The Importance of Creating a Birth Plan

When you hear the phrase “birth plan” what comes to mind?

Do you get excited, thinking about making yet another list, bringing organization to the unknown, feeling more in than out of control? Or do you cringe, knowing you can’t control birth, decidedly against taking the time and energy (which is especially precious during pregnancy!) to create something that may go out the window as soon as the first contraction hits? Maybe you’re somewhere in the middle; you feel like you should have a plan, but don’t really know what to put on it, or why it’s important.

Regardless of where you fall on the “birth planner spectrum” I believe creating a birth plan, or list of goals or ideals for labor, birth, and the immediate postpartum period is important for everyone.

We all know that babies have their own traits, personalities, and timelines. Your baby knows when and how they best need to be born – and no amount of planning will change that. Even in the case of planned induction or cesarean, babies can make their wishes known and throw a curve ball. It might seem silly to make a plan for something as unpredictable as labor but hear me out. A birth plan is not a prediction of how birth is “supposed” to go, it’s a collection of your priorities and preferences.  

An often overlooked aspect of creating a birth plan is that it creates cohesion and harmony between members of your birth team. If your birth plan was written before the stresses of labor, then members of your team can refer to it instead of asking you. Ill-timed questions during labor are often annoying to say the least, so do yourself a favor and eliminate some of the guess-work for your team. Having a plan helps your birth team confidently support you while you focus on riding the waves of labor.

You may have heard this before, but I want to reiterate it here: the magic of creating a birth plan is not the plan itself, but in the planning necessary to create one. While creating your birth plan, I’m confident that you will come across something you have never heard of, something that gives you pause, or something that piques your interest. You don’t have to sit down and write your birth plan start to finish – really take the time you need to sift through information and weigh each option. No one else can create your birth plan for you – 3 different women may look at the same piece of research regarding labor and come to 3 very different conclusions about what is right. You are the only one who can define what is right or ideal for yourself, your baby, your family.

I always encourage my clients to reach out for more information when they come across something unfamiliar or curious to them. I love sharing information and resources with my clients; I know from personal experience it can be difficult to ascertain truth from bias, and to find information on physiologic birth-not just 21st century norms for delivery. The power isn’t in the plan, but in the planning.

Once you’ve created your birth plan take it in to your next prenatal appointment (ideally around week 32-36 to in case baby makes an early appearance) and use it as a starting point to discuss your priorities for birth with your provider. In this conversation ask them to point out what things on your plan are standard of care and what might deviate from the norm. This will give you a clue as to what things are probable to happen automatically without much thought from attending staff, and what things you and your support team may have to advocate for. When discussing your preferences that may differ from the norm, ask if it is realistic to expect your wishes for labor to be honored in your specific birth setting. Having realistic expectations can sometimes help to curtail disappointment, grief, and depression surrounding birth. If your wishes for birth seem unlikely with your provider or in your chosen birth place, it may be time to consider altering your priorities for birth, or changing providers or birth location.

So instead of thinking of your birth plan as a must-have must-follow outline, or something to throw in the trash as soon as labor starts, think of it as an opportunity to grow in knowledge and understanding, both as a person and as a parent. Even if nothing goes according to “plan,” you may be surprised to find that you feel more confident and empowered to make decisions as they come, having done the research well before entering the labor room.