when i prepared for labour, i ONLY researched home birthing, then in the event, i ended up being transferred via ambulance, natural delivery wasn't happening, so medical cascade of intervention yada yada, then emerg c. i was SO uninformed about c-sections, i was having to answer crucial questions about what i supposedly wanted, after 37 hours of labour.

so regardless of how you THINK you're going to have your child, if i had my time again, i would school up, on ALL types of delivery, including the jargon.

Type of stitches - dissolvable or ? cannot remember the other type. ANyhow, there is a difference.

Spell out anything that is important to you.

i learnt, that my then dh did not magically read my mind, and photograph what was important to me, i should have spelled out what that was. No guarantee it would have gotten done, but prolly a better chance, than me hoping he would just do what was in my head.

i really wish i had hired a doula, sounds to me, they do so many things a heavily preg. woman FANTACISES that her partner will do, only to find out - not happening anytime soon.

Go thru all delivery options with someone who is knowledgeable and unbiased. You need to make your decisions not based on feeling hurried, or whatever you say, will be judged good or bad. Rare to find people like that, but they do exist.

My hospital notes were LOST, two days before i had my emergency c-section (i was in a group midwifery practice, midwife did home visits), so when i was transferred during an emergency, my midwife had gone interstate by this stage (29 hours in), and there were NO NOTES on me at the hospital anymore, i was up the creek. Medical people i had never seen before, suddenly needed my info, i was exhausted, i remember the midwife on duty being screamed at by the obs and other high up medical people "get me her notes right now" - and there were no notes. So having your own copy of the notes, might be a good idea.

Due to my previous med. history, i had taken the precaution of seeing a head aenathatist (sp???), JIC i needed a cannula/drip. ANd turned out, i did. All the notes from this guy, were lost, just when i really needed them.

my hope is, you take all the precautions, get schooled up in all areas, and THEN - done even need this stuff, cos it's all smooth sailing for you.
i DIDN"T school up, and things went wrong. I wish now i had schooled up.

work out the options
work out your ideal options - ONE EXAMPLE - when baby comes out covered in vermix - do you want the vermix to stay on (nature's moisturiser), do you want the nurses to wash it off before handing baby to you, do you want the baby placed directly on your skin with or without vermix? If baby is delivered not breathing, you don't get a choice, they whisk bubs away to the resus cart, but no harm in stating your choice.

Think it through, ask questions, work out what you would like, then state that in your birth plan. Make sure everyone associated with the delivery, has seen your birth plan. Have your birthing partner have a copy of this in their hot little hand IN the birthing suite.