The Power of Birth Planning

The pregnancy, birth, and postpartum journey is filled with so many new experiences, challenges, and decisions. For many new parents, all of this new information combined with the realization that they are going to be responsible for a brand new little human to trusts and depends on them for everything can be very overwhelming. These feelings of overwhelm are often combined with many many stories of birth experiences from family, friends, and random people online, the grocery store, the vet... everywhere. (People LOVE to share their birth stories and unsolicited advice with expecting parents!)

These feelings of overwhelm are sometimes what lead individuals to seek out a doula. In fact, I have had many discovery consultations with potential doula clients that were spent calming fears and offering reassurance- reminding parents that they have good instincts and that they can do their own research and then trust themselves to make the best decisions for themselves and their babies.

If you are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of birth planning, take a moment to remember that you’re the expert on your body and what feels right for you. Trusting your instincts is important and it is okay to take your time in making decisions about your birth plan- and those decisions can change. Trust yourself. You know what is best for you and your baby, so if you decide that you need to change your plan at any point, that is totally okay. Your team will support you every step of the way. Whether it’s about pain management, positions during labor, or who you want with you in the room- your preferences matter!

The first thing to know about birth planning is that your birth plan is for YOU, first and foremost. Birth planning is an opportunity for you and your partner to talk about your hopes and dreams for your birth, what your options are, then what your preferences are, and what you would want to do if things don't according to your plan.

Here are a few resources that can help you explore your options and feel more prepared:

1. Birth Plan Template: This can help you outline your preferences and communicate them clearly to your care team. Check it out here: Birth Plan Template

2. Birth Planning Consultation: Thinking through all of the options and making decisions not only for yourself, but also for your baby can feel overwhelming. If you are finding that you are feeling stressed out and overwhelmed while trying to decide what you do and don't want for your birth experience, I'd love to help support you as you process all the options! Book a birth planning consultation with me and we can talk through all the options together and then I'll write up a personalized, editable birth plan for you to review and edit as you feel necessary. 

3. Informed Consent: Understanding your rights and the options available to you can make a big difference. Here’s a great article on informed consent: ACOG Informed Consent and Shared Decision Making

4. Decision-Making Guide: This guide offers helpful tips on how to approach decisions during labor: Decision Making Guide

5. Positive Birth Stories: Sometimes hearing about other women’s experiences can provide encouragement. If may feel strange at first, but watching positive birth videos with your partner can also normalize the birth process and take some of the fear out of the experience. You might enjoy this collection of Positive Birth Stories.

Positive Birth Video : I love sharing videos from Carly Watson during my birth classes to remind parents that birth is a normal, natural physiological process. It can be gentle and peaceful (regardless of if you have a home or hospital birth.) I highly recommend that you check out this video and her series: "The Sounds of Labor" to help you visualize and mentally prepare for birth. Feel free to explore these resources, and let me know if you have any questions or want to chat about anything specific! I’m here to support you every step of the way.

Blessings, 

Ayla