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Birthing plan question
I'm starting to think about what kind of birth to have. I guess I'm just looking for the pros and cons of different experiences, natural, water birth, medicated, etc. Any thoughts/opinions/knowledge would be greatly appreciated. TIA!
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Re: Birthing plan question
Well, my intent was to do hypnobirthing. It did not work for me. I wasn't progressing past 5 cm so the doc broke my water. As soon as she did my labor completely changed and I couldn't handle it anymore. I wanted the epi fast. By the time I was checked again I was 8cm and they luckily still let me get the epi. I'm so glad they did because my daughter got stuck (she had her arm up) and I pushed (off and on) for 5 hours. I will get another epi with #2.
Good luck with your decision. Just be prepared to be flexible with your decision.
My birth plan was "healthy baby, healthy mama". We stuck to it.
From what I've gathered from friends, most plans end up getting tossed out the window anyway, I wouldn't worry about it too much unless you are dead set on a certain type of birth.
ETA: I also had an epi, and it was wonderful. If my dh wasn't in the room I would have proposed to the anesthesiologist.
This is my plan as well. I only have a few specifics: Yes to the epi; no to anyone but necessary hospital staff in the room during delivery (i.e. no students), and I would like time with the baby before family members are allowed in the room.
As several other posts have stated, the most important thing is to be flexible. I labored naturally for 18 hours and then got an epi since I knew if I continued naturally I'd be too exhausted to push. However, I never got the chance to push since Anna didn't cooperate and I ended up getting a C-section.
My DH asked me if I would labor naturally again if I had the chance (right now, my OB doesn't recommend attempting a VBAC with the next pregnancy) and I said yes, because even though it can be exhausting, I felt in control of my labor. I must say, the epi was nice but it requires a catheter (which led to a UTI for me- no fun at all!).
Good luck with your decision!
i would recommend interviewing a homebirth or birth center midwife as well as an OB/GYN. you can get a chance to ask a lot of questions and see what you think.
natural birth out of a hospital can be a wonderful experience, it is not for everyone, but a lot of people don't know much about it. it doesn't hurt to check it out. in the out of hosp setting your more likely to get the birth that you want according to your birth plan. there are very few times that we can not follow someone's plan, unless we end up transporting to the hosp that is.
ETA: sorry, when i posted this i couldn't see your ticker. it was just a red X. now that i see you are 25 weeks along you probably already have a healthcare provider. FYI- it's never to late to change if you are unhappy.
GL!
Like all the PPs mention, when you make up your birth plan have a open mind that it might not go the way you want. In the end, a healthy baby is more important than anything.
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Here is my birth plan:
I am taking bradley classes. I plan to give birth at a hospital with a CN Midwife.
I plan to labor in water and to push outside the tub. No pain medications/epidural. No IV, No episiotomy and non-continuous fetal monitoring. I also want to be able to eat and drink.
I am keeping a open mind and won't be disappointed if I take pain medications/epidural or have a c-section. In the end, having baby born healthy is more important than my birth plan.
I just read Deliver This! by Marisa Cohen and it was awesome! It could have gone into more detail, but for some one who is not familiar with birth I think it's a good place to start. And once we see what type you are interested in, you can do more research and get more information from there.
The author has given birth twice using an epi but in the book she lays out different ways to give birth, from the birth with the least amount of intervention (home birth) to one with lots of medical intervention (planned c-section). I didn't feel that it pushed me towards a certain kind of birth, but really helped me learn about the pros of each kind. The author does her best to assure you that no matter what type of birth you choose, it should be the one that is right for YOU.
It gave me lots of think about and has lead me to want a medication free birth with a doula. Because of my complex medical history, having a midwife or non-hospital setting is not appropriate for me and that's fine with me.
Good luck!