Having trouble writing your birth plan? Here are a few helpful tips that we suggest to clients as they write their birth preferences.
- Keep the birth plan to one page. You don’t want a chapter book for your birth team to read. In the famous words of Kimberly “Sweet Brown” Wilkins, “Ain’t nobody got time for that.”
- Use positive language as your preferences versus a list of “do not’s”. (An example: “Please keep vaginal exams to a minimum” versus “No hourly vaginal exams.”)
- Make it easy to read and follow. Think double spaced, maybe bullet points for each preference in each stage of labor. We aren’t competing in a grammar contest here, so feel free to use short statements versus full sentences.
- Consider adding any pertinent information to the top of your page: your partner’s name, doula’s name, pediatrician’s name, allergies, etc.
- Try not to include things you are in control over. Think items like the temperature of the room, whether or not you listen to music, etc.
- Include a cesarean plan. If needed, you can make this a separate page. If possible, though, squeeze it onto that one page.
- Consider leaving off things the birthing location automatically does, especially if you’re running out of space. Most of our local hospitals now do automatic skin-to-skin after a vaginal delivery. (Though you should put that on your cesarean plan if that’s important to you.) Having a home birth? You probably don’t need to add delayed cord clamping (talk with your midwives first, though!)
- Go over it with your provider before your birth. Going over your preferences before your baby’s birth opens a conversation with your physician to make sure you’re both on the same page.
- Print out multiple copies. Give one to your provider, one to your partner, one to your doula, and bring a few in.
Let us know in the comments if you would add any other suggestions OR if you used our tips for writing your birth plan!
***Did you know we offer assistance with writing birth plans? We even provide you with our template. You don’t have to be a birth or postpartum client to utilize this service! Contact us at Rocket City Doulas today.***
