Dr Rahul Sen ~ Your Birth Plan. Creating a birth plan towards the end of your pregnancy is a vital step. In this video Dr Sen talks about how he will meet with you to discuss all the birth details including, the Vitamin K injection for your baby after birth and even your cord blood banking options. Having a plan can increase your confidence during this very important and special time for your family.
Planning for the birth of your baby
Birth plans can be a great way of making sure your key wishes and expectations for childbirth are met. The key thing about a birth plan is to keep it simple. Remember most things are determined by the baby so try to adopt a flexible and ‘go with the flow’ approach. I suggest watching this video and then read the specific information below…
The 37 week visit
At this visit, I shall discuss your birth plan with you. In general, I recommend a “go with the flow” approach, however it is helpful to plan certain things in advance, such as what to pack, whom and when to call, whom to bring as a support person, and whether you will opt for –
- Syntocinon injection for you, partly to help with separation of the placenta, but mainly to reduce the risk of heavy bleeding (haemorrhage) after the birth.
- The Vitamin K injection for your baby, to reduce the risk of internal bleeding.
I recommend both of these injections as routine practice, however, I would be happy to discuss their benefits in more detail with you during your visits.
I usually wait for 1 minute before clamping and cutting the cord. I am happy to wait longer, although it has not been shown to be of great benefit to term babies, and can result in higher levels of jaundice. If your baby is very jaundiced it will require phototherapy, for which he/she may need to be admitted to the special care nursery.
We need to discuss the circumstances under which you may need a ventouse (vacuum) or forceps delivery, an episiotomy (cut to the perineum) or an emergency caesarean section in labour.