Why Your OB (or Midwife) Hates Birth Plans

If you've had kids, you've probably been there: arriving at the hospital either in labor or for your induction or c-section, birth plan in your hands (or just in your mind). You know how you want things to go. You have your heart set on a certain kind of birth, and you're determined to stick to your guns. You expect everything to go according to your wishes, because gosh darn it, you worked hard on all this research and forming your plans for birth!

Unfortunately, it's pretty unlikely that everything will go according to plan. Birth is unpredictable, and you (and your care provider) cannot predict what will happen. Even if you've had a baby before and you "know what you're doing," that still doesn't mean you know how your labor and birth will pan out (trust me, I've been there). Birth is not a controllable thing, and even though there are things you can do to smooth the way to the birth you want (like hiring a doula, taking childbirth classes, and developing a good relationship with your OB/midwife), there are no guarantees.

This is why birth plans are so often scoffed at. Women who cling to these plans sometimes have a harder time going with the flow, trusting their doctor when things need to change, and they are generally less satisfied with their experience when it's all said and done. OB's and midwives (the good ones who have your wishes and interests at heart, not their agendas) need to know that you trust them to do what's best, even if it's not what you "wanted." And the "bad" OB's and midwives hate birth plans because they generally mean you're an educated mama who knows her rights and won't be pushed around for their convenience.

The point of a birth plan is to make your wishes known. It is your "ideal circumstances." Your birth plan should also include your wishes should something go "wrong," such as the need for forceps/episiotomy/emergency cesarean. Your birth plan needs to be flexible. You can't go into labor expecting things to go exactly as you want, and you have to be able to roll with the punches, so to speak. If an emergency situation arises, you need to know how you're most comfortable handling things, which procedures you prefer, what non-medical solutions there are, and what you'd like to try first.

So go ahead. Make your birth plan. Go over it with your care provider. Find out their policies and what they routinely do/don't do. But just remember, you have to be flexible. Having a solid birth philosophy and arming yourself with knowledge of everything that could happen or your provider might do (and your provider's birth philosophy) is the best birth "plan" of all.