(HealthDay News) — There are many things to do to prepare for your baby’s birth. That’s why establishing a birth plan — a list of preferences for labor and delivery — may be in order.
The Nemours Foundation offers these suggestions about what to include in a birth plan:
- Your ideal scenario for pain management, fetal monitoring, which family members to have in the delivery room, and preferred birth positions.
- Your wishes for baby’s treatment immediately following birth, including cutting the cord, and when you get to hold and feed the baby.
- Your plan for feeding — do you want to breast-feed or use formula?
- Your plan for the baby’s hospital stay. Should baby stay with you as much as possible, or should baby stay in the nursery?
- Your emergency plan, including preparations for possible premature delivery or Cesarean section.