"Birth Plans" may sound off topic for Lactnet, but they may be related
to a degree. I have heard both labor nurses and childbirth educators
worry over birth plans and the "Murphy's Law" outcome that Winnie
mentioned. What I am hearing is that the more rigid the plan (I will not
do this, I will only have that, etc) the more likely the laboring Mom
and Dad will be disappointed if or when things don't go the way they
"planned". They may attach blame to other participants and/or feel like
failures themselves. Might not this approach (forming the ideal picture
of how a thing will be ahead of time) carry over to breast feeding? (Not
to mention parenting?) If the "reality" of their particular efforts
doesn't match their predetermined picture they may become very
frustrated and give up. How many comments have we heard from new Moms
like, "I thought the baby would know how to eat" or "I didn't know I
would have to work this hard" or "What do you mean they might be eating
every hour and a half?", etc.
        I am NOT knocking childbirth educators! I know many who advocate that
couples discuss their strong feelings about the different aspects of
labor ahead of time, tell their OB's/ midwives and inform the nurse on
admission so that Mom will have advocates for the things she feels are
important. And of course I hope you don't miss the inference that some
OB's, ped's, etc. seem to suffer from some rigid predetermined pictures,too.;-)
        I'm just musing that flexibility in thinking and willingness to adapt
in new situations seems to make greater successes in the long run. Whew!

Jean Macomber, RN, IBCLC, staff NICU/postpartum nurse, mother of
three(grown) children(1st one bottle, next two breast)See, I learned to
adapt and kept right on doing it--even through brain surgery two months
ago!

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