My Birth Plan

I know this can be a very touchy and controversial subject, but if you've read my blog for a while, you know that I'm not one to always avoid controversy. This is important to me, and it's something I have been wanting to talk about on my blog for some time.

First, here are a couple of facts about my birth plan:

1. I have a midwife who is Washington State certified. She is also a naturopathic family doctor. She will see me through my entire pregnancy, the birth, and eight weeks of postpartum care. After that, we can continue to see her as our family doctor. I'm really happy about how that worked out.

2. I am planning on giving birth at a birth center, not at home, and not at the hospital.

I feel it is important that my midwife is certified. I know that she has had proper medical training, and has assisted many, many births. I can feel comfortable and safe with her, because she has the experience to know when to speak up, when to stand back, and when to make the call about my needing medical intervention. I wouldn't have the same assurance with a non-certified midwife (and there are many available in our area).

I am choosing the birth center mostly because I don't feel comfortable giving birth in our one-bedroom apartment. I think our complex is well-built, and seems pretty sound-proof, but I know there are limits to what noise can and cannot be heard. I don't want to force my neighbors to go through the hardest stages of labor with me (if I find myself yelling at times). And I don't want to have to worry about those things while I'm in transition and pushing. I want to have as few distractions as possible. However, if we lived in a house, I would probably choose a home birth.

I have been to the birth center, and I love it there. It's almost like a spa! Big comfy beds, jacuzzi tubs, soft lighting and soothing colors. It is truly a calm and relaxing place. It is also conveniently located a few blocks from the hospital, should I change my mind about pain medications, or if a medical emergency arises.

Anther thing to note: having a midwife and being at a birth center is much cheaper than having an OB-GYN and being at a hospital. At a hospital, the cost can be in the tens of thousands of dollars, even if the delivery is vaginal, drug-free, and not even attended by the doctor! Of course, if you have insurance, then the difference in cost won't affect you. And I know many insurance companies won't cover midwives. But for those who don't have insurance, the final amount on the bill matters.

Though the final cost certainly is a factor, it is not the main reason why I am choosing a natural birth. The main reason is because I feel like a natural, birth center delivery will be more relaxing than a hospital birth.

In my mind, I equate hospitals with being sick. I know that the labor and delivery wards in many hospitals don't have the same look and feel as the rest of the hospitals. But I still feel like I would be very uncomfortable in that kind of a setting. Machines all around me, bright lights, nurses coming in and out, and not being able to move around if I want to? Being continually hooked up to a monitor and/or an IV.... all these things will make me more tense and nervous.

With a natural delivery, I can labor at home for most of the time. I can light candles, put on soothing music, and I can concentrate on breathing and relaxing. I can move around if I want to, eat if I want to, and the only people with me will be those I love and trust: My husband, and a close girlfriend of mine (all three of us will be taking some sort of natural childbirth class, so they will know how to assist me during my labor).

When I finally go to the birth center, I will have the addition of the midwife, and also the jacuzzi tub. She will only check me intermittently, and if no complications arise, she will sit back and let me be me.

I want to be in the environment that makes me feel the most comfortable; one that will be peaceful and relaxing. I want to be in a place where I feel calm and safe. The birth center is that place.

I'm not saying that I expect to have a pain-free labor. And I know that complications could arise, and I might end up at the hospital anyway. But I have a much better chance of sticking to my plan if I can relax and let my body do what it needs to do.

I trust my body's ability to give birth to this baby. And I'm preparing myself as much as possible. Arming myself with facts and knowledge, and researching (and practicing) techniques to help me manage each contraction. I am not afraid of labor, and that is huge. The more I research, the more confident I become that I can and want to do this.

Please know that this is not a judgment on anyone who has not had this type of delivery, or anyone who is not planning on this type of delivery. I know that many women would feel much more comfortable in a hospital setting. I know that for many women, a natural, out-of-hospital delivery is not an option.

Many women feel that the most relaxing, enjoyable way to give birth is with medication. And I know that many women have had positive, natural deliveries in hospitals. There are also plenty of hospitals out there that have all the comforts of a birth center, or have birth centers that are a part of the hospital.

I'm not saying that my plan is the one that every woman should go with. I'm simply telling you why I am going with this plan; why it's so important to me.

For anyone who might be interested, here are a few of the resources that I have turned to (or am planning on using):

Giving Birth Naturally is an online childbirth class that I will be taking with my friend. Since our schedules don't line up very well, she won't be able to attend the "live" childbirth class that Art and I will be attending. The online class will allow us the flexibility of setting our own schedule.

The Nurturing Touch at Birth - this book is on my wishlist. Christmas gift? *wink wink* Or I'll just buy it myself. :) Looking at the reviews, it seems like a one-stop shop for all the different techniques I can employ to get me through labor and delivery. This includes pressure points, massage, breathing, laboring positions, and so on.

The Business of Being Born - I have watched this movie several times, but I share the link with hesitation. I have mixed feelings about the film. On the one hand, I think it portrays natural birth as a positive experience, rather than being scary, horrible, or traumatic. On the other hand, I think it goes a little far in bashing hospitals and doctors. It also contains a bit of unnecessary foul language, and a fair amount of graphic nudity (as it pertains to women giving birth).

It should also be noted that the statistics aren't going to be completely accurate (as it was filmed more than two years ago). And some facts are quite specific to the city it was filmed in (New York). So if you choose to watch it, do so with all this in mind. (You can buy the DVD on the website provided, on Amazon, or rent it through Netflix.)

So there you have it. I apologize if I have offended anyone, or have somehow portrayed my plan as superior to other birth plans. This was not at all my intention. I just wanted to share the "whys" behind my personal decisions regarding childbirth.

Whatever plan a woman chooses to go with, I think it's important that she be as informed and prepared as possible, to be firm in the reasons for her choices, and to surround herself with people who will support her. With those things in place, anyone can have a truly positive and enjoyable childbirth experience.