Birth plans get a lot of attention but are they really helpful?
They are useful for letting your provider know if you want something they aren’t accustomed to, but really, the planning for your birth should start the moment you find out you are pregnant. Birth planning should begin with “who is your provider?”. Who your provider is will likely set the tone for your entire pregnancy. If you wait till you are writing your birth plan (often this happens in the 3rd trimester) then you have already set up the kind of birth you will have based on who your provider is and where they attend births.
When choosing who will be your care provider, don’t just ask your friends who they used. Ask someone who’s birth philosophy matches up with yours. If you ask your best friend who she used but she had a water birth at a birth center and you want to be in the hospital with an epidural, her answer may not be helpful. Your provider’s birth philosophy is just as important. Ideally it should match up with yours.
If you have your heart set on birthing at a particular place such as a birth center, it is best to check in there first and get a list of providers who work there
Now work backwards to find out if they take your insurance and whether or not they would be a good fit for you. A birth doula can help you to narrow down your choices and pick a provider that matches up with the kind of care you want. We have been to births at all of the hospitals and birth centers in your area and worked with many different providers. If you are in the Tacoma WA area and want a doula to help you click HERE
And remember, if you don’t like who you chose as your provider, you can switch! Even if you are fairly far along in pregnancy.
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