“What happens if my birth plan doesn’t go the way I wanted?”
This is one of the most common concerns and questions that people have about writing a birth plan and working with a doula. “Will my doula judge me for changing my mind? What happens if things start to go off track at my birth?”
I was sitting down with a couple the other day and we were discussing this exact subject. Flexibility when planning and preparing for birth were the hot topics, as well as ways they could make informed choices. I always make it clear that I am there to support whatever choices the women or couple wants to make for their baby’s birth. I won’t stomp my feet or pout if somebody decides they would like to change their mind, I just adjust for the new path and carry on.
It’s hard for me to avoid the use of metaphors when discussing birth (I make use of the marathon metaphor more than I care to admit), so I was especially giddy when the expectant father said, “oooh, so you’re like our very own birth GPS??” At first, I didn’t quite understand what he meant. He explained, “When I first got my GPS I wondered what would happen if I set in a destination and then didn’t follow the instructions. Would the GPS chastise me? Would she say, ‘HEY! Wrong way buddy, I told you LEFT!’ but she didn’t. Instead she just adjusted her instructions from where I currently was to continue on to the final destination.”
Birth: The most intense road trip you’ll ever take.
You should have seen my face. Yes! I practically shouted. I am totally your birth GPS! We set a final destination, in this case “Babyville” and then we head off together. It doesn’t matter how many twists and turns we take, if we go the wrong way, if we backtrack, if we take the scenic route or the highway. The destination never changes. We just adjust based on where we end up, try to find our way back if we feel lost, blast some tunes when necessary and keep on truckin’!
Enjoy the ride!
Megan “The GPS” Howarth
