This is a concept I have mentioned before “I would rather have a plan and have to change it, than have no plan at all.” In other words, you have no idea what to expect, whether this is your 1st or 8th pregnancy, those babies are known for throwing curve balls. However, things can go smoother and you can sleep better at night if you have an idea of what the course of action is once you are in labor. This is called a birth plan. It is not only for you, but your care providers as well. Keep in mind that where you are going to give birth will determine how much say you really have in what happens throughout your labor in delivery. I used a birth center and a midwife therefore they were happy to comply with my requests.
The first thing I bought the day that I found out I was pregnant was “The What To Expect Pregnancy Journal and Organizer”. I really cherish this little notebook. Just pulling it out to write this blog floods me with memories.
Inside there is a form you can fill out that walks you through every possible detail of creating a birth plan. Or you can also print out a birth plan outline at babycenter.com. (this website is another great resource that I went to over and over by the way.)
Remember, you can’t expect that everything will go exactly according to your wishes during labor, but writing out a birth plan is helpful in so many ways. It is never too early to start working on one because some times it will take some real thought and research to decide just what it is you want. Half the battle in having a successful natural child birth is to decide if that is what you want to do. From what I hear, if you say you will see how it goes, you will get the drugs! If that is what you want that is fine, but you have the choice so take the time to make up your mind in advance. I chose to go natural and once I did there was no turning back unless I was transfered to the hospital. In the end it was the right choice for me and I am happy with the way it all turned out.
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