15/01/2026
WHEN IT ISN'T PLAN A...
Last week I supported a family who had planned a home birth. They had prepared so thoughtfully, with so much care & intention.
And then birth asked something different of them. They went into hospital. Their baby needed a forceps birth in theatre.
What I witnessed was not panic or failure.
I witnessed powerful decision making.
I saw parents who understood their options.
Who asked clear questions.
Who stayed involved in every step, even when things moved quickly.
Their antenatal education showed up in real time.
Not just in the calm of planning a home birth, but in the intensity of theatre.
They moved from Plan A… to Plan B… to Plan C… & even Plan D.
And that was okay. Because the plans were still theirs. They held onto the parts of the plan that were important to them & adapted other choices. They even joked that they'd managed to "try everything" in one birth experience. It doesn’t matter how many times the plan changes, as long as you are informed, involved, & making the decisions for your body and your baby.
I saw how having more than one plan gave them steadiness, not fear.
How flexibility became strength.
And I saw how the continuity of doula care mattered:
Same support.
Same calm voice.
Same steady presence.
A planned home birth that became a forceps delivery wasn’t a plan that failed. It was a plan that adapted, with courage & clarity.
I felt so honoured to witness their trust, their teamwork, & their power.
