North Fulton Hospital is in Roswell, GA and offers many parents the option of a waterbirth. They have many practices that coincide with natural birth, so you don’t need a huge birth plan like other hospitals. You don’t need to mention things about “pushing in different positions” or “wanting to eat and drink.” Here are some things to add (or not!) to your short + sweet, birth preferences sheet! For more information on each topic, click on the word itself to open a new page for research. The links work best on a laptop or desktop
Keep it short! You can create a longer, more elaborate birth plan for your chart, but if you want hospital nurses and practitioners to actually read what you want, keep it short. A simple YES or NO is perfect. It can be read quickly and efficiently. Sometimes parents end up with a nurse they haven’t met yet. Maybe your nurse is on break, a new nurse comes to assist you. Having this short birth sheet means new nurses are more likely to read it if they come in to assist you.
Special Considerations
The birth process is a very vulnerable and emotion-filled time. You might prefer setting solid boundaries to prevent being triggered. Some common requests include: “As little people in the room as possible,” “Don’t crowd me in the bed,” and “No yelling/coached pushing.”
Labor and Delivery Decisions
Management of discomfort: Are you wanting to utilize hydrotherapy or pain medication?
If you are wanting a water birth, you will have to take the water birth class at North Fulton Hospital. Contact your midwife for more information. If you are group B strep negative, you do not have to get an IV/heplock.
If you are wanting pain medication (either through your IV or an epidural) you will need an IV.
Ambiance: Do you want quiet voices, minimal talking? Do you want a room full of people? Some of them in training? Protect your patience and birth space with your personal preferences. You can bring your own music, lighting, oils, but it isn’t necessary to put that on your birth plan. Just bring them!
Labor: Some moms prefer to be “better safe than sorry” and like to add “permission required for membrane sweep or rupture” on their birth plans.
Delivery: Who will catch the baby? The midwife is always there to help assist, but you or your partner can as well! Let us know so we can try to make it happen (if possible).
After the baby is born, do you want everyone to be quiet? What are the plans for your placenta? Most parents prefer delayed cord clamping until the cord stops pulsating? Gathering cord blood to bank instead? Let us know.
Some midwives at North Fulton prefer to proactively treat postpartum bleeding with a shot of pitocin in the leg (or through your IV). Research your thoughts and put that on your plan.
C-section: North Fulton is known to provide Family Centered C-sections if baby can tolerate it. I’m decently known up there, and I’m generally allowed in the OR with you. But still state your preferences for your C-section (doula present, delayed cord clamping, “seeding“, skin-to-skin, lowering the drape, etc)
Baby Care
While immediate skin-to-skin and golden hour is the norm at North Fulton, there are many other baby care decisions to consider. Most of your research will be in preparation for this section of your birth plan.
Immediately after delivery: Baby is born (yay!) and is placed on your chest. Now what?
Do you want the automatic use of a bulb syringe? Or wait to see if it’s necessary?
Are you planning to breastfeed? How do you feel about pacifiers, sugar water or formula?
Do you want the Hep B vaccination? Do you want the Vitamin K shot administered or are you bringing oral Vit K? What about Erythromycin eye ointment?
Are you wanting the vernix rubbed in or a baby bath?
Are you choosing to circumcise?
PREGNANT? (YAY!) HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MY MATERNITY PICTURES, DOULA CARE? CONTACT ME TODAY!