Birth Plan

Birth Plan for
Dillon Anthony or Amanda Rose
Scheduled C-Section on July 28, 2004
Written by Kimberly and Anthony Stuchel

We have written this birth plan for our child, who has been diagnosed with Potter’s Syndrome. (no kidney function, no amniotic fluid, underdeveloped lung function). We hope this birth plan is of assistance in guiding the decisions, which must be made during the course of our child’s birth.

We are not closed to ideas outside of this birth plan, but these should serve as a guideline. We believe that the following requests will help us make the most of our limited time with our child.

Labor and Delivery:

  • We are expecting to deliver by scheduled C-Section.
  • Kim does not want any drugs administered during or after the baby is delivered that will affect her alertness. Please keep in mind that our main objective is for Kim to remain as alert as possible.
  • Tony is to remain with Kim at all times. If relatives are waiting or phone in, we request that a nurse give them updates as applicable.

After Birth:

  • Both parents want to see or hold the baby immediately before or after baby is placed on ventilator.
  • We request that the baby be put on a ventilator to assess lung function. We have been informed that this could take any where from 1-2 hours. If at all possible Tony would want to be with the child during this time. During this time we want to be kept informed of baby’s condition.
  • If after the estimated 2 hours of lung function assessment it has been decided that the baby doesn’t have enough lung function to sustain life. Then we want the baby removed from the ventilator and brought to Kim’s hospital room, or if Kim is still in the recovery room the baby should be brought to Kim there.
  • Once removed from the ventilator our child should not removed from our care while still alive.
  • If the baby has sufficient lung function to consider other treatment options we would like to be fully informed so we can make the proper decisions.
  • In the event the baby is stillborn we want to hold the baby immediately, and for as long as we desire.
  • Once the baby has passed on, please notify staff members as applicable. Please allow us space to grieve without abandoning us. We would like time alone with our child after his or her death to say our goodbyes.
  • We would like assistance in taking photographs. We may have a video camera as well. Please help us with that also if we require assistance.
  • To help us celebrate and remember this special time with our child, we have thought about mementos and other things that we would like to do. Here is a list of those things; if there are others that you think we might want, we would be grateful for those suggestions.

. Keepsakes Requested:

  • bassinet card
  • hats
  • baby blanket
  • any photographs taken at the hospital
  • hospital ID bracelet
  • hand and footprints
  • Impressions of hands and feet (we have kits with us)
  • lock of hair
  • we are open to other suggestions as well
  • We have brought Clothing for our baby that we would like to dress him or her in when the time is right.

Staff:

  • We would like some sort of marking on Kim’s Hospital Room Door to alert staff to our loss or impending loss so the Nurses know not to come bouncing in the room happy and asking what we are having or how we are doing!
  • Would like to be released from the Hospital as soon as possible.

Visitors:

  • In the event this happens in the middle of the night. I would like visitors to be allowed in my room to visit the baby and me, as our baby will likely not wait for visiting hours.

Baptism:

  • We want the baby to be baptized. We have made arrangements with our pastor to be there. If the baby is on ventilator and it is decided that the baby will not survive off of the ventilator, then the Baptism will occur while the baby remains on the ventilator. If the baby will survive for some time off of the ventilator, then the Baptism will occur in the recovery room with family/friends. If the baby is stillborn, a Baptism will not occur.

Autopsy:

  • We have decided to have an autopsy done to rule out any other genetic conditions that could have caused this.