Birth Planning – Should I Even bother?
As a woman you have so many choices when thinking about birthing your baby and hand on heart I’ve never met a women who doesn’t have at least a few wishes for her birth, so to avoid thinking about this in an attempt to ‘not get your hopes up’ seems a little bonkers!
But what do we actually mean by a birth plan?
Weirdly, I would argue the main part of a birth plan is not actually writing down a plan. As a pregnant women you have so many choices when it comes to your pregnancy and birth, for me this is the crux of a good plan…understanding exactly what these choices are, the pros and cons of each and exactly which of these make your heart sing.
Without being fully clued up, how can you give your informed consent and build a plan you feel comfortable with?
Whether you plan to birth in the middle of the woods with the animals or would prefer to opt for an elective C-section, you need to be informed.
This then helps you plan for a number of scenarios which is my second top tip. Don’t just have plan A. Make a plan B,C and D.
If circumstances change being aware of support you may be offered is crucial in being prepared and therefore being able to communicate your wishes effectively.
If you’ve planned for a home birth, what are your preferences if you go into hospital or choose C-section further down the line?
It makes sense to consider how you would feel in alternative scenarios, even if this is only briefly.
My final suggestion is to think about how you want to feel. A good birth plan often focuses a little more on how you want to feel and ways to create that, rather than a minute by minute outline of how your birth will progress.
How will you make yourself feel comfortable? Who will be there? What things would like to include in your birth?
It’s so important to have these discussions before the event because during your birth your brain switches. You become more primal. And trying to have a rational, well-thought-out conversation is probably not going to be that successful.
Knowing what you want beforehand eliminates any stress or distraction at a time when you probably are focused on other things!
To get you started I’ve included a couple of fantastic free resources to help you write down any notes to chat through with your midwife.
The NHS form is a written document and takes you through lots of details they suggest you think about. A tad lengthily, but can definitely be a good place to start.
My favourite is the Mille Hill birth plan. It is a series of pictures that you can go through and put together as a visual document which makes understanding it at a quick glance really easy. Very handy for anyone reading it!
The aims website is also a fab resource to help clue yourself up regarding what’s best for you, your baby and help you put together your plan
http://www.pinterandmartin.com/the-positive-birth-book-visual-birth-plan-free-download
https://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/birth-plan
So grab a drink and a pen and invest some time in you
