I sat down and wrote out our birth preferences last night! I found it quite enjoyable and exciting actually, but i aslo found myself revisiting a couple of issues that i had previously discussed with my ob (who i have a lot of respect for btw, and who encourraged and supported me to have a wonderful drug-free labour last time). But there are a few things i want to do differently this time and i'm starting to feel a bit concerned that some of the things i'm requesting aren't being supported, and i feel like i'm being treated like i haven't researched these things and i'm taking 'unnecessary risks'.

One of the things is that i'm not comfortable with being medically induced before 42 weeks. My Ob is fairly strict on the fact that 10 days over EDD is max. I'm hoping obviously baby will play the game and won't be over due, and this won't be an issue, but i'd hate to get to that stage and then be arguing with my Ob about it. DS was on his due date, so chances are i won't be too overdue this time either. From next week i'm going to start raspberry leaf tea, walking more, possibly accupunture etc etc to get things moving anyway.

The other more relevant issue is i am looking for a reason why i should have the synthetic oxytocin injection after birth, and I can't see one! I have talked to my ob about baby-led breastfeeding straight after birth and all that goes along with that, so my body will be producing it's own oxytocin which should do the job - why do i have to have a synthetic one?? I'm uneasy with having it just because it's 'routine procedure'. I'm a very low risk for PPH i would think, and i am requesting delaying cord-clamping.

I have a good relationship with my ob (and am personal friends with the midwife that will hopefully support me through labour again this time), and i don't want to start any bad feelings now at this stage, but i'm beginning to feel like they think i am wanting to take unnecessary risks instead of believing in my body and my baby to do the job. My midwife (who i've known for years and years) even says there are things about my birth preferences that she wants to discuss with me - i don't know what yet (those 2 issues weren't even in there!), but i'm nervous now that even she thinks i'm doing the wrong thing. It upsets me that people i respect think i would put myself and my baby at risk. My DH supports these choices 100% btw, as does my close family.

Interestingly enough i also emailed my birth preferences to a friend who i met as our local ABA group leader (and who is also a very experienced midwife). Part of her response was "all sounds very reasonable and achievable. It is exactly what I would expect if I was in labour too!!". She is happy to be my second in line support person if the other isn't able to be there for whatever reason.

I don't know, I just am really thinking now i wish i'd looked more into options such as homebirthing for this baby. It's something i always wanted to do, but i guess because i had trouble TTC and was seeing my ob as a gyne to get pg, i just went along with the continuity of care. And i do really like her, she was fab last time... and has been this time... i'm just feeling a bit disheartened now that i might not be as supported in some of my birth preferences as i thought i would be. And it's too late to do anything else - and like i said i don't want there to be tension between any of us at this stage.

Does anyone know if there are actually any risks in having the synthetic oxytocin injection, besides the fact that it just might be unnecessary?

Sorry for the rant... i just needed to ramble on a bit to work out what i was feeling today i think