If your family is expecting, you should take some time to write a birth plan and go over it with your doctor. This document is often a simple list of the preferred conditions in labor and during delivery. It can be used to make sure your doctor understands your wishes and, used properly, could potentially prevent a birth injury. But what’s in a birth plan and how do you create one?
What is a Birth Plan?
A birth plan describes how you want labor and delivery to proceed. This can be as simple as writing down what position you want to be in during delivery or as complex as having a plan of action for various birth complications. It could also include immediate care for your baby, instructions for the placenta and umbilical cord, and how involved you want to be.
Typically, a birth plan is divided into different components including instructions for labor, pushing, delivery, intervention, use of assisted delivery methods (forceps, vacuum, etc.), immediate postpartum care, and after birth.
If you have a difficult time coming up with everything needed for your birth plan, you may want to use a template and go over each decision in detail.
What Happens if Doctors Don’t Follow Your Birth Plan?
Once you have a birth plan, you should go over it with your doctor. While a plan includes a lot of choices, it should be a decision between you and your doctor that takes into account your medical history and potential risk factors.
If, however, your doctor goes against your birth plan and you or your baby experience a birth injury, you should contact an experienced medical malpractice attorney immediately. Your attorney can help determine whether the doctor’s decision broke the standard of care when they changed your birth plan.
To schedule a free case consultation with an experienced Atlanta birth injury attorney from The Mabrey Firm, don’t hesitate to give us a call at (404) 841-4991 or send us an email.
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