Writing a Birth Plan...do you really need one?

I feel that writing out a birth plan, even if it is short and simple, is very important. It gives the couple an opportunity to discuss certain things that you may not even think about during pregnancy, birth and afterwards. The last thing you want is to be arguing with your partner, family members or your doctor/midwife during such a special and beautiful time. Many women don't even know they have choices in certain procedures. The doctors and nurses make it sound routine, or even required. They do not want an educated mama messing up their schedule! For the most part, a midwife's philosophy is to educated their patients on options and allow for nature to take it's course. They tend to have a "hands off" policy, which is why I wanted a midwife in the first place!

This is a great website to visit: www.earthmamaangelbaby.com. They have lots of great products, and also an area for you to customize your birthplan. You can print it out and give it to all parties involved. They bring up so many points, things that never even entered my mind! After looking over the options, researching and discussing it all with Avery and Michelle, I felt we had an easy-to-follow plan that everyone was on board with.

If you are having your birth in a hospital with an OB, you will want to discuss your plan with them. Unfortunately, some things may not be possible, such a yourself or the father catching the baby, birthing in a tub, etc. However, stand firm on certain things, such as immediate breastfeeding and bonding, eliminating eyedrops, rooming in, and no supplements (sugar water or formula).

Many times, it is a good idea to hire a doula or a support friend/family member to make sure your wishes are carried out. Sometimes in the midst of the excitement or anxiety (or even in the case of an emergency), mom might get stressed out and dad might feel helpless. A doula or friend that is not directly involved will be able to remind mom of her plans and keep dad calm.

My Birth Story - Part 3

Pregnancy was fairly easy for me. You hear so many stories from other women about their experiences, you expect certain things to happen to you. I had no weird cravings or mood swings...really! - you can ask my husband! I kept busy at work, and did plenty of reading on my down-time. I felt really prepared for this birth. We signed up for Hypnobirthing, which is a form of self-hypnosis and guided meditation for birth. Avery and I practiced often. We started our baby registry, and realized that all the stuff the stores tell you that you "need", you really don't need (another blog on that one!)

Normal mid-wife visits. One thing to think about is if your OB or midwife asks if you want genetic testing for abnormalities. They do this by taking out some of the amniotic fluid. Two problems I have with this: (1) there is a chance of a miscarriage, and (2) many times the testing is a false-positive. I did not want these test done. I would love our baby no matter what. Ultrasounds are also usually routine. You can opt out of them. There are some researchers now that theorize the ultrasound waves can affect the baby. We decided to do one quick one around 20 weeks. At that stage, all the vital organs and limbs are formed. Our midwife suggested to get a quick one just to make sure everything was where it should be - and everything was! How amazing to see that little person growing in there. And it was even doing some "kickboxing", just like mama! Looking back now, Nolan really did look like his ultrasound pictures.

As the baby grew bigger, our midwife could now feel out all the "parts" as she pressed on my tummy. She showed Avery how to feel the head versus the butt. There were even different beats for the heart, placenta and cord. This was all so fascinating! I was learning so much about pregnancy & birth and wondered would you ever get this kind of attention and information from an OB?

One of the great things about my job as an aerobics instructor is I get to wear "stretchy" clothes and sneakers - probably the most comfortable clothes for a pregnant woman. Yoga pants, bike shorts and big tee-shirts! I really did not have to buy alot of clothes; a pair of jeans, shorts, a swim suit and some larger tees. I borrowed some clothes from friends, which worked out well. I did not want to spend alot of money on something I would be out of in a few months.

Another thing we indulged in was pregnancy photos with a professional photographer (many of which are on this blog). Julia did an awesome job! I highly recommend every pregnant woman to get these photos done. It is such a beautiful time in a couple's life to capture on film. I will always remember exactly how I felt when I look at these photos.

Then, around 32 weeks (about 6 weeks from our due-date) our midwife felt the baby's head back up. It had been head-down for quite some time now...when did it flip???