Posted by Signature Medical Group on Friday, March 3, 2017 in Obstetrics/Gynecology
A birth plan is a document that lets your Signature Medical Group OB-GYN team know your preferences for what happens during birth.
You won't be able to control every aspect of labor and delivery, and you’ll need to stay flexible in case something comes up that requires your birth team to depart from your plan. But a printed document gives you a place to make your wishes clear.
A written birth plan also helps refresh your Signature Medical Group's team memory when you’re in labor. And it informs new members of the team - such as your labor-and-delivery nurse - about your preferences when you’re in active labor.
Most hospitals and birth centers provide a birth plan worksheet or brochure to explain their policies and philosophy of childbirth, and to let you know what your birth options might be. That information can help guide you in a discussion with your provider about your preferences when you face choices along the way.
Among the questions you should consider for a birth plan are:
- Who do I want with me during labor and birth?
- What kind of support do I want during labor?
- What kind of drugs, if any, do I want during labor pain?
- Who do I want to cut the umbilical cord?
- Do I want my baby with me at all times after birth?
- Do I want to breastfeed my baby?
- If my baby is a boy, do I want to have him circumcised?
- If there are problems with me or the baby, do I want to be told first or my support person told first?
Your Signature Medical Group OB-GYN team is ready to assist you at this wonderful time of your life. Make an appointment today to see one of our specialists.
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- birth
- gynecology