Toddler Thursday--Birth Day Expectations

When I as pregnant with the Little Guy we took a birthing class at our hospital.  I loved our teacher and we really learned a lot about what the birthing process entails. We also got to take a tour of the hospital which made me feel a little more comfortable about just showing up!

There are so many different scenarios that can occur when you are having a baby.  Most OB offices will have you fill out or at least prompt you to think about a birthing plan.  The thing is you can't count on ANYTHING in the plan happening the way you envision it!

I remember watching a video of a birth in this class and I  don't know what I thought the process entailed but when we saw the actual live birth I might have just yelled out "oh wow" or something to that effect in the middle of the movie.  Super mature.  I then proceeded to tell Peter on the way home that I  had changed my mind about having a baby.  I did NOT want to actually HAVE the baby.  I  mean, I still wanted him but I just wanted to by-pass the process.

This is me right when we arrived at the hospital--SO excited!!

I had an incredibly pleasant birth experience.  One of the things that made it so great was not having too many expectations.  There were things that I hoped for:

1. to give birth at the hospital (I had major fears that 526 would be backed up and I would have to give birth in the car or on the side of the road)

2. to give birth naturally (as in not having a c-section)

3. to have it be as painless as possible

I was fortunate enough to get all three.  However it is important when making your plan to make your expectations flexible.  You might not want to have a C-section but if it is the best choice for you and your baby then that is the plan you want to have!  I didn't want to be induced but because I wasn't having contractions I had to be.

So here are some things to think about

--What do I do if/when my water breaks?

--Do I want to give birth at a hospital or a birthing center?

--Who do I want at the birth?

--Do I want to have an epidural?

--Do I want to be able to move around during labor?

--Do I have any other special requests? 

--When and what should I pack in my hospital bag?

--Do I want to hold the baby right afterwards?

--Does my husband want to cut the cord?

I have to admit I was scared about what would happen.  What if my water broke in the grocery store?  What if we couldn't make it to the hospital on time?  What if I can't get an epidural (I REALLY hate pain)?  

The biggest thing for me was not allowing all of these "What ifs" to worry me.  There is no way to predict what your experience will be like.  Just roughly plan for all of the options so there aren't too many surprises!

Regardless of what happens your birth story will be wonderful!  Any pain or frustration just melts away when you see that sweet little face and hold that sweet little guy or girl for the first time!

What was your birth experience like?  What was your favorite or least favorite part? If you haven't given birth but are planning to what are you fears or expectations?