I think the good thing about talking my birth plan through with my midwife team at the FBC, and DP knowing it back to front, was that by the time I was in labour, everyone knew where everyone stood and I could get on with producing endorphins - there is no way I would want to leave any room for having to stand up for myself, because that would take me away from my peaceful birthing. Had I been going into a maternity ward, I would have probably had a doula to help keep me in endorphin-mode, and DP could do the fighting for me!
Labour is not a time I ever want to have to rely on my tenacity - and there aren't many people who'd say I don't have gumption!
We didn't have a doula for DS's birth. In hindsight I probably didn't need one whilst labouring at home, I was happy to just withdraw and use what I had practices from HypnoBirthing. The way we wanted it was that we would arrive at the FBC ready to birth, and we did. Our birth plan was, admittedly, not a problem because most of what it dealt with was rendered irrelevant by having laboured entirely at home! Everything else was in line with the FBC philosophy, as I've said.
My point is that I did the hard yards before the birth to ensure my birth plan was workable.