Birth Plans
A Birth Plan doesn't mean you will get your ideal birth, but it does mean the medical staff will know what's important to you! Everyone should have a birth plan if they are birthing in a hospital, and those who are birthing at home or at a freestanding birth center should create a birth plan that reflects a "just in case" situation, where they may end up birthing in a hospital. A birth plan isn't set in stone, it is ever changing and can go out in the window in an instant. However, it IS important to put your thoughts and wishes down on paper for both you and your medical team to help you have the ideal birth!
Want to write a birth plan that will actually get looked at?
Try following the steps below to put together your wishes for your birth team… Remember: a birth plan is a simple way to let strangers (the nursing staff, a doctor you haven't met yet, etc) know what kind of birth experience you are hoping to have.
Keep it under 1 page
Use normal sized, easy to read font, organized into sections
(a “yes” and a “no” category OR “labor,” “birth,” “post partum,” and
“emergency”)
Limit your options
Although you’ll have an opinion on every single option for
childbirth, choose the top 4 or 5 options and write your birth plan around
those. Your birth team will be able to get a solid idea of what kind of birth
you are hoping to have based off of just a small amount of information. (This is also a great way to open a discussion with your partner about what's important to EACH of you during the labor and birth process. Have your partner pick their top 4 to 5 options and compare them to your own- build a birth plan that reflects your wishes as a family!
Be positive!
Instead of writing...
“No Episiotomy”
“Absolutely No Surgery”
“No Pain Medications”
Try turning it to the positive...
“I prefer to tear”
“Surgery only
if all other options have been tried”
“Will ask for pain medication if
needed.”
Use as few words as
possible
Birth plans that are concise are birth plans your birth team
will want to read. Instead of writing “I would prefer to try as many positions
as possible during labor because I know that my labor can speed up by 25% doing
that and I practiced labor positions at my home and know what my body likes…” try writing “Freedom to choose positions.” Your medical staff may not have time to browse a 3 page document written in paragraph style. Think bullet points and downsizing to 2-3 words for each wish.
Share your plan
Bring your birth plan to your midwife/doctor visit during the last 4-8 weeks of pregnancy- your medical provider will want to make sure your ideal birth is something they can accommodate! (Your birth plan wouldn't include "water birth" if you are birthing at a location where they do not allow it, etc) This is also a good time for your provider to bring up any concerns and for you and your partner to make any special requests that your provider may sign off on to avoid confusion in the labor room. It never hurts to ask, but always know that unforeseen circumstances may arise and you may not get the things you requested on your plan.