Be Realistic writing your birthplan (Birth Plan)

Member Name: Weelassie

Product:	Birth Plan
Date:	14/02/09 (26 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: U have something prepared

Disadvantages: Seldom goes all to plan

I think when you write a birth plan you need to be realistic. The reality is it very seldom goes to plan. Don't be disappointed if you don't achieve all you have written down. I went into my first pregnancy accepting whatever happens , happens but all I want is to come home with a healthy child. I had planned for my mum and husband to be in the room with me and fortunately that went to plan. I never expected to be in labour 3 weeks early and I just went with the flow - the adreniline rush was just unbelieveable. Yes, i was absolutely exhausted especially as I hadn't slept the 3 nights prior to my waters breaking. My contractions weren't coming close enough and with my waters broken over 24 hrs earlier I had to have a drip to bring on the contractions ( I wasn't planning on that!). I was determined to have an epidural and the midwife told me to wait a bit longer but I was insistant on it asap and as such I was given it then (thankfully as any later would have meant I wouldn't have been able to have it). Thankfully I went on to have a fairly straight-forward delivery but it was rather quick. I had the injection to remove the placenta (this was in my birth plan).I thought "That wasn't too bad!" until I was advised that I had a 3rd degree tear and lost 1.5 litres of blood ( I wasn't expecting that!). Suddenly I was rushed into theatre to be stitched up ( I wasn't expecting that - it wasn't in my birth plan!). I was then taken back to the delivery room to be given 3 blood transfusions ( I wasn't planning on that). When asked about feeding I was planning on breast feeding (in my birth plaN) but quite honestly after the trauma I had just been through I had no energy and was exhausted and as such opted to bottle feed so my husband could do the first feed. Basically what I am trying to say is that yes, write a plan but really it would be most unusual for it all to go to plan. Also, you may want an epidural but in labour you realise you have a high pain threshold and as such don't want any pain relief. It's hard to know what to expect or what you want until you are in labour / the situation. I think that as long as you have the person you want as your birth partner with you then you can get through it together. Try to accept that you have to expect the unexpected and the main thing is for you and the baby to be in the best possible care and if that means c-section or other unplanned methods then just accept it.

Summary: Accept that the plan may not be used