Writing a Birth Plan
Do you know what a birth plan is or why you need one?
Thinking about your birth experience can be overwhelming. In today’s blog post I’m going to break down exactly what a birth plan is, it’s benefits, and so much more.
Birth planning is a way that you can take control of your labor experience and make informed decisions. Most everything about labor is a balance of risks and benefits. You get to make impactful decisions for yourself, including but not limited to accepting and declining any procedure or intervention.
You can only effectively do this when you know what your options are. A doula (that’s me; I’m a doula) is a great resource for helping you to create a birth plan. Most importantly, a doula will help you plan to make informed, impactful, and important decisions for your future.
Learn more about me: Get to know me
What is a birth plan?
A birth plan is a list of preferences for your ideal birth outcome. This is typically a document that you create during your pregnancy after taking a childbirth education class.
This document allows you to research topics and have conversations with your provider and birth team about what you want and what you don’t want.
A good birth plan allows for flexibility and still clearly defines what is most important to you.
Benefits of creating a plan
Creating a birth plan is more than just writing down what you want out of your labor and delivery experience. It’s about education and research.
Education is key to having a positive birth outcome. Creating a plan allows you to do just that. Evidence shows that when you take the time to create a plan that is well thought out, you’ll have a higher likelihood of having the birth outcome that you want.
Your plan also allows your birth team to be cohesive and to understand what is most important to you. Your provider, nurses, and doula should all work together. A birth plan helps to bridge any gaps within your team.
What should be included?
Birth plans can cover a variety of aspects; from laboring, pushing, newborn procedures and more. It is ultimately up to you to decide what should be in your birth plan.
Here are the main points that your plan should include:
Pain relief preferences
Labor and pushing positions
Newborn vaccine choices
Postpartum options
It should be noted that any other information that is important to you should be included in your plan. For example, (1) whether or not you want a specific item to push with (like a squat bar), or (2) if you would not like students in your room.
Plan to make copies of your document and give one to your provider ahead of time. Going over your preferences with your OBGYN or midwife prior to labor will help to make sure that everyone is on the same page.
Things to consider
It’s important to consider that a birth plan is not something to hold onto too tightly. Birth can change which means that you may have to make new decisions in a moments notice.
When creating your birth plan, you should consider all of your options. Researching pregnancy complications and making plans for potential caesareans will benefit you in labor.
This does not mean that we want anything outside of your ideal plan to happen. It is in your best interest to look at all of the possibilities so that you are prepared for alternative situations (such as a C-section.) That way you are not having to make decisions during any stressful moments.
Need some help?
Writing a birth plan isn’t always easy. It can be hard to know about all of the possibilities that may come up during labor and early postpartum.
Getting help writing your plan can be beneficial, help you to feel confident in your choices, and help you to understand your options. Knowledge is the basis of creating your plan.
I offer birth planning sessions to help you in this process. Our session will allow you to gain understanding of your options so that you can figure out what’s most important to you.
Learn more: Birth doula support
Now that you understand the importance of birth planning; set out to create one (or schedule a session with me). Begin researching labor and if you haven’t already; take a childbirth education class.
Are you going to write a birth plan? I would love to have you share about your experience by emailing it to me at therocdoula@gmail.com
If you’ve found this blog post to be helpful; please share it with others so that they can also benefit from knowing how to write a birth plan.
Hi, I’m Jocelyn.
I’m a doula and breastfeeding educator in Rochester, NY.
Follow me for all things pregnancy, birth, and lactation support.
