Did you have a birth plan?

After posting on the ridiculous Delivery Couture ($98 for a gown to wear while birthing your child), I started thinking about birth plans. A little over five months ago I was still pregnant and thinking about these things. I personally was trying to be flexible when it came to a birth plan because I heard that the best thing was to not worry too much and to be ready to go with the flow.

But I still found myself with a miniature plan:

I did buy a special nursing gown (from Motherhood Maternity, and on sale so it was significantly cheaper and not near as chic, lol as the $98-dollar one). I planned on wearing it during the birth so I wouldnt feel like a patient.

I bought a yoga ball to hopefully help ease the contractions. I had heard it helped some people

Our hospital actually had a little jacuzzi in each room and since originally I had wanted a water birth (thank you, Lord that I didnt do that boy did I need pain meds!) I planned on spending part of my labor in that jacuzzi.

I planned on using pain medications only as a last resort and not having an epidural if I could possibly help it (but I wasnt totally against it, just hoping I would be able to tolerate the pain and make it unnecessary).

I did not want to be induced.

So what was the result? I ended up being 10 days past my due date (that was NOT in the plan!), and I was scheduled for an induction. My water broke (well only part of it broke, as I found out later) in the middle of the night the night BEFORE the day I was scheduled to be induced and we drove an hour to the hospital with me hoping I wouldnt have the baby in the car. We got there and I was already in so much pain (and tired) that I let them put the detested hospital gown on me and put me in a bed. I didnt care one bit about wearing my nice pink nursing gown!

The yoga ball? Never came out of my carefully packed bag. lol I think I had more fun bouncing around on it in the three weeks before I even had the baby than any other time! Plus it did seem to help then, I had trouble just sitting on the floor or on the couch because I was soooo huge.

So anyway, I took one look at the jacuzzi and knew there was no way I was getting in there. Call me a wimp if you want, but I wanted pain medication!

I said yes when they asked if I wanted an epidural right away and was so glad because I was in labor all night and the next morning and hardly felt anything till the last three hours or so, then I was feeling some serious pain. Even with the epidural! I cant imagine what it would have been like if I hadnt had it

Now I see why doctors dont care for that written birth plan, lol. Although some people may be able to stick to their guns, I wasnt one of those and Im still happy with the way it all turned out. I believe God was there through it all. 🙂

Husbands. Mine was great through the whole thing and so supportive he did want me to take pain medication if it was offered. I know he didnt want to see me in pain. I remember watching A Baby Story on TLC and being shocked and horrified when the husband wouldnt let his wife have pain medication even though she was crying and begging him just because they had agreed earlier that they wouldnt do it. And I believe that other women in their family hadnt used pain medication so there was some pressure there. I know that there can be some risks to it all, and I do respect the women who decide not to use pain meds, but I would hope there could be some flexibility there! Unless of course the wife has told her husband, Dont listen to anything I say while Im in labor! lol. Thats a possibility, but I sure wouldnt do that!

So, assuming you are female and have had a baby (lol), what was your birth plan like and did you stick to your guns?

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