Create a Birth Plan

Create a Birth Plan to Make Your Experience Easier

A birth plan expresses your preferences throughout your delivery experience. When you create a birth plan, you let your healthcare providers know what your choices are concerning labor, delivery and any unexpected events.

Some of the choices you have include:

• Who you would like to assist and/or be present during the labor
• Pain relief and management options
• Birthing positions
• Treatments/procedures for your newborn immediately after birth
• Plans for delivery changes, including premature birth, and C-section

There are many decisions to make throughout labor and delivery, so it is best to think about what best suits you ahead of time. In other words - be pro-active instead of reactive - as it could be more difficult to make choices while in the midst of labor!

CMMC can provide the birth plan form to you, through your physician or nurse-midwife's office.

We also encourage you to attend Childbirth Education classes, to help you understand some of the choices you will have in the Family Birth Center.

A few decisions that should be made before your baby arrives include:

• Your New Baby's Doctor
  If you have a family medicine practitioner, he can care for your newborn. You can also opt to choose a pediatrician, who specializes in caring for youngsters and adolescents.
  
  It's important to choose your baby's doctor or pediatrician before he or she is born, as the doctor will be called to examine the baby shortly after being born. Not all doctors have visiting privileges at the hospital - if that is the case, a pediatrician from CMMC will examine your baby. His report will be given to your baby's doctor.
  
  When selecting a doctor, take the time to find out all you can about him or her. Talk to friends who have children and ask who they see and what their experiences have been. You'll also want to factor in practical issues, such as the proximity of the doctor's office to your home and/or place of work, and also whether the office has hours on Saturdays or evenings. (Some practices do.)
  
  To find a physician that practices at Central Maine Medical Center, visit our Online Physician Directory.
  
  
• Other Considerations:
  • Circumcision
    If you have a baby boy, you may have to decide whether to circumcise him. The circumcision - the removal of foreskin around the tip of the penis -- would take place before you bring your baby home.
    
    The decision is an easy one for those whose cultural or religious beliefs require that baby boys be circumcised. For others, it's a personal choice. There are no known risks to either choice, and organizations including The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians do not advocate for or against it. If you are unsure, talk to your doctor and/or partner about what you think is best.
    
    
  • Hepatitis B Vaccination
    Be sure to discuss your baby's hepatitis B cluster vaccinations with your doctor. Typically, the vaccination requires three injections given over the course of 18 months; you can start the series right after birth. Otherwise, it is recommended that the first injection be given as soon as possible, within the newborn's first two months. It's an important health precaution.