"A goal without a plan is just a wish."
Did you dream about your wedding day? How about taking a trip through Europe with your best friend? I used to dream about having my own photography business…being my own boss and creating freedom for my family to spend more time together, all while pursuing something I was passionate about. Okay, I am still dreaming of the last part! But it’s not just a dream or a wish that seems unattainable, because I have a plan. I am spending lots of time creating goals and researching how to make them a reality. Because just like your beautiful wedding day that you spent months planning, or the trip you worked all those extra shifts to pay for, your baby’s birth won’t happen as you’ve dreamed it to when you don’t have a plan.
Not having a birth plan is having a plan, nonetheless. But rather than it being a plan that you’ve researched and written out with your informed decisions, it’s a plan to accept whatever may happen. If your nurse tells you to lay on your back making it easier to monitor your baby, you’ll do as she says (even though it makes the contractions much more painful). If you didn’t tell anyone to not cut your baby’s cord until it has turned white, it’ll be cut before you get a chance to. And there are so many things to make decisions about that yes, it can become overwhelming. But do you want them to be your decisions made or the doctor’s? Rather than letting it become overwhelming, let it be your visualization for a beautiful day when you do the incredible and birth your baby.
Many people laugh at having a birth plan because when it comes to birth we are told so many things are out of our control. Some think, “What’s the point in having a birth plan when birth is so unpredictable? Isn’t having a healthy mom and baby all that matters?” But have you ever thought that having a birth plan may create better outcomes for mom and baby, physically as well as emotionally?
For some pregnancies and births there are instances when doctors, medication, or surgery are needed and thankfully these resources are so accessible should complications arise. But the majority of women have healthy, low-risk pregnancies and should have no reason to anticipate complications. The benefit of having a birth plan is that it can encourage peace and excitement regarding birth, rather than fear and anxiety that can come with anticipating the unknown.
Some more benefits of having a birth plan are…
becoming educated and aware of your options apart from what your doctor tells you
creating a dialogue between you and your partner and getting on the same page
expressing to your doctor and birth team what your labor and birth preferences are
knowing how you’d like to proceed in the case of a complication
preventing issues of confusion with doctors, nurses, or anyone in the birth space
higher chances of living your dream birth
Do you want to live your dream birth? What would that look like for you?
I’ll be posting more on how to write your dream birth plan soon!