Writing A Birth Plan Template – This post is intended to help you write your birth plan and includes a FREE hypnotic birth plan that you can download. I will also address some of the key questions that often come up during my courses, such as:
Is it worth writing a “Birth Plan”? Should it be called “Birth Preferences”? And if I want to write one, what should I put in it? Is the hypnotic birth plan different?
Contents
Writing A Birth Plan Template
A birth plan is a document that defines how you want your labor to be and what you are aiming for.
How To Create A Birth Plan
There are many factors involved in your labor and many choices you can make that will positively affect your birth experience, such as the environment you give birth in and your choices about the care you receive, among other things.
Remember that you have human rights during childbirth. This means that nothing can happen to you without fully informed consent.
Proactively researching your options and defining in advance how you want your birth to unfold means you can make informed decisions, helping you feel empowered no matter how your birth progresses.
You write your birth plan during pregnancy and discuss it with your midwife/obstetrician before delivery. During the birth itself, your plan provides guidance for your caregivers so they can effectively support you through labor and respond to your needs.
Cool Birth Plan Template For Labor And Delivery
Some believe not. In fact, you may be warned against making a birth plan because birth is “highly unpredictable.” A friend recently told me that she felt that making a birth plan would “set her up for failure.”
I find this very depressing. As with anything in life, the fact is that if you choose what you want to aim for, there’s always a chance you won’t achieve it. But it’s worth a try, right?
But I think there is an important issue to be addressed here. It’s the idea that if you make a rigid birth plan and you’re very committed to it, then
If things don’t go as planned (because birth can be unpredictable), you may feel like a failure. This is something I witnessed, especially during my early days as a teacher.
Planned C Section? Here Are 10 Things To Include In Your Birth Plan — Nichole Joy
It ties into a wider concern, which is that many women put too much pressure on themselves in life in general.
We like to set our expectations high and then feel terrible when we fall short of them. So if a woman with a birth plan focused only on natural water birth ends up needing medical intervention or pain relief, she may feel like a failure; which is something we want to avoid at all costs.
This means recognizing that we cannot control birth rates and that it is equally important to remain flexible and open-minded.
During labor, these qualities are just as vital as the ability to remain calm and relaxed. Therefore, a birth plan should incorporate this flexibility and include more than one way of doing things.
Birth Plan Template For First Time Mothers 2023
For me it’s about how you attach meaning to the word. I don’t have a problem with the word “plan” because I know that plans sometimes have to change. If there’s one thing fatherhood has taught me, it’s this!
Similarly, Preferences keeps things more open and gives more room for change, so you may feel more comfortable using this terminology. You’ll see I used it in the pattern below.
Despite the fact that birth can be unpredictable, it is still helpful and encouraging to think about what you would like to strive for. This will include factors which
Things like what you want the environment to be, what approach you would like the midwife to have, how you feel about monitoring, pain relief, medical interventions, delivery of the placenta, to name a few.
Free Birth Plan Template
Childbirth is primal and physically all-consuming, so you don’t want to be considering and questioning all of your options during labor. You want to be rooted in your body, riding the waves of birth, not your rational brain… when you’re still and “off,” the birth-inducing hormones can flow.
Having to answer a lot of questions and make quick rational decisions during labor is difficult, distracting and takes you out of your zone.
If your labor takes an unexpected turn, you/your partner can share your plan with your midwife and ask what is still possible, and you may be surprised how much you have left.
Your birth partner is your advocate during labor. A birth plan gives them something they can regularly refer to and point out to the midwives, especially if the midwives suggest things that aren’t in the plan. This helps your birth partner in their role as guardian and intermediary between you and your caregivers, leaving you to focus on the birth.
How To Write A Birth Plan Your Midwife Will Love
A birth plan should be flexible and not pressure you into doing things a certain way. Remember, there is no “right or wrong” birth plan.
Consider your options, accept that you won’t necessarily be able to cover everything, but you will include all or most of the choices that are important to you.
To help you think about what you want to include, I’ve created a birth plan template that you can download for FREE and fill out with your unique set of preferences.
Yes, this plan includes elements of Hypnobirthing, such as the type of atmosphere you would like to create. However, you will find that whether you do hypnobirthing or not, there are options here that work for you.
Free Birth Plan Template: How To Create A Natural Birth Plan That Rocks!
Below is a list of instructions for each part of the plan. It is ideal if you discuss this with your birth partner as you make your birth plan together.
I also highly recommend the birth plan visual icons, which you can download for free from Pinter and Martin – to use in the birth plan template I created for you. They are easy for your caregivers to quickly understand and are also very helpful instructions for your birth planning.
A dimly lit, quiet and peaceful environment will keep you relaxed and help your labor progress quickly and smoothly.
· Remain undisturbed, with as few vaginal exams as possible/no vaginal exams unless requested or deemed absolutely necessary, with consent/regular routine vaginal exams
The Birth Plan Formula
Language has a huge impact on how we feel, something we discuss a lot in our hypnobirthing classes. It’s a good idea to let your midwives know if there are certain words you’d like them to use or avoid, in order to help you feel positive and confident about your labour.
Your baby’s heart and well-being can be monitored during labor in several ways. If there are no concerns for you or your baby, they will likely use a doppler placed on your belly to check your baby’s heartbeat using ultrasound waves. Most dopplers also work underwater. If there are any concerns about you or your baby, you will be offered continuous electronic fetal monitoring (CEFM), which will be strapped to your belly and connected to a CTG (cardiogram). Some hospitals have wireless CTG machines so you can stay mobile rather than bedridden.
· If CTG is deemed necessary, and I agree with that, I would prefer wireless if possible so I can stay mobile
Although hypnobirthing will help your labor be as comfortable as possible, there are several pain relief options you can choose from if needed. We are lucky to have access to them! You may not feel the need to ask for pain relief, but don’t pressure yourself to avoid them – they are not at odds with hypnobirthing.
Free Birth Plan Template & Faqs
· Please give me time for my labor to progress naturally. I would like to avoid increased work as much as possible
· If I need a C-section, read my C-section plan (outlined in my next blog post)
After birth, mothers are often given an injection of artificial oxytocin to induce uterine contractions and help deliver the placenta quickly. This can interrupt your natural flow of oxytocin, so it’s worth considering before giving or refusing consent to receive the injection.
Skin-to-skin (smooths baby’s transition, helps build your bond and establishes breastfeeding)
Birth Plan Template
· If I need any intervention such as stitches, I would like to keep my baby with me if possible
Feel free to share this with anyone who could benefit from it and I’d love to hear your thoughts – especially if you’ve already used it! Many parents-to-be make a birth plan so they can plan what they would like to happen during labor and birth. Birth plans help provide a sense of control and help birth care providers understand what is important to the woman in labor. While birth plans are no guarantee of outcome, they clearly describe how the expectant mother wants her labor and birth to occur.
A birth plan is a written record of what you would like to happen when you give birth to your baby. You can choose what you want to include, although templates can be useful as a query. Birth plans can be simple
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