My Birth Plan and Preferences

 My OB and I have reviewed my birth preferences and she was somewhat understanding of them. She is aware that if this wasn’t my first pregnancy, then I would deliver Craven at home with only my husband’s help and bring him to the hospital upon delivery. Unfortunately, she only promised she could fulfill about 75% of my preferences (which is not good enough for me.)

As long as Craven and I are fine, my preferences for labor and delivery include:


- The most natural delivery possible

- To labor as long as possible at home before going to the hospital, even if my water has already broken

- no pain relief (yeah, I know some people will tell me that I’ll change my mind, but I’m assuring you I won’t)

- no pitocin or other artificial procedures to induce labor – I would rather try natural ways (exercise, breast pumping, sex, etc) before resorting to this

- I would like to take pictures and film the labor and delivery

- I would like to bring my own music

- no medical students, interns, etc present for the birth

- Only my husband, my mom, and pre-selected individuals will be present during the actual birth

- I would prefer to drink water to stay hydrated than get a routine IV

- freedom to move around and labor as I please

- Freedom to use a birthing ball, tub, or chair to labor or deliver with

- freedom to choose any birthing position as I please

- freedom to allow my labor to progress free of any stringent time limits

- to push when I feel the urge to or during a contraction (after I am fully dilated) - not to be coached

- no episiotomy whatsoever

- If I tear during delivery, I would like to heal naturally without the help of stitches

- Immediate skin-to-skin contact with my son as soon as he is born

- To wait on cutting the cord until the placenta is delivered (this will allow the baby to absorb ALL nutrients before having his life line cut from it)

- Unneeded newborn procedures WILL wait until my son has met both me and his father

- All newborn procedures are to be done at my bedside

- To breastfeed during the first 30 minutes-1 hour of my son’s life

- 24 hour rooming in with my child – I do not want to be separated from him, not even once

- If for some reason I cannot be with my son, his father is to be at his side at all times.

- Please do not offer my son the following: formula, pacifier, sugar water. He will be exclusively breastfed

- Please do not circumcise my son

- I am interested in checking out of the hospital early

Of course, in case of emergency, I am definately open to a C-section. The unexpected does happen, and Craven's wellbeing has been my top priority during these past 8 months and it will continue to be during labor and delivery and beyond.


My OB states that she can only have me deliver in a bed on my back, I HAVE to have an IV, I may need to be given a routine catheter (wtf??), and some procedures must be done at immediate time of birth due to hospital policies (she didn’t get detailed, probably because she knew it would piss me off). Even more to my misfortune, my insurance company will only cover my labor and delivery if it is in a hospital setting. So I’m pretty much stuck between a rock and hard place, which is only going to cause some major drama if the docs don’t ease up. I’m not an easy patient to deal with. This is going to be MY birth. It’s MY body. I’ve done a ton of research for a reason and I refuse to let anyone’s opinion or preferences override my own.

One word of advice to all you pregnant ladies out there – trust your own instinct, because more often than not YOU will be right.


My OB really has no idea what’s in store for her. =)


I desire a birth that will be the most delicate way for little Craven to enter the world. I will rant more about my views on home birth vs. hospital birth in a later post for sure.