I have a lot of thoughts on labor and delivery. A LOT. I just love to know all of the information and choices available to me and I find it fascinating and terrifying.

I’ll write a blog post later about how I’m viewing this labor and delivery (considering my first one was pretty awful), because I haven’t actually processed it all yet, but basically I’m going in with the same exact birth plan I had for Clara and am hoping/praying for a very different experience.

(Don’t laugh or roll your eyes, but..) I’m going to try to have as natural of a birth experience as possible. I’m not sure it will happen, but that’s what I’m aiming for. I’m also trying for a VBAC, and luckily I have an OB that is very supportive of that; Plus I’m going to a hospital with an 80% VBAC success rate, so I’m cautiously optimistic.

Even though I am very, very aware that having a birth plan does not mean that labor and delivery will go perfectly, I do think it’s important for women to educate themselves about the process and go in with a ‘best case scenario’ so that no matter what happens, they hopefully feel empowered and involved in the decision making.

My birth preferences are fairly general:

Labor:

• We do not wish to be offered pain medication.
• Use of tub for labor & delivery.
• For Lisa to push only when she feels the urge.
• Tim having the option to catch the baby.
• Tim to cut the umbilical cord (delayed cord clamping).
• Tim to announce the gender of the baby.

After Birth:

• As long as the baby is healthy, skin-on- skin immediately after birth.
• Newborn routine procedures delayed for at least an hour, until bonding and breastfeeding have occurred.
• Newborn routine procedures to be done in our presence, if possible.
• We would like to have the Vitamin K shot administered.
• We do not want the erythromycin ointment administered.
• We do not want the Hepatitis B shot administered.
• If baby is a boy, we do not want him circumcised.

I won’t explain every choice we’re making in this post, but if you have any questions about anything, feel free to comment or email me to ask! I’m certainly not suggesting that this plan is right for everyone, but if you’re working on creating a birth plan, hopefully this list gives you some thoughts on things you may want to consider. Even if you completely intend on asking for an epidural and that’s the only thing you’re sure about, there are preferences you still might have for after the baby is born. (Plus, there’s still the possibility that you won’t be able to get an epidural!)

If you’re pregnant and looking for book recommendations (whether or not your goal is a natural birth), I suggest:

• Pushed
• The Birth Partner
• Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth
• Do Chocolate Lovers Have Sweeter Babies? (My personal favorite for a lighter but very interesting read)

If you’ve written a blog post about your birth experience(s), leave the link! I love reading them.