It’s impossible to plan every minute detail of your birth. Any process as complex as birth is going to have some unpredictable moments – but that’s just where a birth plan can help. It is possible that some things can go wrong during labor, even things you don’t plan for. But once you have a healthy understanding that there are some things that even your plan can’t cover, making a birth plan can prove very helpful for pregnant women. Here are some of the benefits.
- It’s Up To You
A birth plan can be highly individualized. You may only have a few key points you want covered (no pain relief, no episiotomy, etc.), or you may be more detailed (no visitors for a certain number of hours after the birth, an epidural after a limited number of hours in labor, etc.). The point is, the birth plan is yours and reflects your level of comfort with interventions and care.
- Preparation
Your birth plan helps prepare you, your partner, and your care provider for your labor. Drawing up a birth plan requires research as to the nature of labor, birth, and various hospital practices. Preparing a birth plan can be very eye-opening for you and prepares your care provider ahead of time for your wishes.
- A Spokesman
Your plan can “speak” for you at a time when decision-making can be very difficult. During labor, a woman is considered very vulnerable, and at certain points in labor, such as transition, a laboring woman’s mind is in a very unusual (and somewhat unpredictable) state. Therefore, a birth plan drawn up when you are thinking clearly can prove very helpful.
- Unification
During labor in a hospital, various nurses, doctors, and other professionals may have a hand in your labor. A birth plan relieves you and your partner of having to re-explain how you want things to proceed, and it helps prevent misunderstandings between hospital personnel. If you are giving birth at home or in a birth center, a plan can still be helpful as a clarification for you and everyone involved.
- Peace of Mind
Whether or not you feel relaxed and at peace can have a profound effect on your labor. If you are anxious, uncertain, and scared, it may affect your laboring body and cause things to go badly. If you know you have a birth plan that every relevant individual is aware of, it can help you feel calmer and better able to focus on labor and delivery.
- Protection
In case things go wrong during labor, a birth plan can offer protection against unwanted interventions and provide for interventions that you do want.
Until next time #GYNEGirls and #Preggos…
Dr. Drai
