Bridget's Pregnancy Blog

So, one of the most important things on the birth plan is, of course, how you want to handle the actual birth.

I find it quite strange here in Beijing, actually, that many (if not most) women choose to voluntarily have a C-section. They schedule their baby’s birth for a particular time, date and doctor and are processed quite efficiently by a system that is completely used to this way of doing things.

Um, yeah, I’m so not going that route.

I’m lucky in a way that I’m working with a birth center that’s used to dealing with foreigners. They’re fairly accepting of the idea that we apparently like to do things differently, even if we get looked at a bit askance when we say things like “natural birth” and “no medication.”

Yep, that’s the route I’m going- no C-section, no epidural, no inductions, etc. I suppose even in the U.S. many would question my choices (I mean, who turns down pain meds, right?), but I make them for a few reasons.

One, I don’t like the idea of either me or my baby having any kind of meds in our systems right after birth. I want to start breastfeeding immediately, and I know sometimes the meds can hinder this.

Second, I’m really not looking forward to lying flat on my back for any long portion of this whole thing- I want to be able to walk around and get in whatever position I want for labor, and once an epidural takes effect that becomes impossible.

Third, I’m a writer. Now, this might seem like it has nothing to do with how I give birth, but think about it- one day I might have a scene to write in a novel or story where someone is giving birth. I want to know what it feels like. Being completely medicated would rob me of that experience. Yeah, I know that one is weird, but it’s still a reason on my list.

Fourth, I’m kinda stubborn. And if my ancestors could do it, I sure as hell can give birth without resorting to a wimpy “give me the drugs” change of heart. In some ways I guess it’s a test to see if I can hold out on my convictions about this.

I’ve been reading about and practicing some things in the Hypnobirthing and Hypnobabies programs. We don’t have classes here in Bejing for these things, but I have a friend who used these methods when she birthed her daughter last year and I’ve done meditation in martial arts practice for quite a few years, so I was already familiar with the basics of self-relaxation techniques.

I’m not sure I started the program early enough to achieve the completely peaceful, seemingly painless natural birth some women have using these techniques, but I’m giving it a go.

So I’m heading into the “birth” part of the birth plan with full confidence in my ability to do this whole thing without medication and as little medical intervention as possible. And the nurses working at the birth center continue to nod and smile and look at me as one of those strange foreigners who makes choices they don’t quite get.