I choose to have a birth plan for both of my girls. I used midwife services as my Doctors which are all females and choose to speak with them about my birth plans ahead of time. They were very realistic with me and agreed to have the plan in my file and have my nurse review it but let me know that birth is what it is and no one's goes exactly according to a plan.  It helped me feel "organized" to have one but I also kept in mind that the Lord would be the one who decided exactly how my girls arrived

Don't rely on your doctor. If you have questions about how things are in the hospital, you should ask! Not knowing could just make things more stressful and scary for you. If your husband wants a birth plan, you all should work on one together, but remember that it wont be set in stone. 

when i had my son, I had no idea what i was doing, my doctor and i had never talked about a birth plan, all she told me was to figure out who i wanted in the room, and what i was going to bring, and that she would take care of the rest, I put my trust in her, then got stuck with some dip wad that wouldn't even touch me.. make a birth plan, but don't enforce it like law, that is what i had been told, if it isn't possible, it isn't possible, but it can be nice for suggestions of what you would like to do, and sometimes it even helps the doctor to know what you want through the contractions, depending on how bad yours are. just remember, babies, have a complete mind of their own, and if the doctor starts saying that you need a c-section, please, for your sake and the baby's sake, don't fight it, especially if you've been in labor for a long time, I was laying in a hospital bed 25 hours after my water broke before the dip wad i had finally agreed it would be good to get my doctor in to do my c-section... tell them what you want, but remember, baby will do what baby wants. best wishes for you hun! I hope everything goes smooth and stess free! 

 I never had a birth plan either  for my first and I really didn't want one. I did know i didn't want the epidural, My doctor never mentioned a birth plan but he did seem to try and talk me into an epi... and I knew I wouldn't have any trouble on who I wanted in the room with me.. and that was only one person. I didn't want to feel like my birth of my son was a show. So i only chose one person to be with me. My doctor wasn't even the one who delivered my son it was a doctor at the hospital. Like you said basically my only concern was making sure I had a healthy baby.  I had my baby 2 weeks early, he was due christmas day but came the 11th. my water broke at work and i was leaking for almost 12 hours before a friend told me to go to the hospital. i really just thought it was some discharge lol. the whole day before and the day I gave birth was so surreal and very weird! But it turned out great and was sort of spontaneous; like me lol. I'm actually glad I didn't plan anything.

I wouldn't really stress over having a plan, things normally don't go as planned . But if you really want to do one there are alot of sites that have checklists on what you could add in a birth plan and maybe even ideas of your own.

Hi,

You quite right when you say that its not always going according to the plan. But in order to be more relaxed and calm before and during delivery I recommend to write done few thing that are important to you and give it both of your doctors and to thr nurses in the delivery room.

This was my plan (and it didn't really went according to my plan) but most of it did.

Yael & Michael’s Birth Preferences

We would like to thank you in advance for helping us bring our daughter safely into this world. During labor we will be practicing the Hypno-Birthing method and would prefer the most natural form of childbirth as is medically possible. The following is a list of our preferences during and after labor, however, we realize that you are the experts and we are willing to be flexible and explore all of our options should Yael’s labor require a change in plans.

Labor Environment

As is common with Hypno-Birthing, we would prefer to have the room remain as quiet as possible with only essential personnel present, the lights low, and to have our music and fragrances in use as needed.

Yael would prefer no I.V placement unless medically necessary and she would like to have access to drinks and snacks as needed during labor.

Labor Induction

Yael would prefer to try position changes and other natural forms of labor induction prior to Pitocin or other medical interventions being administrated.

Pain management

We would prefer that pain medications is not offered to Yael, and would prefer not to answer the “pain scale” question during labor. We will request medical pain management if needed.

Yael would like to have access to alternate methods of pain management during labor such as using the tub or the shower. Yoga ball, position changes, etc.

Episiotomy

Yael would like to try warm compresses to the perineum while the baby’s head is pushing against it as needed prior to entertaining the option of an episiotomy.

Delivery

We would prefer that the delivery room remains as quiet as possible and the lights somewhat low during delivery.

Yael would like the baby placed on her chest immediately following delivery if possible.

We would like that the umbilical cord not be cut for about 45 seconds to 3 minutes after delivery until it stops pulsate.

In Response to Birth Plan?:

My doctor hasn't talked to me about a birth plan, or what I wanted during the birth. I am 37 weeks pregnant, and I thought that we would talk about it by now. It is my first child, and I have no clue what to expect in general or at that particular hospital. I don't know if I should make one anyways, and talk to my second doctor (our doctor office has us alternate between the two doctors, since we don't know who will be on call and delivering when I have her) since she seems more relaxed, but I also know that most things don't always go according to plan. Is it worth creating one at all, or just leave it very general? My husband really wants one, but I don't want to plan out what I WANT to happen knowing that it may not happen, and become disappointed or feel like my feelings matter. All I care about is that my lil one is born healthy and with as little complications as possible.

Posted by meghan

Yes!!  Very important and here is why: My birth plans basically saying no binkis (pacifiers. To prevent nipple confusion), not to be fed with a bottle (for the same reason, nipple confusion) till after I've nursed first (the first 2 were fed through a tube), and with my last baby, I requested to have skin to skin as soon as possible. What an amazing experience! With my older 2, I never got that opportunity. I was being sewn up and my babies would be whisked away and the nurses would watch them. So I would only get a glimpse of them and won't see them for 3-6 hours afterwards. I feel I have a better bond with my youngest earlier than my older 2 because of that skin to skin. I hope this helped!

With all of mine, I made a birth plan and just handed it to the Dr. He never asked or talked to me about what I wanted but I knew a head of time what I wanted. It didn't go exactly the way I had wanted it, but he worked with me as much as possible to get what I wanted. I didn't have my Dr.for my second one but the birth plan was there to work from. The Dr. broke my water to get things going which wasn't something I really wanted but if you go in with an open mind to things don't aways go acording to plan, you can still get most of what you want. Even with this one, I made a plan and gave it to my Dr. We will see what happens but it's always good to have an idea of what you would like to happen. I think it makes things less stressful when the time comes. You have an idea of what is going on and going to happen. It also gives you a chance to look at all the possible things that you can have or what you don't want. The one I used even went for after the birth right up to when I was going home.

With my first boy, I planned everything and as things go on with the plan in just a matter of heavy contraction..boom everything flows differently. Instead of a vaginal birth I underwent a c-section because of cord prolapse then I was totally upset because my baby has to be left in the hospital for 2 weeks because of complications. 

So right now at 31 weeks no planning and just go on with the flow see what happens I had my preferences and talked it to my OB but whatever will happen I hope we are all prepared.