Originally Posted by RNnL&D Relax and don't sweat the small stuff. I think a birth plan is a great idea to let staff know how you would like things to go, but I don't think it needs to be 4 pages long, kwim? When I was a doula, I always told my clients to keep it short and sweet. Choose the things that are most important to you.
As far as labor, just let it happen. Don't focus so much on the details, just let things occur as they will. Let go of any fear. If she's fearful that history will repeat itself, I believe that will come out during her labor.
I think it's a good idea for moms and partners to be educated about birth, about all their options, and to go over birth plans, to think about what they might want or not want. A birth plan can be a helpful guide for them with this process. Frequently, parents who come into my hospital are pleasantly surprised, after reviewing their birth plan with them, to find out that pretty much everything they want is what we routinely do. It's their birth, we want to make that happen as much as possible. One doula here has a great idea I like: well aware of the Curse of the Birth Plan, she tells her clients to have a list of Birth "Suggestions" , in order to ward off the evil .... (we're a superstitious bunch, aren't we?) I think the things most commonly responsible for derailing a "natural", ie no interventions, birth, is when pitocin is started, and when she realizes how much labor HURTS and needs an epidural. The Berkeley CA area has such high standards for "natural birth" that some women feel guilty if they get an epidural or c-section, like they've failed. I think this attitude is hurtful and perverts the idea of what birth plans, and the political environment in which they arose, were meant to rectify: giving knowledge of and control of birth processes back to moms and to change the patronizing, patriarchical attitudes in obstetrics.
I apologize if I'm not making much sense. Just got home from a long, hard shift.
dang it
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