Redeeming Birth: Hospital Birth Plan

Yesterday, I shared with you our decision to return from homebirth back to hospital birth. You may be curious about what our hospital birth plan looked like.

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My course of care with the obstetrician was pretty uneventful. Annalise’s pregnancy was just as smooth as each of her siblings had been. I did not see a perinatologist or a geneticist because we did not have any evidence that Miranda had died from any congenital disease. I had typical screenings and ultrasounds.

In the second trimester I began discussing some of my birth preferences with my OB (knowing that it was unlikely that she would attend the birth). In the final two months we got very specific.

Having given birth six times before, I did not consult any apps to form my birth plan. Most written plans end up being longer than the staff have time to read and implement in the active stage of labor. Instead, I spoke directly to my OB and had her make notes in my record to be reviewed by any physicians who were involved in our birth.

I choose to be induced at 38 weeks.

Choosing induction did not mean I forfeited all of my rights to an empowered birth, but it did require open communication to ensure compromise without minimizing safety.

• I knew I would be delaying vaccinations until the first well-visit.
• I wished to decline the prophylactic eye ointment after birth.
• I wanted to have as much mobility as possible during labor, and I wanted to birth in an upright position.
• I wanted anyone who was involved in our birth to know of Miranda and her loss.

Those things were my highest priorities. The remainder of my preferences could wait until I met my labor and delivery nurses.

When I arrived on birth day, I had my husband and a dear friend present for support.

As we settled in and my nurse gathered more information from me, I began to discuss with her my birth preferences. She verified what was in my records and we discussed further details.

• I wished to delay the first bath.
• I wanted to know if I would have to sign a refusal of the prophylactic eye ointment.
• I wanted to hold the baby before the nurses took her for evaluation.

We went through all the paperwork to complete check-in and begin the induction.

Something that was an unexpected surprise was the anesthesiologist that came in to go over my consent forms (just in case needed). I recognized her immediately, she was one of the fellows that was assigned to the PICU when Miranda was there. She remembered us and our Miranda! 

It was so good to see a familiar face. Someone who knew just how hard it was to get to this day.

The staff was far more accommodating than I anticipated. Aside from periodic monitoring and very few checks on progress, they allowed me to labor in relative peace. After a long day of what seemed like very slow but steady progress, just as the shift change was happening, I was in transition and baby was coming!

My friend who had attended for support (and is also a labor and delivery nurse at another facility), started to suspect that I was pushing. She was right. I knew it was getting close and I just wanted to get to the other side of birth! I was pushing a little to try to break my water.

When the nurse peeked over what she thought was the amniotic sac preparing to break was actually Annalise, being born in the caul!

It burst as soon as she was out, so we missed out on photographing it. The doctor was still out of the room (he thought I had a few hours left) and the birth team was cycling in while the nurse handed me my long awaited for little girl.

I cried and laughed at the same time.

She was pink, and screaming. Perfection.

“She’s here.”

“She’s breathing!”

“She’s perfect.”

Annalise was evaluated and there were no causes for concern. She was tiny, but the picture of health.

They did not administer the eye prophylaxis, and not only did they wait a little while for the bath, but they brought me the supplies and left the room so that I could bathe my daughter without staff present.

To say that both Vince and I were happy over her safe arrival, would be a gross understatement.

There were so many joyous tears.

Just a couple of days later while the nurse was helping me to the car, she recalled that she would never forget the sound of pure joy and laughter she witnessed at Annalise’s birth.

Tomorrow I will share with you what it was like to bring our redemption baby home to meet her siblings.