am not sure that I will need all those. If things go well, as they have in the past, I will probably only need the 24-48 hour postpartum checkups. After that I am usually fine and will probably decline.
Chapter 7: The Adjustment
I am hoping I give birth during the day which would make it a bit easier.
Once the midwives leave and everything was accounted for, the plan is to have me rest and focus on breastfeeding baby. It is very important for me to successfully breastfeed. To avoid or reduce the chance of engorgement, I must follow baby’s feeding cues for the next 72-96 hours. This will also help establish my milk supply.
I will likely take over the couch because it’s elevated. Our mattresses are currently on the floor since we don’t have frames. It also makes it easier for our kids to climb in and out of bed.
I hope you enjoyed reading my homebirth plan! If you have questions or comments make sure to do so below.
