Great Expectations...

Folks every woman has a right to the greatest expectations possible for her birth but I have already trampled down this well-known path and can now say, expected the unexpected.  

You may envision a labor and birth with your greatest support being your partner, mother, sister, midwife and/or doula with a far thought that your greatest support might end up being the chair rail lining the corridor from the check in desk to the delivery room.

There may be thoughts of a birth suite with access to a tub, a comfortable bed, decent lighting and instead it's a stiff bed with rail, a bathroom san tubs you could care less to spend time in and lights so bright even a blind man could find his way to your room.

You may have taken time to carefully pack a well-supplied hospital bag, only to realize in your rushed state you no longer frocking care about the now unwieldy bag in the front seat. You might even hear yourself hollering to what seems to be a sea of bumbling dumbstruck well intenders around you to just LEAVE IT and sure…get it later.

Expect the greatest to happen, or not (I hope to help others avoid the negative as much as possible), and to be so absorbed in you that the plan, or what’s left of it, suddenly takes another course.  In light of all that absolutely have a birth plan so that you go in knowing what you want and can reduce unnecessary surprises.  Have a birth plan so that you can go forward knowing the known at least because there are so many unknowns that are unique to the experience that can already seem daunting.  I think a birth plan is a great way to organize your thoughts, have and obtain answers and decisions on the key points surrounding the management of your birth and newborn.  Whether you write it out or talk it out think about what your greatest expectations are and how those can be executed then know that your attempting to plan something that is as spontaneous and unpredictable as it can get, when left alone to its own course that is.  Regardless having a birth plan can be a comfort measure and an important pre-birth eye opener for most.

So blaze ahead, plan the greatest birth you could ever imagine, I assure you there is no show on earth like it.