When I was pregnant for the first time, I was very into reading the latest books and articles about all things pregnancy. Birth plans were part of the material, and since they were highly suggested by almost everything I read, I wanted to write one.
At one of my prenatal visits, I asked my doctor about what I should write in a birth plan. He looked at me with an amused smile. "Birth plan? Anything you want, I guess! But you have to keep something in mind: birth will not always go as expected, and I can't follow everything in the plan just because you want me to. The hospital as well has its own policies and procedures it follows, which is out of my control. So, for example, if you're into a water birth or something like that, you're going to have to deliver elsewhere. But I can tell you this: I am all about the health and safety of you and your baby. I am looking forward to having a great delivery, no matter how it goes."
Oh. I just kind of sat there, a bit stunned.
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