What is a birth plan?
Why have a birth plan?
Are they important?
A birth plan is just what it sounds like – a plan for the birth of your baby.
A birth plan can be a good way to communicate with your pregnancy care providers about what is important to you before the birth. It gives them information about your preferences during labour and what you would like to avoid where possible.
You don’t need a birth plan but, you’ll definitely want one if you’re trying to make sure your decisions are laid out clearly, to have something in place for you and your support people and the hospital staff, as communication is key along this journey.
It is a good idea to keep an open mind in case it doesn’t go exactly to that plan, plus you might be in labour and decide to change everything you originally wanted and that is okay because birth is unpredictable! But by having a plan means you have researched, considered, and weighed up your options all while educating yourself.
Birth isn’t just a straight road so remember you are making this plan before you go into labour so if your preference was no pain medication but you’re now 15 hours in and have decided you now want an epidural to help you keep going and to push through the pain then that is totally okay! It’s all about choice.
By now your probably thinking, what sort of things should be covered in a birth plan?
You can cover so many different options and make your plan as detailed or as simple as you wish, maybe you’re a very ‘go with the flow’ type of person and that’s totally fine, so something as simple as – “I wish to have a drug free water birth with my partner present as my support person and delay cord clamping and the rest just let flow as it happens” or you could be the total opposite and need something very detailed on what you wish to happen and if something was to go wrong you would like this to be the first steps taken before a caesarean if possible.
Here are some questions you might wish to research:
- What are your ideal positions for labour and where you wish to birth e.g. – bed, bath, or shower?
- Do you want to be on your back, side or even kneeling?
- Will you have music or lights on or even some candles burning?
- Who would you like to have there in the room for support?
- What you would like for pain medication and management options.
- Your preference for skin to skin.
- Would you like to delay cord clamping?
- How do you wish to feed your baby after birth. e.g. – breast, bottle or mixed?
- What if something unexpected happens?
The bump has a perfect checklist and birth plan template you can follow –
Birth Plan Template: Preparing for Childbirth (thebump.com)
How can women share their preferences without being ridiculed?
I believe this comes down to having the right support in the birthing room, which will allow you to relax into the process. Knowing your support team will be there to follow through and advocate for you to make sure your voice is heard through your birth plan, while you are focussed intuitively on your body and your baby.
By being up front and direct ahead of time with your professional care providers it will also show how aligned the providers are with you and your birth preference/s and whether you are in the right place or not.
Well educated mothers will be able to share with confidence and certainty.
It is your body, you have rights and choices so do the research, educate yourself in the preparation of your birth and let yourself be heard.
Hi, my name is Sharna Dempster from Jervis Bay Doula Services. I am an emerging Doula who is training through the Doula Training Academy. If you would like to chat all things pregnancy, birth, and motherhood, please get in touch.
Business Name:
Jervis Bay Doula Services
Contact Number:
0412 478 140