Your baby is now officially an embryo and is about the size of a poppy seed.
Please visit www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/4-weeks-pregnant/ for more information.
Writing a set of birth ambitions
Every family will have different plans and expectations for pregnancy and birth.
By writing down your birth preferences you can express your personal wishes and share it with who you choose.
Your personalised plan can then be discussed with relevant health professionals and supporters and tailored to your individual needs.
Remember that you may need to be flexible as pregnancy and birth might not go completely to plan, but do tell your midwife what matters to you so that they can discuss it with you.
Some of the things you may want to consider are
- Which setting do I plan for my birth; home, Midwifery Unit, Consultant Unit?
- Who do I wish to be with me during labour and birth?
- What plans do I have for my other children during labour, if applicable?
- Do I wish to discover the sex of the baby myself, from my partner or health professional?
- Preferences for support from aromatherapy oils, hypnobirthing, massage, music, etc.
- Who do I want to cut the baby's cord and when? (providing all is normal)
- Do I want to see or keep my placenta?
- What is my plan for informing family members about the birth?
- Does a supporter wish to stay with me overnight in the hospital environment if this is an option?
Your birth preferences are a good thing to discuss and you may want to consider if circumstances change for example you require a caesarean section what your preferences are for this, including if a supporter would wish to come with you to the theatre. The majority of births are vaginal but these thoughts can be useful even if you never need them.
Please follow this link to access a personal care plan document, which is designed to be printed and written in, and includes sections on:
- Health and wellbeing in pregnancy
- Personalised birth preferences
- Dads, partners and co-parents
- After your baby is born
- Birth afterthoughts.
