Birth Plan
If you are an expectant mother, and relatively close to delivery, you may have already started working on your birth plan. Or, you may be gathering information and becoming informed even while you are planning your pregnancy! Regardless of your timeline, it’s always a good time to consider your birth plan. Perhaps you have already heard that no delivery will go according to plan, and you need to have different options. While this is true, the suggested rule of thumb is to be well informed and flexible, as you may have to make last minute decisions and consider emergency changes; the goal is for the baby and the delivering mother to be safe and healthy.
There are sample birth plans available in a variety of websites, but no plan is as good as the one you create yourself, personalize with your own tone and preferences, and one that addresses your medical team directly. Consider your birth plan a direct request to your OBGYN and the nurses that meet you at the labor and delivery ward. It should be easy to read, 1-2 pages long, formatted with bullet-points, personal statements and politely phrased requests; this shows you are well informed, educated, and engaged in your delivery process and take a serious interest in the delivery of your baby. If your birth plan decisions are based on medical conditions or previous delivery experiences, don’t hesitate to include a short description of those as well– it helps your medical team to know why your wishes are there.
Check-off lists and pre-written birth plans almost never address the most important decisions during delivery: pain management and c-sections. In an ideal world, you would have completed a child-preparation program before creating your birth plan. While this may not always be possible, you can consider a book or video course. However, what will really help is for you to tour your birthing facility and learn of the options offered for birthing position, pain management, and newborn care. This is abundantly helpful especially if you require specific props for your birthing positions. If, for example, you request a birthing stool or bar, you need to ensure not only that your birthing facility has those available for you, but also that you are personally educated on how to use them.
Keep in mind that you need to have a contingency plan in place, in case your initial wishes need to be adapted for your safety and the health of your baby. Though very few women opt for a C-section, you always need to be prepared for one. Note in your plan if you wish to receive medications that affect your consciousness, if you want to receive Pitocin for labor augmentation, and whether or not you want to receive an epidural. In case you decline an epidural, you should explain in your birth plan how you have prepared for this decision and what your pain-management plan is.
The scary parts of your birth plan are the most important, almost like two sides of the same coin. Remember that you can, and should, write personal choices and wishes in your birth plan as well: who do you want present during labor, if you wish to place limitations on visitors, any allergies you may have, the contact information of your delivery team (partner, family or friends, doula, OBGYN, etc.), your wishes for newborn care and immediate postpartum care and preferences. Personalize your birth plan and go over it with your doctor, and those responsible for caring and supporting you, well in advance of your due date.
https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/labor-and-birth/birth-plan/
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