ABSTRACT
It is important to keep an open mind as things can change during the birth process and your medical needs as well as those of your baby also need to be taken into account. During pregnancy you will take in a lot of information about childbirth much of which may not necessarily be helpful during the birth itself. Many births don’t go according to plan. They take longer or shorter, or happen somewhere else, than planned. Health considerations mean changes also need to be made to the original plan. “Women are amazingly capable of coping with the pain of labour and childbirth—much more than they could ever imagine”. Think about how you want to be involved and help your pregnant partner during the birth—it may be useful to discuss your expectations before the birth. The subject of pain-relieving drugs for labour will no doubt crop up during antenatal classes and form part of your birth plan.
