Is this a sensible approach to childbirth?

[Thoughtlessinengland]

Last time for my first baby I did 6 months of hypnobirthing classes, daily meditations, went in with a laminated (yes) birth plan, numerous candles, numerous instructions for full natural birth, a doula etc. Ultimately my back to back son was born after 37 hours of labour, which technically didn’t progress enough for pain relief of a serous kind till last 4 hours and an episiotomy, followed by PND.

Anyway..... a few years later I am expecting No 2 and time is approaching to think about the birth. Is it alright to not really have a plan this time and just see how it goes? I truly cannot get particularly fussed about whether I do this or that, use that or something else. All that seems to matter is that all goes well and we get out in one piece - so I am thinking I am nust literally going to go into labour and see how things go and what I feel like/what midwives recommend at the time? I mean a water birth feels excellent - an epidural feels fine - and a C section is also alright - I am quite unbothered this time and struggling to make a birth plan.

Is this mad or do you think it’s fine to plan to not really have a plan?

I did this for my second, I ended up wishing I'd done a bit more prep in terms of coping mechanisms. It wasn't that I was unhappy with the end result, but I struggled to cope with some aspects of the birth as they were happening which made me feel like I'd failed weirdly because I "should have" been able to manage as I'd done it before.

Juju Sundin's birth skills was good, but I was a bit lazy with it and didn't follow through with the exercises, that might have helped. Also I think hypnobirthing, not from the perspective of "having a perfect birth" but more from the perspective of coping with hard things may have been useful.

Essentially train for it like a marathon or other taxing thing :)

"@WatchingTheMoon
Get out of the wrong side of bed today?"

No, I didn't, why?

There is nothing rude or even grumpy in my reply so I'm curious why you got that.

I gave birth overseas and wasn’t offered the option of a birth plan.

The birth was horrible but I don’t see how a plan could possibly have made it better!

Sounds reasonable to me. I wanted a water birth but when I got to hospital the midwives started to read through my birth plan and ask me about it, and I just said, screw that, let's do this! Trying to relax in a tub was the last thing I wanted to do!