I love a good birth plan, and more especially the conversations that go into making a birth plan. For me, birth planning is not about planning every little detail and decision ahead of time, but rather talking about what matters most to you and why. Learning about the choices and scenarios that might occur so that we can outline an approach to labor and birth that will help you feel confident and supported throughout the journey.

Because sometimes unexpected things happen in birth. Actually, unexpected things happen in most births. The pain feels different than you’d expected or you are so tired you opt for a form of pain relief you didn’t think you wanted. Signals that the baby isn’t coping well with the labor mean more medical interventions are needed. The baby comes faster than expected and is born before you get to your planned place of birth.

These unexpected situations are precisely where having a doula, who understands your preferences, your history, your dreams and fears, can be really invaluable. A good doula can help you take your birth plan through the unexpected, and figure out how to preserve as much of what was most important to you as possible, even while other parts change. For example, you might decide to accept continuous fetal monitoring you hadn’t planned on, but with your doula’s support ask for a type of monitor that allows you to maintain your freedom of movement throughout labor.

Your doula will help you ask questions if you need more information, and will talk you through your feelings and decisions about the new situation. When it feels like everything is happening fast around you, a doula can help keep you grounded in the present and in expectation of holding your beautiful baby. A doula will also make sure that your partner stays grounded, understands what is happening, and is reminded to continue to be your rock (if you have a partner you want in that role). And afterwards, being able to talk through the birth can be really important. You will probably have a lot of questions and feelings about what happened, and your doula can provide objective information about the events that took place while validating your feelings and offering a safe space to work through them.

If you are preparing for a birth, I would love to hear what your priorities are and to chat about how we might support those priorities in different scenarios. Feel free to use the contact form to get in touch. I’d love to hear from you!