Birth Plan, Rough Draft

Your Best Birth turned out to be a really good read.

I was a little worried when I read the inserts about "Birth Goddesses"--it's not my scene. I almost started to glaze over. I'm all for natural, organic stuff...but I wouldn't really describe myself as very "crunchy." But I kept reading, and I'm glad I did.

I feel like I'm more well-informed about different birth methods now, and there are lists of questions for when you go on a hospital tour and when you talk to the doctor. I definitely want to use those.

My ideas really haven't changed, I'm just more convinced now that I'd like to try and make it work a certain way, as long as the baby cooperates. I'm still certain that I want the option of having an epidural, but I'd like to go for as long as I can without one. I want to take some Lamaze classes and have the option of getting up and changing positions to move labor along. I plan on going natural for as long as I can because I know that an epidural can slow labor, and I don't want that. But, I also know that adrenaline slows labor, and if I start to panic about the pain or the length of labor, I know that's also going to make things worse for me and the baby. As the book says, "Having an epidural in a situation like that can give the mom a break and normalize labor for her." Plus, I've already been told that if my blood pressure or heart rate goes too high, I'll probably be given an epidural anyway (that didn't come from the doctor, though, just some mom friends who have been in similar situations).

So, now I know what path I want to start traveling down. Of course, it could all go out the window depending on what happens with the baby, but I can try, at least.