Your birth plan is important, and here is why. It sets your intention and helps your birth team understand what your wishes are. Here is the other reason why it is important, it helps you and your partner become clear on what it is that you both want, and that matters. I think the best part of putting your birth plan together is the education you receive in the process. In spending the time to put it together, you have to do some research, and you become empowered with that knowledge. I need you to know. This DOES NOT need to be a thesis. It won’t get read. It just won’t. I have seen birth plans exceed ten pages, and while I think it is fantastic, you have done that for you, not your team. Not a single person at the hospital is going to spend time reading that. They will smile, and make some sort of off handed remark, and put it in your pile of papers. That will honestly be it. They will continue to ask all the questions despite all of your carefully crafted wishes which you have put in that birth plan. If you truly want an effective birth plan, short and sweet. That’s the ticket. Follow my steps below for an effective, but comprehensive planning system.
Take a childbirth Education Class. Even if it is not mine. This will not be a waste of time. Doesn’t it sound much easier to get your hands on evidence based information rather than reading random articles, research studies, and bad advice, which by the way takes hours and hours. My classes can be found here. Rhonda Fellows offers birth classes which are fantastic as well. The more you understand what is going to happen, the better you are able to plan for it.
Your birth plan should be no more than one page. Just like a resume. Any more than that and it won’t get read. I know that this is a labor of love for you, but you want to have the most clear and simple direction. You can fit a lot on a page, trust me.
When working with my clients I use a plan that is one page, and has icons. Seriously. My 17 year old son can navigate this birth plan, and it has all the things on it. You want it to be super simple. You can schedule a planning session with me here. You can also search on Etsy or Pixabay for the icons that you would need, build it in Canva and craft one that way. Hospital staff love this way of doing a birth plan. It takes a few minutes to look at and they then it is placed on the white board in your room. That way when there is a staff change, or new member of your birth team, everyone is clear and everyone can see it. You are not having to answer a million questions that you have already answered.
Use evidence based information. Always. Here area a few of my favorites. Evidence Based Birth. The Cochrane Review. ACOG.
The most successful birth plans that I have seen have one thing in common. Flexibility. When we get to attached to our plan, things can get complicated quickly. Birth is fluid. Birth changes. Birth is unpredictable. EVERYONE involved wants one outcome. Safe Birthing Person. Safe Baby. Period. When things don’t go 100% to the plan, that is ok. Just know that if some things on the plan change, other things are honored.
Your birth plan is important. The ability to birth the way we want is important. Feeling heard is important. All of this impacts how we feel about birth. We can impact our birth best when we educate ourselves about the process, plan with flexibility, and put safety first. Ask questions, research, learn about your body. You can do this, and it will be amazing!