Creating a Childbirth Plan

Congratulations, you're pregnant! Such a sweet sound to so many would be mothers. If you are like me, you already have an image in your mind as to how you want the birth of your child to happen. I knew what I wanted and how I wanted it, I was so excited to meet this little one! All was going to go smooth as silk!

My husband and I attended childbirth classes. We watched the movies showing how several different women gave birth. I knew while watching those films that there were many things that I didn't want to have happen during my birthing process. I wasn't going to sit on some ball and breathe. I wasn't going to let my husband rub my feet and back and I certainly wasn't going to writhe around in pain while feeling everything naturally! Nope, give me an epidural as soon as I walk into the hospital. I also certainly didn't want to have a c-section, my baby was going to be pushed out and immediately given to me to hold. That was my plan!

I also knew I wanted my friends and family in the room with us while our baby was born. I am not one who is very private and I knew I wanted loved ones there at the baby's birth to celebrate with us! I asked my mom, my sister-in-law and my two closest friends to be with us in the birthing suite. I even asked my sister-in-law to please take video of the birth. I was ready, and I was so excited to share this moment with everyone I loved!

Now looking back, I have to laugh at myself. I am used to having things go my way, so I didn't really think twice about my birthing experience not happening the way I had planned it to. Well, guess what? It didn't. There was nothing in my birthing experience that I had planned on happening that actually happened. Having a baby, it seems is not something you can plan to a "T".

Imagine my surprise when at 35 weeks, my doctor sent me to the hospital to give birth. It seems that my four weeks of bed rest due to pre-eclampsia (which wasn't part of my plan either!) wasn't working. My blood pressure was dangerously high and I had a lot of protein in my urine. Not a good sign for a pregnant woman. So, off to the hospital we went, just my husband and me.

After laboring for more than 24 hours with nothing happening, our baby needed to come out. It was too dangerous of a situation for me and for the baby to keep me pregnant. So, off they wheeled me to the c-section room for a c-section. I saw my son briefly after his birth, but because of some minor complications due to his prematurity, he was taken to the NICU. I was then wheeled into a room where I remained on some strong medications for the next three days. I didn't see my son until after I was taken off the medications. As for the family and friends I had planned on having with me in the room during the birth, they had to wait in the waiting area. Nothing went as planned.

Did I give birth according to my birthing plan? No. Was I disappointed that everything didn't go according to plan? Of course, but I got over it. Regardless of how I gave birth, I still had the same end result. My beautiful son! I recommend having a birthing plan in place, but I also recommend being prepared to have everything go completely different than what you had planned. Having a birthing plan is important and it's a good idea. Just be prepared that the birth may not go as you planned. Often, it doesn't. The only thing that really matters is that in the end you get a beautiful new baby.