ah, the best laid plans...

[emc03]

i was just looking at my playlist today on my pod and realized i sooooooo overplanned the birth! we had snacks in the fridge (i didn't eat), relaxed music (silence, please!), numbers to call in case the dog got too anxious (she was snoring like a freight train).

what parts of your preparations were useful and what went to the wayside?

i used my prenatal yoga BIG TIME. the birthing pool was great. and while i didn't stick to the exact rules of the hypnobabies, i did use their techniques in conjunction with the yoga practice. that helped a ton and prepared dh fantastically. and even though it made me puke once later, i really loved his fresh squeezed citrus juice for me. i really believe it gave me the strength to make it through labor.

[~Charlie's~Angel~]

I had my bag packed for two months I think. And I made all sorts of chili and baked ziti, (ready frozen so all we would have to do is pop in the oven) and other things to make easy dinners after the birth. Threw them ALL away. Homemade mac and cheese I had to get rid of because matthew couldnt take the dairy. I also remembering worrying what ds1 would be like while I was in labor. Well it started int he afternoon, he was asleep by 7, I went into active labor around 9, had matthew by 3am, so Charlie slept through EVERYTHING!

[mochimama]

We had a whole bunch of stuff on the list to do and none of it got done because dd was 8 days early. I was sure she'd come at my due date or beyond so I was really taken by surprise and had little organized. It worked out for the best, though, the midwife and dh were easily able to organize the house and setup the birth tub during the 1.5 hours I was in labor. There was no time to call anyone or get music ready. Oh, the one thing I did have organized was the clothes I wanted to labor in. I only wore them for about an hour, though
I did agonize over whether I wanted my MIL to be there for the birth. She was scheduled to be there six days before my edd until about 10 days after. It ended up being a non-issue because dd came before she arrived, and I'm soooooooooo glad it worked out that way. But I spent a lot of time thinking about it.

[punkrawkmama27]

My labor was so fast that I barely used the tub (about 1/2 hour). The food I had dh buy, still in the closet. I had like 5 neighbors give me their numbers in case I needed them to take dc. Both ds slept through it, and dd was there helping me and watching. Never called anyone. Pushing was so quick, not even the mw made it there on time, and all the pictures I planned on taking didnt even happen as dh was the only one there and so nervous about the mw not being there. Things happened so quickly.

[Jackies Ladybug]

oh yeah, my birth went nothing like i planned, husband filled the birth pool while i labored in tub, birth pool heater went out, went back to tub, hated the tub all of a sudden and ended up having her on the bed. totally not expecting or prepared for a land birth!
although i was super glad i had made my special chicken soup, i dont think i would have gotten through labor without it!

you know, we can plan all we want, but things are only ever going to happen exactly how they were meant to happen.