why making a birth plan isn’t a waste of time
How many people have told you “Ah yes well my birth plan went out of the window as soon as I went into labour!” or “Oh they’re not worth the paper they’re written on!”
This is me pleading with you…to MAKE A GOD DAMN BIRTH PLAN! Even better, make 2, or 3!
Why?
Firstly, it makes you think about what you actually want in your birth, getting specific about it and doing your research on your options. This is in and of itself hugely empowering - remember, if you don’t know what your choices are, you don’t have any.
And carving out the time to sit down and reflect on these things with your birth partner is a game changer. You might be surprised to think you’re both generally on the same page about things, but when you dive into the details you actually have differing opinions - far better to work this out ahead of time, instead of the day you go into labour!
Equipping your birth partner with the knowledge of your choices and feelings can also empower them to stick with them and be in your corner on the day. So make sure they know your birth plan inside out too.
Making more than one birth plan (think Plan A, then if you had an induction, or unplanned C section, or planned C section etc) means that you are also exploring the potential of different ways your birth may change, and starting to get your head around that, as well as being creative about ways you can use your hypnobirthing techniques in lots of different scenarios.
It’s important to remember that your birth plan(s) aren’t a ‘check list’ for a positive birth - and that the only way you will feel positive about your birth is if you ‘get’ everything on the list. Maintaining a flexible outlook is key - remember that birth is often unpredictable - I love to come back to the affirmation “I take control of what I can, and let go of what I can’t”
There’s loads of great online resources online to help you write your birth plan - I also cover this in all my hypnobirthing sessions, or you can book a power hour with me to talk through your options.
