Birthing Plan

During my first pregnancy everywhere I looked there was mention of preparing a birthing plan. I never did write one up. How was I supposed to know what I wanted during the birth of my child when I have never done anything like that before. So, Paul and I went into it blind (so to speak) and I wouldn't have changed anything about it. It was a textbook birth.

I was told this time by my doctor that the second pregnancy is always easier and I would even have a birthing plan because I know what I want now. I have been trying to think about what I would have in my birthing plan and so far this is what I have:

    1) Give me an epidural ASAP!
    2) I only want to push once and then have the baby come out.

And that's it. This is my birthing plan. I just want to do whatever is needed to have a safe birth. I really don't want to have a plan. I have an idea of how I would like it to go, but I know that it could be unpredictable, so my plan is to just go with the flow.

I have also considered letting Ella stay in the room with us while giving birth. I feel like if she doesn't see the process then she might get confused and upset to see me pregnant one moment and then the next moment she sees me holding a foreign baby in my arms and become jealous. I just don't know how that would affect her, though, witnessing the birth of a baby. My feeling is that if she witnesses the birth then she will realize it is something natural, and I will get to skip the step of explaining where babies come from down the road (just kidding).

So, this is where I stand so far. I might change my mind and have a long birth plan list, or it might stay as simple as this. I have read where other moms have said throughout there pregnancy that they would get an epidural and then in the end change their minds and decide to go natural. So who knows what I will be saying when I am in my ninth month of pregnancy. I guess I will just have to wait and see.

Oh, and don't worry. I am going to do research regarding letting children stay in the room while giving birth. I don't want Ella to come out traumatized if that is what happens to kids her age witnessing a birth.