Why You Should Have More Than One Birth Plan
There is more to birth than “healthy mom, healthy baby”. Your wishes matter. Making confident decisions in regards to your birth is empowering, leads to more positive emotions surrounding your experience, and may contribute to a lower likelihood of developing postpartum mood disorders. But why have more than one “plan”?
Whether you are birthing at home or in a hospital, unexpected scenarios may arise. It is better to have prepared for these scenarios (to the best of your ability) than to be caught off guard.
Consider this: You have planned for a beautiful water birth at home with a midwife you completely trust. You are working with a doula so that you feel fully supported throughout the entire process. You have hired your birth photographer, strung up your twinkle lights, set up your birth pool, and placed your birth affirmations where they can easily be seen. It is perfect. Then the day finally arrives and... a hospital transfer becomes necessary. What now? You put so much thought into planning for your home birth, not this. Now that the “plan” has shifted due to necessity, you have to make decisions in the moment about what you want this kind of birth to look like. Or worse, now your birth has become an experience that is happening to you, instead of something powerful that YOU are doing.
Similar situations could become a part of your birth story no matter where you choose to have your baby. You could have researched all of your preferences for a vaginal hospital birth and find out you will need a cesarean. Maybe you have planned for a cesarean but spontaneously go into labor and things move so quickly that you wind up delivering vaginally. I don’t ask you to think about this to instill any fear. Scenarios like these are unlikely - but a shift like this is a possibility. Wouldn’t you rather be prepared? For this reason, I encourage parents to research and put together two or three lists of their birth preferences as outlined below. (I prefer the term “birth preferences” or “birth wishes” as opposed to “birth plan”.)
If you are planning to have an out of hospital birth (birth center or home birth):
Primary birth preferences
Hospital birth preferences (vaginal)
Cesarean birth preferences
If you are planning a hospital birth:
Primary birth preferences
Cesarean birth preferences
If you are planning a cesarean birth:
Primary birth preferences
Hospital birth preferences (vaginal)
Your birth should be perfect. It should be exactly what you want. Take time to envision your ideal birth and prepare for it. This is so important in successfully working toward the birth you really desire. In fact, most of your mental and emotional energy should go into zeroing in on this! That being said, knowing what your wishes may be in a less than ideal situation is also important. Be ready to have a say in how your birth plays out, regardless of the direction it takes.
Will you be welcoming a sweet baby earthside soon? If you live in Jacksonville, FL or any of the surrounding areas, contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation. I’d love to chat with you about how I can help you feel confident going into your birth.