So, you’ve got your birth plan, but what if the plan doesn’t go to plan?
Birth Planning
Naturally, birth planning seems to upload a negative feeling. I’m sure you won't be alone in some of these feels!
‘what’s the point? – birth never goes to plan?’
‘I’m just going to go with the flow and hope for the best’
‘Birth is hard and unpredictable’
But, hear this, what if it does go to plan? What if you educate yourself on the benefits and risks and take control of your decisions surrounding birth? What if there is something that is REALLY important to you. For example, that you wish to be heard by your medical team.
A friend once told me that she felt like she wasn’t heard of at first birth. She specially asked medical professionals several times, and felt like she wasn’t listened to too. Very simply at the top of her next birth plan. ‘Please listen to my wishes, and allow me to make my own decisions”
This is really important to her. This enables her to have control, this enables her to make those decisions at birth that may seem down to just the white coat professional, but you always have a choice. It's ultimately your body, your birth and your wishes.
The other food for thought is writing preferences. If plan A doesn’t go as you wish you can plan for considerations.
Things to consider for either method;
Managing the intensity of birth, what things are going to provide you comfort? List your preferences
Environment, how do you wish it to look and feel?
Staff, medical students, is this something you wish to consider or not?
What is important to you? For example hushed voices.
Are there some ‘NO GO’s’ – things that you don’t want to happen, (I want to be in UFO position for birth)
Birth Partners role, what is it that they are doing?
Post birth care, it doesn't stop at birth so how do you wish for this to unfold?
Benefits of a birth plan:
You feel empowered by your choices, your showing the powerful knowledge right there on a page
Your birth partner can pass the birth plan to any change in staff - we want to have that clear communication between all members of a team looking after you
You can enable that TEAMWORK, - you are all on the same page!
Your plan might not be set in stone, but can be flexible and can hold preferences. - It helps you prepare for the unexpected!
As part of your NHS maternity booklet you can easily complete their checklist, however this does not have to be it. You can add your own plan to the folder. If your still doubting whether to do a birth plan or not, One of the things I always talk about with my clients is our birth affirmations.
‘Focus on what you can control and let go of what you can’t!’
With our birth plan, we have clearly focused on the things we can control and this allows us to focus on what we can’t.