Birth Plans
A birth plan does not mean you get to plan out exactly how your birth will go and that everyone will go along with it (including your body and your baby).
An effective birth plan is a simple sheet of preferences so that you, your partner, your support person and your care providers are aware and clear on what you absolutely want, what you absolutely don’t want and your preferences should certain things happen…… while the plan is about your preferences, you must always take into account what is safe and medically advised at the time.
Drafting the birth plan is a great exercise for parents to be, as it forces you to explore information about all different aspects of birth and medical interventions. This knowledge will be beneficial regardless of how your birth ends up. Information is power and will allow you to advocate for yourself/your partner and question things when they come up. I have provided two sample birth plans; one for a vaginal birth and one for a caesarean birth. I would strongly suggest completing both if you are planning on having a vaginal birth, because it is much better to be prepared should you end up requiring a caesarean. When looking back at the birth, if you feel like you were prepared and advocated for yourself/your partner, you will feel much happier with the situation, being less likely to experience trauma from the birth.
Going to a private birthing education session is the best way to find out everything you need to know to feel comfortable with making decisions. Personalised sessions allow you the space and time to discuss your wants and needs and to figure out what is important to you and your partner. Click here for more information.
The below samples are only intended to be guides to give you an idea of what a birth plan should look like and provide examples of things you might want to consider. Care providers do not have the time, or inclination to read through essays about what you would like. Things need to be simple and to the point so everyone reads and understands what is important to you. Hopefully you have spent time with your care provider and asked many questions before providing them with your birth plan to ensure their policies and procedures are in line with your preferences. The shorter the birth plan is, the more likely people are to pay attention to each item. These samples provided include many items- I would recommend stripping it back to the things that are most important to you.
Please remember, knowledge is power. Facing all of the possibilities and having preferences for different scenarios allows you to be confident that no matter what happens, you have made decisions and your preferences are clear. Also bear in mind that if a true emergency should arise and you require an emergency c-section immediately, some of your preferences may not be able to be followed (eg, your partner being present in the operating theatre, having an epidural rather than a general anaesthetic). So please consider these possibilities and write down your preferences (eg, your partner or support person is to stay with the baby at all times once out of the theatre) for an extreme emergency.
Facing these emergency scenarios can be scary for some, but if you have considered them and thought about how you would like them handled, you will be much calmer and feel more in control should they arise. Knowledge and preparation allows you the agency to handle the situation should it occur and for you to feel much more positive about it afterwards.
To download samples click below: