You Don't Have a Birth Plan?!

Look, no matter how much preparing or how little preparing you do, you’re never going to be ready… (if you say you are or were, girl you’re lying). I'm talking about pregnancy, labor, and all the baby stages. I mean just look at my Facebook post today asking for advice on how to sleep train and get into a routine, I literally don't know what I'm doing!

I had read in all of my different Facebook groups about these crazy birthing plans (no judgement here, though, if that's you then you go girl! Kudos!) and I just thought to myself no way. I mean how can you be that specific knowing that things could go the complete opposite?! I had a small scare early on where I had to get a stress test done on baby to make sure she was moving ok while I was sick. They ask you the birthing plan questions there so they're prepped when you come in for labor and I had so many unanswered questions... Epidural? I mean maybe, if I need sure if I don't then no. Cutting the cord? Yeah if Dad wants to and it's safe for baby at the time! Allowing visitors? Probably not. My method? These nurses and doctors know best - so do what's best for my baby at the time and we're golden. (Again, I say if you weren't this way, kudos to you no judgement at all!)

Coming from an Enneagram 1 and Type A personality I thought I would do a lot more preparing than I did, but I’m glad that I went with the flow because I feel like everything you do plan for goes completely out the window once that baby is actually here. (Now don't get me wrong, I did read up on a few things that felt important to my husband and I, we weren't completely Willy Nilly.) If no one has told you yet, they’re in charge… these tiny little baby humans have taken charge!! They’re the boss now, just get used to it. (This is a hard concept for my husband to grasp, he doesn't like to be told what to do.)

Everyone looked shocked when I said I didn’t have a birth plan, or when I didn’t know about this method or that method, or hadn’t done my research on breastfeeding or sleeping or literally anything yet. “That’s not like you,” they’d say. They were right, it wasn't like me. Somehow I was able to shut off my Type A personality and go with the flow for this big life event, I'm still not sure how! Luckily everything turned out fabulous and we have a beautiful baby girl who was birthed just fine without a plan (thanks to some pretty amazing nurses at the Allen Birthing Center, Dr. Hintz and Marcia who’s just the best). Believe it or not, your body was made to birth a baby, listen to it because it knows what it’s doing even if you don’t! Not to mention every baby is different. Brooklyn, her Dad and I are all getting to know each other and what works for us, I'd say that's the best birth plan there is!