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Birth Plans didn't always exist. It's a great idea that pregnant women can express what they want during the birth of their baby. Yet, Birth Plans are very confusing. We all know you can't 'choose' the birth you have. Birth is so unpredictable. There's also something subtle about Birth Plans. They have mostly been used to say 'no' to medical care rather than yes to more and more. This simple and complex fact causes too many women to feel disappointed that their Birth Plans changed and they ended up with more medical care than they wanted. Birth Plans definitely tell birth professionals what you want but not how you will behave. Yes, that's right. The conventional Birth Plan focuses on what you want and don't want but says nothing about the birthing and coaching skills you'll use. Have you even thought about this? What exactly do you plan on doing to fill the time it takes to give birth? No kidding. What do you plan on doing while you're in labor or if you're getting prepped for surgery? This is why it's so essential you learn birth and birth coaching skills, make a list of the skills you've learned, create a Skills-based Birth Plan and show that to your obstetrician or midwife.
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Birth Plans
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Before…
• Birth Plans were virtually unheard of until the 1970s/1980s. Before the age of Birth Plans, expectant parents were largely required to adhere to the strict advice of their doctors
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Today…• These days, many birthing and labor methods are
recognized as safe and healthy which offers many more options for birthing-parents.
• With this wealth of information and options emerged the Birth Plan, an integral tool for expectant parents.
• Birth Plans allow parents to take charge of their own birthing experience and communicate to healthcare professionals what type of birth they want
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Flaws…?• The conventional Birth Plan has some flaws in its
design. • Birth Plans tend to be based on (very specific)
ideological beliefs about childbirth. • They often read like a wish list rather than a goal.• The nature of childbirth is unique and unexpected
situations often arise, perhaps causing a change in direction from your Birth Plan
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Where does this leave us?
• This leaves people with feelings of regret and disappoint when their Birth Plan ‘fails’.
• This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write your conventional Birth Plan of what you want and don’t want.
• It just means you also need to write another Birth Plan based on how you are preparing and what you’ll do (or how you’ll behave) during your baby’s birthing journey
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Create skills• There are a number of skills you and your partner
can learn that become effective tools for you, your partner and your soon-to-be-born baby.
• This Birth Plan will help your birth provider understand your commitment to the type of birth you would like.
• In other words, you take responsibility for how you cope, manage, deal with, work with and behave as you work together with your baby’s efforts to be born.
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Skills to emphasize • Commit to using breathing skills to help manage
pain.• Commit to using really good relaxation skills even
when you feel pain.• Reinforce that you have learned essential birthing
skills to remain open inside and you’ll get in positions that keep your contractions effective.
• Most importantly, ensure that you will continue to work with the skills you’ve learned even if your conventional Birth Plan requires unexpected change including a surgical birth.
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
Keep in Mind…
• While making plans for your birth, you may think you want things done a certain way.
• You might possibly want music played or to enjoy the therapies of water during your labor.
• In the heat of the moment, you could very well decide that the music you brought is annoying or that you don’t want anyone touching you
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
• Everyone feels different during childbirth and there’s no way to determine how you will feel.
• Although your Birth Plans may spell out some basic guidelines, don’t be afraid to go with the flow.
• Honor every emotion and every thought with respect, even if it wasn’t in your original plan.
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
• Instead of simply creating a list, create a ‘plan of action’ for your birth
Birthing Better with The Pink Kit Method®www.thepinkkit.com and www.birthingbetter.com
