I agree that you need to take everything with a grain of salt. Everyone has strong beliefs about how they prefer to do things, but the truth is every birth experience is different (some intentionally so, some unintentionally.) The best you can do is inform yourself as much as possible so you know what *could* happen, and you are better equipped to make decisions if something unexpected happens.
Think of the different perspectives as
options you have, and you can choose which ones you want to focus on. I agree with Beth that your birth plan should be simple, no irrelevant info. Remember, you will probably have a number of different nurses and doctors caring for you during labor, and you don't want all of them to have to sift through pages and pages of info. It also helps for you to clarify early on the most important thing(s) to you, so you can verbalize them quickly and clearly. Although I had a birth plan, my water broke early, and I had to be induced (not in the plan.) I kept my request simple and to the point - "If possible, please place him on my abdomen as soon as he comes out." I said this to every single nurse and doctor who cared for me. Their response was usually - "We can't promise (based on the medical situation) but we'll try." That was good enough for me.
The best piece of non-propaganda advice I heard was from a nurse in the childbirth class who said basically - "Be prepared with a birth plan, but don't try to control the process to much. The baby will decide how your labor goes, so if you try to make it happen your way, you'll always be disappointed. Be aware of all your options (i.e. breathing, Bradley, epidural) and choose which one you want as you need it."
Good luck! And
- I know it can be overwhelming.