Please Let me open
this page with the
following statement:
this page with the
following statement:
The ideas listed below for writing a birth plan are my ideas, and I understand that
these ideas may not be best for all birthing women. I truly suggest that any
birthing mother that is writing a birth plan take this page for what it is, My opinions
and suggestions for a personally written birth plan. I have tried to include as much
important information as I can, but as I don’t know you personally, I do not know
what is important to you, and may have left something out that you are looking
for. For that I am sorry. If there is something that is not listed below and you
believe it should be, PLEASE by all means contact me and let me know.
I thought about adding a click and print form to this page, but my feeling is that if
a mother is going to consider a birth plan and make informed choices that will be
best for her and her baby, a click and print birth plan form is not appropriate for
her. I feel that it is more appropriate for her to personally write a birth plan in her
own words containing the things that are important to her.
About Birth Plans:
When writing a birth plan in your own words it shows the people reading it that
yes you really did put thought into your birth preferences. Although a birth plan
will not guarantee that you will have the “perfect birth experience” that you desire,
without one there is no way that the people who will be attending you at the birth
of your baby will know what is important to you, or what your wishes are, so there
will be no way for them to help you reach your goals, and you may have a birth
that is most comfortable for your support team and not for you.
Birth plans are used to help people who come into contact with you during your
labor and birth, and allows those who read them to know a bit more about you,
how you have prepared for this baby, and what you want from the birth.
The length of birth plans vary as much as the women who write them, there is no
“best” length. Some birth plans that I have read are just a couple of paragraphs
long while others are a few pages long. Write what feels right for you, what you
feel you need to write, and that will be the perfect birth plan for you.
Things to think about:
As you write your birth plan, keep in mind to address the items that are most
important to you FIRST, focusing on your priorities will help ensure that the most
important of your wishes are met. If you don’t have a strong preference on some
of these items, don’t feel as if they have to be addressed. Please add to this list
what it is that is most important to you.
A birth plan is a way of communicating with the hospital staff that care for you in
labor your expectation and ideas about the birth of your baby. It is best if your
birth plan is not be written as a list of demands. But rather, a list a birth
preferences. Starting sentences with things like:
If possible I would like to….
I would prefer to….
I would like to be able to….
I do not wish…..
Unless medically necessary…..
I hope not to…..
If there is no emergency….
If my/our baby is not in immediate danger….
There are however some things to remember when writing your
own birth plan:
First:
This is your PLAN, and unforeseen circumstances may arise that may change the
plan. Please remember to keep an open mind when writing your birth plan. You
should be flexible but also be in control of the decisions made that change your
plan. If there is a doubt in your mind that you will not be able to make these
important decisions during labor be sure that someone on your support team will
be able to. But again, they have to remember that these are the best decisions
for you and your baby not for them.
Second:
Remember if you are delivering your baby at a hospital, many nurses in the labor
and delivery area at most hospitals have more that one laboring mother at a time
and some of these women will have birth plans, and each of these plans may be
completely different from yours. It is a good idea not only to include a copy of
your birth plan in your hospital chart, but, personally hand a copy to the nurse
when you first arrive in your room. Also, have a copy either next to the bed or on
the outside of the door. So when a new care provider enters the room that has
not seen your birth plan in your chart has this chance to read it.
Third:
There may be things that you put in your birth plan that someone in your support
team doesn’t understand, or doesn’t believe in. It is very important that everyone
on your team understands your birth plan, the reasons for the things that you
have placed in it, and how important they are to you. Your support team will be
more able to help you achieve your preferences if they themselves understand
why they are important to you, even if they don’t agree with them.
Writing your birth plan:
You may wish to start you plan with a short introduction paragraph listing some of
the following:
Your name, your partners name (if applicable) your estimated due date, the sex
and name of your baby (if known) the name of your care provider, and the names
of anyone else on your birth team and their title (Mom of the birthing
Mother/Partner, Friend, Grandmother, Doula etc.)
Your general health, any problems that you may have had during pregnancy, and
any special needs that you may have should be listed in this first paragraph. You
can also list your religious faith (if you desire), and emergency contact person,
(someone not on your birth support team) in this paragraph as well. This
paragraph is the first thing read by anyone and sets the tone for not only your
birth plan but also your birth and how anyone who reads it reacts to you. It is best
to try to keep it informative as possible without sounding demanding. Also it is the
easiest to find in an emergency.
