124-125 / 258
Ah the birth plan… Such a lovely concept but actually the
logistics behind how you bring your baby into the world never
quite materialise the way you want. I have a friend who mapped
out her entire birth plan from first contraction to delivery, much
of it included gentle massage from her husband, soothing music
in the background and a picture perfect delivery room adorned
with white orchids. The real life version of what happened is her
contractions escalated so quickly that she had to deliver the
baby on her kitchen floor with the help of emergency workers.
Thankfully, her daughter was born healthy and is now a gorgeous
7-year-old.
Ask any of your mama friends if their birth plan played out as they
had hoped. If any of them say yes, then they are full of rubbish
and should never be trusted again. No two births are alike and
trying to plan a fantasy version of how yours is going to be is a
waste of time ( in my opinion) . You might hope for a natural birth,
only to end up needing an epidural early on to help manage the
whopping incredible pain of your contractions. Or maybe you’ve
grown completely attached to your doctor but when you go into
labour they happen to be sick or out of town. By trying to plan
how your baby comes into this world, you’re only setting yourself
up for disappointment.
I keep hearing about birth plans.
Do I need one?
Thankfully, I did not have any detailed birth plan other than I
was totally OK with pain medication. With my first son, I was one
week past my due date and had to be induced. Long story short,
I ended up needing a C-section almost 14 hours after being in
labour. I was still not properly dilated; this baby was quite comfy in
there and just not ready to come out. Side note: eight years later
and Jonah still likes to take his time doing things. So when the
time came for my second child’s birth and I was given the option
of a C-section, I jumped at it. A few days before my due date,
we went in for a noon appointment and at precisely 12:25, baby
boy number two was born. It was quite like going in for a teeth
cleaning, except instead of coming out with a new toothbrush
and dental floss, I had a new baby boy.
I highly suggest you forget about your birth plan and focus on an
after-birth plan. Create a list of all the forbidden foods you’ve had
to do without over the last nine months and get your hubby, mum
or best friend to arrange a full on feast to be delivered to your
hospital room. If you’ve been having visions of hunkering down
with a plate of brie and pâté, now’s your chance.