Last week I had the opportunity and great pleasure to meet with our doula to discuss options for our labour and delivery, in order to help hubs and I sort out our birth plan.

I knew the basics already of what I wanted – no medication, lots of involvement from my support team – but what I didn’t know was just how granular we could get in planning things, and just how many different procedures hospitals will do if you let them. (And you don’t have to let them.)

Everything from deciding what clothes out baby will wear (hospital-provided versus outfits we bring), to having snacks (a must, as hospital food is pricey and not super tasty) and delaying vaccinations are all a part of the things we get to have a say in.

I find all this choice very empowering, especially since I thought that I’d be giving up a lot of it by having the baby in hospital.

I won’t go in to more specifics, save to say that I think every couple should take the time to discuss their wishes for birth together, and come to an understanding of what works best for them. It gives you a chance to really connect with one another and understand where you both stand on important issues and lets your partner be involved in the pregnancy.

No decision you make when creating your birth plan is a ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ one, simply what’s best for your family.

It’s also important to remember that sometimes things don’t go according to plan and you need to be flexible. Don’t be so rigid that you endanger yourself or babe because you want to stick with your plan. Sometimes life doesn’t care about your plans – and you need to trust whatever happens was meant to be, even if it’s not easy at the time.

But I think it’s a good idea to go into something so large and complex with a game plan – just so you’re not caught off guard.

Mamas: Did you go into your labour with a birth plan? If so, did you stick to it?

Photo  via: matryosha, Flickr.com