My Birth Plan - Kareem

It gives me great comfort and relief to be able to share my birth plan with you. Thank you for putting the time and interest to read it; I trust that you will respect my plan and help me apply it.
We trust that you will explain and ask for our consent before every single procedure that you perform on mother and on baby -routine and other- from the time admitted until discharged from the hospital. This is very important for me so I can relax and give you my full cooperation.


AFTER BEING ADMITTED/ DURING LABOR I’d like:
* Pls conduct as minimal vaginal/internal exams as possible, pls keep in mind:
o Permission must be asked to lessen resistance of muscles
o First gently place finger on the rim and hold still for a few seconds, and once you feel sphincter relax, slowly and gently move inside
* To be sent back home if I’m not in real labor
* To stay hydrated by drinking clear fluids instead of an IV; heparin lock instead of an IV
* No antibiotics to be given to mother or baby
* To eat & drink if I wish to (water, clear apple juice, dates)
* To move around and try different positions during labor, listening to my body&whatever feels right at the time
* To be allowed to progress free of stringent time limits
* I request time to labor naturally with no artificial induction or augmentation, pls No Pitocin
* Intermittent external monitoring for baby (not continuous fetal monitoring)
* Pain relief: Please don't offer me pain medication. I'll request it if I need it.
* When it’s time to push, I’d like to do so instinctively; I’ll request to be coached if I need to
* No episiotomy, instead I kindly request the midwife to massage the perineum before & especially during the pushing stage. If it becomes necessary upon the crowning of baby's head, I’d like pressure episiotomy.

POSTPARTUM I'd like to:
* Hold baby below placenta level and to clamp cord ONLY after all pulsations have ceased, child breathes repeatedly and becomes pink. Assuring placental transfusion has been naturally completed prior to clamping.
* To give time for my baby to breath naturally before using any kind of breathing stimulation
* To hold my baby right away, on my chest with a warm blanket to begin bonding and breast feeding as soon as possible (putting off any procedures that aren't urgent provided there are no complications)
* To deliver the placenta naturally without any medication or pulling of umbilical cord but with nipple stimulation and massaging the uterus, allowing for natural uterine contractions to aid in the expulsion of the placenta.
* Don’t want oxytocin/Pitocin after delivering the placenta
* To breastfeed exclusively and on demand, no bottles/pacifies to be given to our baby
* Immediate ID band and 24-hour rooming-in with baby
* Pediatric exam and any necessary tests be done in our room and in our presence
* Absolutely NO immunizations / vaccinations
* Antibiotic eye drops is ok if really needed
* No vitamin K injection, oral dose instead of injection is accepted only if breastfeeding was not possible
* Do not bath baby; gently massage vernix coating baby skin to moisturizes & protect from infections
We respect the professional judgment of the doctors and will, of course, be flexible in the event of complications. We feel confident that everything will go normally inshaAllah. And in the unlikely case that emergency procedures have to be done, we trust that you will also discuss all our options (with their pros and cons) so we can make together a responsible decision.