Why is a Birth Plan important?

A birth plan is a way for you to communicate your wishes to those caring for you during your labor and after the birth of your baby.

If you don’t know your options, you have none.

Every birth is different. Creating a birth plan empowers you to become informed of all your options during labor. It also lets the team caring for you know about your preferences.

Should you write your own?

You don’t have to create your birth plan from scratch (phew!). Many hospitals have a standard form or booklet that you can complete (ask your care provider if they haven’t given you a copy already). Review your birth plan with your provider during your pregnancy. It’s best to have this conversation before you arrive at the hospital, so don’t procrastinate on this! Ideally, you should have your Birth Plan completed by the beginning of your 3rd trimester.

What should be included?

• Requests before birth
• Requests during labor and delivery
• Vaginal vs. C-section birth preferences (I actually created 3 separate Birth Plans: My ideal plan for an unmedicated birth, a plan in case I needed to be induced and a plan in case I needed a C-section. That way if things were happening outside my control, I had a plan to feel like I had some say over what my experience would be. I highly recommend doing this)
• Requests for newborn care

Make several copies of your birth plan and stash them in your hospital bag ahead of time. That way you can have them available for the labor and delivery nursing team as well as the post-birth nursing team.

My Birth Plan:

Still feeling overwhelmed? I’ve created a simple checkbox style Birth Plan that you can print and fill out yourself!