You may chose to list the choices that you have made for your birth in order of
priority. Starting with what is most important to you during labor to things that are
least important to you for labor. Then, list what is most important to you during
your birth to things that are least important. Followed by most important for the
care of your new born baby to the least important.
Listed below are some of the things that women have listed in their birth plans.
This list is by no means in any order of importance. If you decide to use the things
listed below arrange them in a way that is best for you.
Labor:
* Who will be with you when you give birth? Partner, friends, family, Doula.
* Do you want mobility or do you wish to be confined to a bed?
* Do you want to drink and/or eat during labor?
* Do you want a routine IV, a heparin/saline lock, or nothing at all?
* What have you decided about fetal monitoring? (Continuously, intermittently,
internal, external, etc)
* Listen to music?
* Use the tub or shower?
* Use a birthing ball?
* Visualization Techniques?
* Breathing Techniques?
* Massage?
* Do you want pain medications or do you want to avoid them?
* Do you have preferences for which pain medications you want?
During Birth:
* Would you prefer a certain position in which to give birth?
* Would you like an episiotomy? Or, are there certain measures you want used to
avoid one?
* If you need a cesarean, do you have any special requests? You may not want to
think about this, but if you have to have a cesarean, do you want your partner to
be present, if possible?
* In case of a cesarean, who will stay with the baby until you can be with him/her.
* Who will make decisions for you and your baby if a general anesthesia is used.
* Have you made any decisions in regards to the umbilical cord? When should it
be clamped, who will cut the cord, and when do you want it to be cut?
* Are you banking cord blood?
* Do you want to be able to touch your baby's head before it is born.
* Do you want photographs or a video tape of the birth.
New Born Care:
* What are your preferences for your baby immediately after birth?
* Do you want your baby placed skin to skin, put to the breast, etc?
* Do you want any routine procedures postponed until you have a chance to
bond with your baby?
* What feeding plans do you have for your baby? (breast, bottle, both)
* Have you made any choices about routine hospital care or testing for your baby?
* Will you have the baby room in? To the nursery? Both?
As you can see there are many topics that may be addressed in a birth plan. I
would highly recommend that you go through your birth plan with your care
provider at one of your prenatal visits. This not only helps your care giver
understand what is most important to you for your birth, but is also helps you
understand what the hospital and your care givers protocols are and try to work
with them.
these ideas may not be best for all birthing women. I truly suggest that any
birthing mother that is writing a birth plan take this page for what it is, My opinions
and suggestions for a personally written birth plan. I have tried to include as much
important information as I can, but as I don’t know you personally, I do not know
what is important to you, and may have left something out that you are looking
for. For that I am sorry. If there is something that is not listed below and you
believe it should be, PLEASE by all means contact me and let me know.
I thought about adding a click and print form to this page, but my feeling is that if
a mother is going to consider a birth plan and make informed choices that will be
best for her and her baby, a click and print birth plan form is not appropriate for
her. I feel that it is more appropriate for her to personally write a birth plan in her
own words containing the things that are important to her.
About Birth Plans:
When writing a birth plan in your own words it shows the people reading it that
yes you really did put thought into your birth preferences. Although a birth plan
will not guarantee that you will have the “perfect birth experience” that you desire,
without one there is no way that the people who will be attending you at the birth
of your baby will know what is important to you, or what your wishes are, so there
will be no way for them to help you reach your goals, and you may have a birth
that is most comfortable for your support team and not for you.
Birth plans are used to help people who come into contact with you during your
labor and birth, and allows those who read them to know a bit more about you,
how you have prepared for this baby, and what you want from the birth.
The length of birth plans vary as much as the women who write them, there is no
“best” length. Some birth plans that I have read are just a couple of paragraphs
long while others are a few pages long. Write what feels right for you, what you
feel you need to write, and that will be the perfect birth plan for you.
Things to think about:
As you write your birth plan, keep in mind to address the items that are most
important to you FIRST, focusing on your priorities will help ensure that the most
important of your wishes are met. If you don’t have a strong preference on some
of these items, don’t feel as if they have to be addressed. Please add to this list
what it is that is most important to you.
A birth plan is a way of communicating with the hospital staff that care for you in
labor your expectation and ideas about the birth of your baby. It is best if your
birth plan is not be written as a list of demands. But rather, a list a birth
preferences. Starting sentences with things like:
If possible I would like to….
I would prefer to….
I would like to be able to….
I do not wish…..
Unless medically necessary…..
I hope not to…..
If there is no emergency….
