A Birth Plan or a Birth Vision, is the outline of everything you envision for your labor and delivery of your child. If you could imagine the perfect world scenario, these are the choices you have learned about, discussed with your birthing partners, care providers, and are hoping to experience with your birth. It helps the people who will be attending your birth support you how you want to be supported with the right support for a less-stressful birth.
When to begin your plan: Immediately!
I can’t say this enough. The sooner you start making your birth plan the better. That means doing the research, attending classes provided by your hospital, midwife, birth center, or doula so that you understand all of your options, and writing it all down. Remember you birth plan can change, think of it as a living document. When you start the journey of creating the birth plan, you might not have all of the information, but with the more you learn the more your plan can evolve. Perhaps in the beginning you want an epidural for your birth but later on you decide you want to try it natural.
Either way, remember you CAN change your mind.
It is YOUR birth and YOUR baby. Your birth plan is only a template.
Things to Consider
- Who will attend your birth?
- Partner, Sibling, Best Friend, Parent, Children, Doula, Photographer etc.,
- Will they attend the FULL Labor and Delivery or would you like them to remain in the waiting room until it is time to push? Alternatively, they can stay while you labor but when it is time to push, have them step out. Remember this is all your decision.
- Room Specifics
- Dim lights
- limit (include guests)
- Keep doors closed as much as possible
- Aromatherapy
- Water Birth
- Available fluids/light foods
- No photos of labor/delivery
- Yes Photos of labor/delivery
- Taking photos and video Be sure you discuss with provider and sign paperwork required by hospital/birth center for liability issues.
- Medical Interventions
- IV Fluids/Saline lock
- Epidural
- Cervical checks
- VBAC
- Nitrous Oxide
- Medical or nursing students (yes/no)
- Fetal monitoring
- continuous
- intermittent
- Doppler, telemetry monitoring unit or fetoscope
- Induction
- Natural water rupture
- Nipple stimulation
- Oxytocin (pitocin)
- Membraine sweep
- Free movement
- Walking
- Standing
- Squatting
- Lunges
- Climbing stairs
- Rocking
- Slow dancing
- Sitting upright
- Semi-upright sitting
- Sitting on the toilet
- Hands and knees
- Lying on your side
- Lying on your back
- Episiotomy
- Cesarean Section (C Section)
- Request of alternative options first
- Lowering of drape to watch birth
- Breastfeeding immediately (while on table)
- Who will be in the room?
- Cord Clamping/cutting
- How much time prior to clamping/cutting?
- Who will do this?
- Placenta
- Natural/cord traction
- Keep Placenta/Take home
- Pushing preferences
- Positions
- Coached or instinctive pushing
- Catching baby
- Mom catch, OB doctor/midwife catch, partner catch
- Baby on chest after birth/in arms
- Delayed wash/no wash
- Delayed cord clamping
- Save placenta
- Encapsulation
- Shots/tests
- Vitamin k
- antibiotic eyes
- hepatitis B vaccination
- pku testing
- Circumcision
- Feeding Baby
- Breast
- Bottle
- Both
- Pacifier yes/no
- Other
- Limited Visitors after birth
- Bonding
- Breastfeeding
- skin to skin
This is not everything! There is so much more information and I can help.
So this is not EVERYTHING that you can write in a birth plan, but it does go over some of the basics. You can change this plan to cater specifically to you and your birth goals. Remember: This is a bit of information, and I can help you. Want to learn more? Schedule a Birth Plan appointment, and we can go over many of these options together, and I can answer your questions. Birth plan appointments start at $100.
All of my Birth Doula Service packages include a birth plan appointment. If you book a $100 Birth Plan appointment and then later decide to book your Doula Services with me, that $100 will be applied to your package as part of the retainer fee.
Step 1: Pay for Birth Plan Appointment Via PayPal below
Birth Plan Appointment
Schedule a time with me to work on creating a birth plan for your labor and delivery
$30.00