As I recently shared, now that I’m almost 36 weeks pregnant, labor and delivery is really weighing on my mind. This is my third baby and my first two birth stories could not be more different from one another! With my first I was induced, followed by a C-section under general anesthesia. With my second, I had a fast unmedicated vaginal birth. Because of this, I know all too well that every baby and every pregnancy are different and a lot of what happens during birth is really  not in our control.

That said, I know I will feel a lot better (and worry less) if I try to organize all the thoughts swirling in my mind. So I decided to make a birth plan.

I know birth plans get a bad rap for being inflexible, unrealistic, and even neurotic.  But I think a simple birth plan can be a great way to really figure out what you are worried about, what you really want, and what is realistic. At the same time, I think any birth plan needs to be taken for what it is: a somewhat idealistic plan based on a ton of unknown factors. Which means there has to be a lot of flexibility because you really can’t know ahead of time what is going to be in the best interest of you or your child.

I didn’t make a birth plan before either of my previous labors and in all honesty, I’m probably not going to print this out and take it to the hospital with me, though I will be discussing my preferences with my doctor beforehand. More than anything I just want to organize my thoughts and wishes so I can go in feeling prepared.

With that said, this is my simple, flexible plan for baby #3:

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  • If at all possible, I would prefer a vaginal delivery. I feel more strongly about this than anything else. If a C-section is medically necessary, then I am ok with that – the most important thing by far is that I end up with a healthy baby, regardless of how he is born. However, I do think C-sections are often suggested in situations where they are not medically necessary, particularly when labor is taking too long or ‘failing to progress’. Before agreeing to a C-section, I want a clear explanation of why it is needed.
  • If I do need a C-section, I prefer to have a spinal block rather than an epidural. I had an epidural during my first C-section and ended up needed general anesthesia because it was not working effectively. This meant I wasn’t even awake for my baby’s birth and also made recovery much slower.
  • If I give birth vaginally, I want to try to give birth without an epidural. But if the pain isn’t manageable or this turns into a very long labor, I will definitely reconsider.
  • I don’t want to induce labor or use any other special interventions to start labor unless it is necessary for the health of the baby or to prevent the need for a C-section. I believe my body and my baby know when they are ready better than anyone else.

And really that is it. This may seem overly short and sweet, but this will be my third time giving birth in the same hospital. I am familiar with a lot of their policies like encouraging all mothers to breastfeed and keeping newborns in the room with their parents, so I know I don’t need to request those things.

I also trust my doctor and the labor and delivery staff. I know my body very well and I know what kind of birth I would prefer, but I also know that I am not a doctor. While I have given birth twice, they have assisted women giving birth hundreds and hundreds of times. There is so much they know about the process and the potential complications that I don’t know (and don’t really want to know.) That doesn’t mean I won’t advocate for my own wishes and needs, but I also understand that in the end we are all working together to make sure that whatever birth looks like, my baby and I are both headed home afterwards healthy and happy.

Did you have a birth plan?  And if so, did your birth go according to the plan?  Do you feel like having a plan in place beforehand made a difference?