Empower your birth experience: How to create a comprehensive birth plan

Birth plan?!

Planning your birth may seem overwhelming and let’s be real… Birth RARELY goes exactly as planned. So why do you need a birth plan? Well a birth plan can be a guide to help you navigate your birth and changes that may occur. While creating your birth plan you can also become more knowledgeable on the birthing process, your options and different situations that can occur.

Step 1: Birth Prep

The first part of creating your plan should include birth prep. Think about what you want and/or need to be done before the baby arrives. Some simple things to think about are meal prepping, housework, finishing the nursery, stocking on diapers & supplies, etc. Another great step to take is packing hospital bags. You will need one for yourself, one for dad and one for baby. Having these ready to go can put your mind at ease knowing you are ready when the time comes. 

Step 2: Ideal Birth Preferences

Next let's think about what your ideal birth looks like. You will want to research and consider the different options for early labor as well as active labor. This page will have your desired positions, pain coping techniques, contraction timing preferences, etc. Some of this will vary depending on your provider, birthing location, and personal preferences. For example, do you want to know contraction times? Another example would be if you want counter pressure or massage? Every woman will have different preferences and it is important for your partner and doula to be aware of these. These are just a few ideas to think about when writing your birth plan. This page will be most important for you, your partner and your doula. 

Step 3: Stages of Labor

Now in our plan is the most important page. This page will be crucial for your care team to provide the care you need and desire. This page should be separated into the stages of labor. The first stage is dilation & effacement so you will want to think about what type of fetal monitoring you would prefer, if you want an epidural, do you want to be in water, will you have them rupture your membranes, etc. These are just a FEW of the things you must make decisions on in the beginning stages of labor. The second stage of labor is the pushing stage. For the second stage of labor you should think about what position you want to push in, who will catch the baby, would you want an episiotomy, etc. Again, these are all things that you must make a decision on. The third stage of labor will be delivering the placenta. Now you will need to consider if you would like delayed cord clamping, who will cut the umbilical cord, if you would like to keep your placenta, etc. There are not as many options to consider here but still are very important to research and make decisions on. Lastly for this page you will need to make decisions for your newborn baby. Do you want immediate skin to skin, do you want to delay cleaning the baby off, will you breastfeed? These are all things you will need to consider for your baby. 

Step 4: Urgent, uncommon & unwanted situations

Last is the page we hope to not need but always should have just in case. This is for urgent, unwanted, or uncommon situations. What preferences do you have in the case of needing a cesarean? Please consider researching gentle cesarean preferences such as keeping the room quiet, screen lowered to watch baby be born, photos to be taken, etc. Every hospital will have different protocols and regulations so asking and having a plan ahead of time for this can be a relief. While we hope a cesarean is not needed, having a plan in place and knowing your options can be a bit of a relief in this stressful situation. At the end I like to address what the biggest fear is surrounding birth and how mom will cope and manage this fear. Addressing this before can help clear your mind prior to the big day and mindset is so important during labor and delivery. 

step by step birth planning sessions

And that my friends is step by step the components needed to create a comprehensive birth plan. While these options listed are just a few, I am more than happy to discuss a plan further with you. A comprehensive birth planning session will give you my personal birth plan template with all the options you can think of. This session and birth plan template is also included in my doula services. If you would like to book your free consultation or birth planning session please reach out!