How to Write a Birth Plan: A Step-by-Step Guide for Expecting Parents
The time has come, labor has started and you are excited to finally meet your baby! In the midst of labor, your provider has questions about next steps. You know you’ve thought this scenario over, but between the intense contractions, you just can’t remember what your plan was. If only you had a document that kept track of your birth preferences for specific scenarios so that everyone on your care team was kept in the loop. Spoiler — there is! It’s called a Birth Plan!
What is a birth plan
A birth plan, sometimes also called a “birth preferences” document, is a written outline of your preferences and wishes for labor and delivery. It typically includes details about pain management, postpartum care, and newborn procedures, as well as the overall atmosphere you desire during the birth. The purpose of a birth plan is to communicate your goals and preferences to your medical team, helping ensure a more positive birth experience. We’ll break down the benefits of having a birth plan and how to write one.
Why is a birth plan important?
First and foremost, a birth plan allows you to have your birth preferences in clear sight for any and all providers assigned to your care. As labor progresses, there may come a time when a provider needs to ask about interventions. Having your birth plan available for them will help them better understand your desires and can help reduce the amount of discussion that happens when interventions need to be addressed. A birth plan can also help limit interference and interruption from the care team.
A birth plan is not only beneficial for helping your care team better understand your wishes and preferences, but it also serves as a great educational tool for expected parents and allows you to become a more active participant in your own healthcare process. Creating a birth plan means putting in the time and work to look over what options and interventions may take place during labor, birth, postpartum, and with your baby. Parents will inevitably learn a lot while compiling preferences. Parents who take time to educate themselves about the birth process, possible interventions, and possible risks, help decrease their own fear and anxiety around birth as well.
Making sure you and your partner are on the same page about your preferences is also a vital aspect of crafting your birth plan. The process of discussion and education can help ensure alignment and help your partner be able to advocate for you with confidence during the birth process. In fact, you might say that the best written birth plans never have to leave your labor go-bag!
How to write a birth plan
There are many templates online that can walk you through creating a birth plan. Some are already typed up and all you need to do is check boxes. Others offer a template that you can follow to write out your own birth plan. For the most part, all templates include the same information as listed below:
Pregnant person’s name & partner’s name
List of support people
Any medically relevant facts, like medications taken by the pregnant person, preexisting conditions, and a list of pregnant person’s allergies
Pain relief preferences (Epidural, IV medication, hydrotherapy, massage, nitrous oxide)
Delivery Room atmosphere (Dim lighting, sound machine, music, battery operated lights/candles, oil diffuser, free movement)
Fetal monitoring preferences
Cervical exams
Delivery positions
Delivery Interventions (forceps, vacuum, breaking waters)
Medication to assist with placenta delivery
Instructions about keeping or disposing of the placenta
Immediate skin-to-skin contact
Preferred feeding method for infant
Delayed cord clamping
Designated cord cutting person
Newborn Procedures (Vit K shot, eye ointment, Hep B vaccine, newborn screening, first bath)
Unexpected cesarean birth preferences (visibility, sedation, recovery)
NICU admittance
After birth visitors
Pro Tip: If possible, try to keep your birth plan to a single page. A shorter document is more likely to be read in full.
Here are a few birth plan examples:
Sample Birth Plan for Hospital Transfers
Please note that these samples are here to demonstrate formatting and content options. Your actual preference may vary from the information you see in the samples. Feel free to copy these templates and make them your own!
Where should you look for trusted information?
When compiling your birth plan, it is important to gather your information from trusted sources. A few great online resources are
If you love podcasts, check out
There are also a plethora of childbirth books to choose from. A couple of our favorites are
The Andaluz Waterbirth Center blog also features posts that provide great information. Check out the following:
Who should write a birth plan?
Anyone who is giving birth should write up a birth plan, whether you are birthing in a hospital, birth center, or at home. They are not only beneficial for your care team to better understand your birth preferences, but they also require you to dig deep and look over all the options. Birth plans also help ensure that birth is less interrupted with questions, and allows you to focus on the task at hand, knowing that if something should happen, you don’t have to spend too much time deciding on which path to take.
Here at Andaluz, we provide our clients with a birth preferences questionnaire. This document asks questions like “Which birth room do you prefer?’, “Would you like to birth in the tub?”, “Who are your support people?”, “What are your fears around birth?”, “How do you plan to feed your baby?”. We also enjoy providing a nutritious meal for parents after the birth and discuss meal options and dietary preferences.
Food for thought: Back-up plan
A lot of people plan for a vaginal birth, but sometimes an unexpected cesarean is necessary. Sometimes necessary interventions are less dramatic, but still take you in an unforeseen direction. Most birth plans include a section to discuss what your preferences are if things go off course. When you are planning for an out-of-hospital birth, it is a good idea to have a back-up hospital birth plan in addition to your normal birth plan. Things to consider for a back-up birth plan are:
What it would look like if the birthing person needed to transfer to a hospital for care after birth.
What it would look like if the baby needs to be transferred to a hospital for care after birth.
Do you have a preferred hospital if the transfer is non-urgent?
What if you needed to be transferred in the middle of labor?
What if you face a longer than expected recovery time in hospital care?
If you are planning an out-of-hospital birth you might consider taking a class that helps give you a better idea of what transfer from community birth to hospital birth might look like. Here at Andaluz, we offer a free class just for that: What If? - When Birth Changes Course.
In this class, we discuss what interventions are available at the birth center and when they may be utilized, common reasons for hospital transfers, and what you can expect at the hospital when transfer is necessary. This class is offered for all folks planning an out-of-hospital birth.
