Interesting… that’s why my birth plan went exactly according to plan except for ONE thing (I wanted the whirlpool but that room was taken when I arrived at the hospital; no big deal). And everyone was happy, healthy and perfect! Still are three weeks later.

And P.S. I ALSO switched to a midwife!

Well I’m glad that the mother switched!

I think the OB’s are just more conscious when birth goes awry…they just don’t realize how often it happens when a birthplan ISN’T in place.

But saddly, there are also those situations where the medical staff actively undermine the birthplan.

Admitting that c-sections are risky? Because if a birth plan is the kiss of death and leads to a c-section…what is wrong with a c-section?
A birth plan can be a good thing as long as the provider works with mom. If mom trusts the provider because there has been consistent care throughout, then deviations from the birth plan are not a big deal. It’s when a woman is coerced into things not needed that a birth wish list is a problem because mom will easily feel disappointed. We cannot predict what will happen in birth, but if all is well, why would a birth plan cause any issues? The OB might have said, “If things change, you might want to add your desires in your birth plan…for example, if you have an unexpected risk factor come up.”

I don’t think birth plans are totally necessary and not always the best thing for the mum. She may feel like she has to follow that exatly, when really, when it comes to labout etc why cant she just sees how she feels and go with the flow!!

I had PLANNED a natural “don’t touch me” intervention free birth and ended up with a c-sectio under general and I was fine with that because I PLANNED in advance all the if this/then that scenarios, and felt in control of the DECISION MAKING, even if I wasn’t in control of the situation!

I don’t see how researching various scenarios and planning ahead could be a bad thing.

If someone can’t grasp the concept that birth isn’t a scripted event, then they have other issues that need to be addressed. But making a plan is what most responsible, sane adults do when a major life event is nearing.

Sure, plans change, but having some talking points to discuss with your caregiver should be encouraged, not punished. In my mind, a caregiver who refuses to discuss a birth plan with a patient is not doing their job, because their job IS to answer questions and get to know what their patient would prefer (emergency situations aside).