Pregnancy books and websites abound with templates for birth plans. However, when you have a negative diagnosis, many of those plans don’t fit your circumstances. Our hospital had a social worker that created a birth plan with us, and most websites that deal with neonatal death also provide templates.
Here is our birth plan. Notice that our social worker left out the part about the butt cheeks.
AMY COX AND JEFF KLUG
BIRTH PLAN
Listed below are our wishes for the labor and delivery experience during the upcoming induction of labor of our baby. We anticipate a vaginal birth, and understand that staff will try to honor these wishes, if at all possible.
Jeff would like to cut the umbilical cord.
After the cord is cut, Jeff would like to hold the baby.
If the baby is breathing, Amy would like Jeff to bring the baby to her to hold. If the baby is not breathing, Jeff would like to wash the baby before presenting him/her to Amy.
Amy and Jeff have asked that measurements of the baby be taken after they have held him/her.
Amy and Jeff would like to have prints made of the baby’s hands and feet. In the event this is not possible, they would like to have prints made of an alternative part of the body (to be decided at the time).
Amy and Jeff would like to have a cutting of baby’s hair, if existent.
Amy and Jeff have made arrangements with a photographer from "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" to take pictures of them and the baby.
Leah’s delivery went smoothly, so the hospital followed our birth plan exactly. We didn’t get a cutting of Leah’s hair because she was a baldy; everything else was perfect. Our theory with this birthplan, and the grief process in general, has been to do almost anything that others seem to find helpful. We keep everything, because you can always toss stuff out later if you decide it isn’t important. I think it is better to hold on to something extra than have regrets. I almost threw out my hospital bracelet (it was looking pretty scruffy), but someone stopped me and now I am so glad they did because I have it next to Leah’s in her scrapbook.
One thing that I wish I would have had was a plan for after birth. I was so exhausted after delivery that I couldn’t remember everything that I wanted to do or say. Our time was so short that it would have been wonderful to have a reminder list. My one regret with Leah’s birth is that I never sang to my baby. We spent so much time playing music and singing to her while she was in utero, and I had wanted to sing to her when she was born, but I got overwhelmed and forgot.
Here is our birth plan. Notice that our social worker left out the part about the butt cheeks.
AMY COX AND JEFF KLUG
BIRTH PLAN
Listed below are our wishes for the labor and delivery experience during the upcoming induction of labor of our baby. We anticipate a vaginal birth, and understand that staff will try to honor these wishes, if at all possible.
Jeff would like to cut the umbilical cord.
After the cord is cut, Jeff would like to hold the baby.
If the baby is breathing, Amy would like Jeff to bring the baby to her to hold. If the baby is not breathing, Jeff would like to wash the baby before presenting him/her to Amy.Amy and Jeff have asked that measurements of the baby be taken after they have held him/her.
Amy and Jeff would like to have prints made of the baby’s hands and feet. In the event this is not possible, they would like to have prints made of an alternative part of the body (to be decided at the time).
Amy and Jeff would like to have a cutting of baby’s hair, if existent.
Amy and Jeff have made arrangements with a photographer from "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" to take pictures of them and the baby.
Leah’s delivery went smoothly, so the hospital followed our birth plan exactly. We didn’t get a cutting of Leah’s hair because she was a baldy; everything else was perfect. Our theory with this birthplan, and the grief process in general, has been to do almost anything that others seem to find helpful. We keep everything, because you can always toss stuff out later if you decide it isn’t important. I think it is better to hold on to something extra than have regrets. I almost threw out my hospital bracelet (it was looking pretty scruffy), but someone stopped me and now I am so glad they did because I have it next to Leah’s in her scrapbook.
One thing that I wish I would have had was a plan for after birth. I was so exhausted after delivery that I couldn’t remember everything that I wanted to do or say. Our time was so short that it would have been wonderful to have a reminder list. My one regret with Leah’s birth is that I never sang to my baby. We spent so much time playing music and singing to her while she was in utero, and I had wanted to sing to her when she was born, but I got overwhelmed and forgot.
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