Birth Plan?
- Mar 13
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
You have probably heard people say that birth plans are not read, not respected, and maybe even that they are ridiculed and dismissed. You may also have heard someone say that their birth did not go according to their birth plan. And this all may happen, really, especially if your plan is long, not organized, irrelevant to local practices, comes across as negative, or does not reflect the unfolding nature of birth.
But, I am here to say that a well-crafted birth plan can be a very effective tool, with goals and needs turned into actions. In my opinion, birth plans have a place in any birth, from unmedicated labor to planned C-sections.
The term birth plan is a bit of a misnomer, though. The very nature of birth demands that we be flexible, surrender, go with the flow, and dig deep, often deeper than we think we can. You really can't plan a birth, yet most of us innately feel that we need some navigation.
So what are you planning? You are planning your care and that of your baby. The birth plan is a care plan, a tool of communication and connection that tells the people taking care of you who you are, what your hopes are, what your fears are, what kind of support you need, and how to discuss changes and interventions when needed. It is not a management plan, nor is it a road map for how you want your labor and birth to go. It is a care plan, a document that puts you and your baby front and center because it is important that you are seen and heard, for your safety and that of your baby.
It empowers you to make informed choices and engage in shared decision-making with confidence, even if you have risk factors. Beautiful care happens this way!
A birth care plan also offers a way for you to educate yourself. Crafting a birth care plan is like taking a mini childbirth course; what you learn allows you to connect and discuss your needs with your provider prenatally and with your care team during labor and birth. It allows you to talk about all the different options available to you and what they could mean. It empowers you to make informed choices and engage in shared decision-making with confidence, even if you have risk factors. Beautiful care happens this way! If you do not know your options, choices will be made for you.
Suffice it to say that I am pretty passionate about birth care plans! So passionate, in fact, that I offer birth care plan coaching! I mean, you are having a child, most likely your first child, and the people who will be in the room with you may be total strangers who only know you by your chart. It's pretty weird, really! So, tell them who you are! These 5 thoughts are a helpful start:
What drives you?
How do you make decisions?
What function does pain have for you?
How do you protect your well-being?
What helps you adjust course?
And yes, as you may suspect, there is indeed evidence of the effectiveness of making a birth care plan. Having conversations and goals is a good thing! People who set goals, discuss them, and work towards them are more likely to achieve those goals than those who hope for something without working towards it. And in general, people with a birth care plan have a higher satisfaction rate than those who don't, regardless of how their birth went.
Setting goals and being flexible are not mutually exclusive. Neither are setting goals and safety for you and your baby. You can plan for both!
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