Birth Plan

When I was pregnant with Carter I kept hearing ladies talk about birth plans. At the time, I didn't even know what the heck a birth plan was, but when I figured it out, I laughed. Birth plan...really?? I mean I'm a control freak, but when it came to giving birth (especially for the first time) I figured the nurses and doctor had it figured out better than I did and didn't need any instructions from me. So needless to say, I went in to have Carter and had absolutely no list of expectations.

Well after having Carter, there were several things that really upset me and I'd definitely want to make sure they didn't happen again. So this time around, I will definitely be having a birth plan. No I'm not one of those extremely brave women that wants to do things naturally, I'd just like to be a little bit more in control in what happens in my labor and delivery room.

The first thing is, I want to make sure of is that I never get asked again "how do you feel about students?" Are you kidding me lady?! I'm exposing my most sensitive parts to two family members, 4 nurses, and one doctor...I don't need any students getting a peak too!!

Also I do plan on getting another epidural, but I will make sure that only nice anesthesiologists apply. I will list that I have a very sensitive back and my muscles spasm on their own and that I need not to be yelled at when it happens.

One of the most important things will be restriction on who comes in and out of my room. The one thing that bothered me the most was that I didn't get my "hour" with Carter before family was barging in. I was literally still throwing up in puke buckets when my dad, MIL, and SIL started knocking on the door to come see the baby. I hadn't even really got to hold him yet!! Of course the stupid nurses thought nothing of keeping people from coming into my room.

Finally, there will be no lactation consultants allowed. I can not even describe my disgust for those people. They say they are trying to help, but I believe they had a lot to do with me not being able to breast feed. They would come in at the most inopportune times, they were pushy, and they practically made me starve my child, because they refused to let me supplement him with a bottle when he wouldn't latch on. They stressed me out and they made me feel inadequate when I couldn't feed my baby naturally. So for that reason, I will personally slam the door in their faces if they even think about entering my room this next time.

But for real, the very most important part of my birth plan is serious discussion about a C-Section. After Carter coming out so large for my body and having so much trauma that lead to so many medical problems, I'd rather have gone through a C-Section. If he had been born that way, he wouldn't have had a broken collar bone, which means he wouldn't have had Torticollis, and probably wouldn't have developed that flat spot, and never would have needed a helmet. For a first time mom to take her newborn for repeated X-rays, physical therapy, CAT scans, to see bone doctors, plastic surgeons, and orthopedic specialists was a little much. So with that said, I will have a serious discussion that if the next one is close to the same size, I'd like to consider a C-Section.

So I guess birth plans aren't just for the tree-hugging naturalists. I can definitely see how they ease the stress of the situation. The nurses won't have to bother me with their stupid questions if they know the answers ahead of time. Not such a bad idea afterall.

What about you ladies? Have any of you used birth plans and if so, did you find them to be helpful?