Creating a Birth Plan: What You Need to Know

Creating a birth plan is a valuable way for expectant parents to communicate their preferences and wishes for labor, delivery, and postpartum care with their healthcare providers. Here’s what you need to know about creating a birth plan:

1. Purpose and Benefits:

- Communication: It serves as a tool to discuss your preferences with your healthcare team.

- Empowerment: Helps you feel more informed and in control of your birth experience.

- Clarity: Ensures your wishes are known in advance, reducing stress during labor.

2. Components of a Birth Plan:

- Labor and Environment Preferences: Positions for labor, who you want present in the labor room, music or lighting preferences.

- Pain Management: Preferences for pain relief methods (natural methods like breathing, position changes, nitrous oxide, epidural, etc.).

- Interventions: Preferences regarding fetal monitoring, IV fluids, inductions and episiotomy.

- Delivery Preferences: Positions for delivery, preferences for guided or spontaneous pushing.

- Immediate Postpartum: Preferences for skin-to-skin contact, delayed cord clamping (and whether you want it until the cord stops pulsing which usually takes about 3-5 minutes), whether you want pitocin given or not, and breastfeeding.

- Cesarean Birth: Preferences for support person, immediate skin-to-skin, and operating room environment.

- Emergency Situations: Preferences for decision-making if complications arise.

3. How to Create a Birth Plan:

- Research: Learn about your options and preferences for labor and delivery. Talk with your doula to see what you should add on there.

- Discuss with Healthcare Provider: Review your birth plan with your obstetrician or midwife to ensure it aligns with their practices. If it does not, it is instrumental to find someone who matches the birth philosophy you have.

- Be Flexible: Understand that birth can be unpredictable, and plans may need to change but know the BRAIN acronym.

- Share with Your Support Team: Ensure your birth partner and doula (if you have one) are familiar with your plan.

4. Writing Your Birth Plan:

- Clear and Concise: Use bullet points and simple language to convey your preferences.

- Prioritize: Highlight the most important preferences at the beginning.

- Respectful Language: Use respectful language when expressing preferences, understanding healthcare providers' expertise and judgment.

5. Discussing Your Birth Plan:

- Antenatal Visits: Bring copies of your birth plan to prenatal appointments for discussion.

- Hospital or Birth Center: Provide copies of your birth plan when you arrive for labor.

6. Reviewing and Revising:

- Update: Revise your birth plan as needed based on new information or changes in preferences.

- Keep Copies: Provide copies to your healthcare provider, birth team, and keep one for yourself.

7. Flexibility and Openness:

- Birth is Unpredictable: Be prepared to adapt to unexpected changes and trust your healthcare team's expertise.

By preparing a birth plan, you can advocate for your preferences while ensuring you and your healthcare team are on the same page. It’s a helpful tool in promoting a positive birth experience that aligns with your wishes and needs.