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If you're having a baby, do you already have a plan in place? Are you one who relishes and is deeply touched by the natural birthing process, or do you go for the pain medication? Or is a C-section in your plan? I had two babies, and they were both BIG boys! I had the epidural with the first, but it didn't last. The second required a C-section. Believe it or not, the second was much easier for me to recover from than the first. How about you?

Hi all!

Yes, we have a birth plan. My first son was a c-section and it was a really great experience. So,.... this one will be a repeat. It's nice this time because they schedule the c-section 10-14 days before your actual due date, so you know exactly when the baby will be here! YAY for me with family coming in from out-of-town and a 3 1/2 year old at home! I agree with Carole..... a c-section is an easy recovery, or atleast it was for me too! Four months to go and counting!

I'm more of a natural birth junkie.
Next go around, I will use a birth plan, just like I did w/ my DD. (Unfortunately, she ended up being a 42-wk induction and after 17+ hrs of sitting at 7cm w/ pitocin and no epidural, she wasn't turning and we ended up w/ a C-section.)I will not be signing up for a repeat next time. I have spent the past almost 2 years researching what happened (she was OP and asynclitic and because my midwife broke my water, she couldn't really turn into proper position) and feel even more prepared than last time.
Even though my recovery was easy as far as major abdominal surgery goes, it was far more painful than sitting in active labor for hours w/ pitocin! I would even consider a homebirth (much to my mom's chagrin! )
My birth plan consisted of pretty much no interventions (obviously reality the first time went much differently), not giving formula, pacifier or sugar water to baby afterwards, not separating baby from me, delaying the eye goop for an hour, not cutting the cord for an hour, donating cord blood, allowing food and drinks while in labor to keep up my energy, etc... I printed out a copy to give to my midwife and to place in my hospital records and I was so grateful my nurses had all read it and become familiar w/ it prior to their shift, and I was so grateful that at NFRMC, we all had one nurse per patient (or at least for those of us planning natural hospital births!)

Of course, I also debate about birth plans b/c it seems anecdotally, if you have one, things usually go the exact opposite. Next time I also will have a doula (you know, somebody's got to encourage me while my husband sleeps through half the labor! lol)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: <OcalaElizabeth>,

I didn't have a birth plan, I just knew I wanted to avoid an epidural at all costs. I had Nhyya 4 days before my due date, I was only in acitve labor (I think that starts at 4cm, right?) for 1hr and 20minutes before I got the urge to push, I did, twice, and she came out at 5:24am.