Planning Your Baby's Birth

When pregnant women plan on giving birth to their babies, they generally come up with a birthing plan. The birth plan can help you to take control of your birthing experience and in many cases, it can help to calm your anxiety. A birthing plan is a set of instructions for the mother's preference of the kind of care she wishes to receive during the childbirth.

What is a birth plan?

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A birth plan is a document that helps you as a mother to express your thoughts and feelings about the way you want to give birth to your baby. A birth plan allows you to share all of the ways that you would like to deal with labor pain and your needs in your delivery room, and prepares your medical team with your wishes for labor and delivery.

Preparation for childbirth is usually a good thing, but your birth plan may not turn out the way you planned it. Ultimately, the medical staff will be taking care of you and your child in the best way possible.You can't control every detail of birth and delivery, and sometimes you'll have to accept the fact that unexpected events may take place and that your birth team may have to depart from your birth plan.

There are a number of ways a birth plan can be constructed. Depending on the formality and personal preferences of the mother, there are three basic types: an informal birth plan, a formal birth plan and an advanced birth plan.

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Do I need to have a birth plan?

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It is nice to have birth plans, but they are not a must. However, if you do have a specific plan in mind, go ahead and put it down on paper. To help you with and prepare for your labor, writing a birth plan could be useful. Though, the expectation of a perfect birth might lead to disappointment in case things go wrong. Many mothers think that there must be a "proper" way of giving birth and when something does not go according to plan, they can feel very upset. Some women may go as far as to consider whether or not to have the child at all.

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How to make a birth plan

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We understand that every mother-to-be would have different expectations for her delivery day. Nevertheless, there are some general guidelines that could ensure your requirements are met. To start with, it's important to know what kind of birth plan would be best for you. You can't just pick up any kind of plan and use it. First, you should decide whether you are going to have a home birth or hospital birth, and which style of birth plan would be best for you.

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Birth plan checklist

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The basics

It is important to note that although you take the time to thoughtfully plan out your birth, things might not go as planned. When starting your birth plan you want to make sure to not forget the basics, your name, your partner's name, the day you are creating the plan, due date, doctor's name and where you have decided to give birth whether that be a hospital, birthing center or at home.

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Any medical risks

The next most important thing is to note anything that would be considered a risk throughout your pregnancy did you have preeclampsia or gestational diabetes? Next, describe how your delivery is planned: vaginal birth, c-section, water birth, or VBAC. Who would you like present? The number of people who can visit you at a given time may be different depending on hospital or birthing center rules, but if you opt to have a home birth this decision is up to you. Take time though to specify who you'd like to be present during labor and delivery and make it know to your partner, friends and family.

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What is your ideal labor environment?

Would you like music played, the room as quiet as possible, to wear a specific gown, for pictures and videos to be taken? Do you want an environment of privacy, security, relaxation, and or comfort? How would you like to spend the first stages of labor? Standing up, lying down, dancing, in the bathtub?

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How do you intend to deal with the pain?

Do you want to use breathing techniques, medication, distractions, or massages? During delivery would you like to stand, lean on your partner, squat, lie on your side?

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What things will you bring with you?

A birthing tub, a playlist, squatting bar, birthing stool, Anja Health's Stem Collection Kit? When your baby is being delivered would you like to touch the head as it corns, use a mirror to see the baby, help catch the baby?

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What do you want to happen immediately after you deliver?

Would you like to bank the cord blood, hold your baby right away, have pictures taken, not be given any additional medication?

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It may seem overwhelming but all these and more are things to think about and consider when making a birthing plan. Although it has been said over and over that all things may not go as planned, it is still important and can be fun to plan things ahead of time. At the end of the day you are making the plan you think will result in the best possible outcome for you and your baby.

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