A birth plan is a written plan you can create for yourself to communicate your preferences for before, during and after labour and delivery of your child.
Writing a birth plan isn’t a mandatory undertaking…
…but whilst they come with no guarantee, creating a birth plan can be a reflective exercise that allows you some space to consider choice.
Choice is an interesting concept in pregnancy, when we can feel as if much of your agency has been taken away.
Creating Agency, Avoiding Conflict
Your wound will form a scar.
A birth plan can help create a sense of agency, and may even play a role in manifesting a more positive birth experience for yourself.
Other benefits include that a birth plan can aid in negating the possibility of conflict, miscommunication and other issues between you, and those supporting you, during labour and delivery.
For Better Communication
A birth plan can be particularly useful when you have little continuity of care with midwives.
Many women meet the midwife who is supporting them during delivery for the first time when they are in labour.
Creating a birth plan encourages a more open dialogue from the start of this interaction.
Birth Plan Resistance?
Some do find that a birth plan can make them feel anxious or overwhelmed, or that having a written document may make it more difficult to be open minded or flexible when the time comes.
Fear also comes from the possibly of being disappointed if things do not ‘go to plan’.
Flip Your Thinking
It may be possible to flip your thinking, here.
Consider your birth plan an exercise that comes with no expectation, but as an opportunity to consider what your preferences would be, should all run to plan. Do not focus on where you are anxious about your level of agency, but on where you can hold it.
Your openness to alternate possibilities can also be named within your plan.
You could include only those things where the possibility of the unexpected is lower.
E.g. what are your preferences for who is present?
How do you feel about photos during, and immediately following, birth?
What do you want to have with you?
Do you have specific things that offer you comfort? In terms of objects, sounds, food…
There is much you could consider.
Be Creative, Find Your Unique Ideas and Voice
Much of what it is possible to include in a birth plan is outside of what is first thought of on hearing the words.
You may assume the focus must be on mode of delivery and pain relief.
This isn’t true. You can make your birth plan your own, only including those things you are comfortable to.
You can also edit it, during pregnancy, as many times as your would like to. It can be an ongoing process, and certainly one that would benefit from the quiet reflection that comes after doing some stretching or breathwork, to land yourself in presence before you start.
What You Could Include In Your Birth Plan
- The atmosphere of where you would like to give birth.Preferences for light, sound, smell.If giving birth in hospital, not all choices may be permitted, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start from your own idea of perfect.
- Who will be present at the birth. E.g. partner, a doula, a friend, family
- Eating or drinking during active labour.
- Desire to stay active during labour, or not.
- Use of water / birth pools.
- Feelings about photos, video, social media etc.
- What equipment would be desirable, e.g. exercise ball, in-room shower, birthing tub.
- Any birthing positions that are preferable. If you have found specific positions comfortable in pregnancy, or have researched and practiced birth positions in antenatal classes, you can write, or draw, those in your plan.
- The type of birth – vaginal, C-section
- Preferences on pain medication including epidural
- Alternatives to pain medication
- Feelings on artificial rupture of the membranes vs leaving membranes intact
- External and internal electronic monitoring of baby during labour and birth. Do you consent to this? And if not, are you willing to be open during labour if things do not go to plan?
- The use of oxytocin to induce contractions. How do you feel about induction?
- Episiotomies vs natural tearing.
- Partner’s position during delivery. This can be a discussion between you
- Feelings on forceps and ventouse in delivery
- Desire to hold the baby immediately after birth
- Allowing time for baby to move from belly to breast independently
- Breastfeeding plans, e.g. breastfeeding immediately, or that you will not be breastfeeding etc.
- When to cut the cord and who
- Cord blood banking.
- Partner’s role. Again, this can be a discussion that allows for the avoidance of conflict when the day/s arrive.
- Special requests around the placenta
Remember This Plan is Yours
This list is in no way exhaustive, and your birth plan is just that: yours.
To write a birth plan is an opportunity for you to have freedom of expression in your desires for your birthing experience.
An expression you may have heard:
‘You’ve had your birth, this one isn’t yours, it is your baby’s” is certainly a truth. We cannot expect to control everything.
Your role in the process is not to be negated, though, Whatever happens, there is always space for your preferences to be heard.
A birth plan is a shortcut to being crystal clear on what those preference are, and for those supporting you to be best positioned to advocate for you and your body.
If you have comments on birth plans, personal experience with them, or ideas to add of what someone could include, please do leave a comment below.
For practices that will land you in presence, and open up a calm, reflective, space for creating your plan, do take a look at my book: Breathing For Pregnancy: How to find calm through the four trimesters.