If my/our baby is not in immediate danger….
There are however some things to remember when writing your
own birth plan:
First:
This is your PLAN, and unforeseen circumstances may arise that may change the
plan. Please remember to keep an open mind when writing your birth plan. You
should be flexible but also be in control of the decisions made that change your
plan. If there is a doubt in your mind that you will not be able to make these
important decisions during labor be sure that someone on your support team will
be able to. But again, they have to remember that these are the best decisions
for you and your baby not for them.
Second:
Remember if you are delivering your baby at a hospital, many nurses in the labor
and delivery area at most hospitals have more that one laboring mother at a time
and some of these women will have birth plans, and each of these plans may be
completely different from yours. It is a good idea not only to include a copy of
your birth plan in your hospital chart, but, personally hand a copy to the nurse
when you first arrive in your room. Also, have a copy either next to the bed or on
the outside of the door. So when a new care provider enters the room that has
not seen your birth plan in your chart has this chance to read it.
Third:
There may be things that you put in your birth plan that someone in your support
team doesn’t understand, or doesn’t believe in. It is very important that everyone
on your team understands your birth plan, the reasons for the things that you
have placed in it, and how important they are to you. Your support team will be
more able to help you achieve your preferences if they themselves understand
why they are important to you, even if they don’t agree with them.
Writing your birth plan:
You may wish to start you plan with a short introduction paragraph listing some of
the following:
Your name, your partners name (if applicable) your estimated due date, the sex
and name of your baby (if known) the name of your care provider, and the names
of anyone else on your birth team and their title (Mom of the birthing
Mother/Partner, Friend, Grandmother, Doula etc.)
Your general health, any problems that you may have had during pregnancy, and
any special needs that you may have should be listed in this first paragraph. You
can also list your religious faith (if you desire), and emergency contact person,
(someone not on your birth support team) in this paragraph as well. This
paragraph is the first thing read by anyone and sets the tone for not only your
birth plan but also your birth and how anyone who reads it reacts to you. It is best
to try to keep it informative as possible without sounding demanding. Also it is the
easiest to find in an emergency.
You may chose to list the choices that you have made for your birth in order of
priority. Starting with what is most important to you during labor to things that are
least important to you for labor. Then, list what is most important to you during
your birth to things that are least important. Followed by most important for the
care of your new born baby to the least important.
Listed below are some of the things that women have listed in their birth plans.
This list is by no means in any order of importance. If you decide to use the things
listed below arrange them in a way that is best for you.
Labor:
* Who will be with you when you give birth? Partner, friends, family, Doula.
* Do you want mobility or do you wish to be confined to a bed?
* Do you want to drink and/or eat during labor?
* Do you want a routine IV, a heparin/saline lock, or nothing at all?
* What have you decided about fetal monitoring? (Continuously, intermittently,
internal, external, etc)
* Listen to music?
* Use the tub or shower?
* Use a birthing ball?
* Visualization Techniques?
* Breathing Techniques?
* Massage?
* Do you want pain medications or do you want to avoid them?
* Do you have preferences for which pain medications you want?
During Birth:
* Would you prefer a certain position in which to give birth?
* Would you like an episiotomy? Or, are there certain measures you want used to
avoid one?
* If you need a cesarean, do you have any special requests? You may not want to
think about this, but if you have to have a cesarean, do you want your partner to
be present, if possible?
* In case of a cesarean, who will stay with the baby until you can be with him/her.
* Who will make decisions for you and your baby if a general anesthesia is used.
* Have you made any decisions in regards to the umbilical cord? When should it
be clamped, who will cut the cord, and when do you want it to be cut?
* Are you banking cord blood?
* Do you want to be able to touch your baby's head before it is born.
* Do you want photographs or a video tape of the birth.
New Born Care:
* What are your preferences for your baby immediately after birth?
* Do you want your baby placed skin to skin, put to the breast, etc?
* Do you want any routine procedures postponed until you have a chance to
bond with your baby?
* What feeding plans do you have for your baby? (breast, bottle, both)
* Have you made any choices about routine hospital care or testing for your baby?
* Will you have the baby room in? To the nursery? Both?
As you can see there are many topics that may be addressed in a birth plan. I
would highly recommend that you go through your birth plan with your care
provider at one of your prenatal visits. This not only helps your care giver
understand what is most important to you for your birth, but is also helps you
understand what the hospital and your care givers protocols are and try to work
with them.
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| Birth Plan Information |