TheHolisticParent.ORG Writing A Birth Plan

Writing A Birth Plan

Writing a birth plan does not have to be hard or complicated. It basically is a
blueprint of things that are important to you during your birth and a vision of how
you want your birth to go. There is some controversy surrounding birth plans,
and many people don’t even believe they are necessary. I feel they are
important for two reasons.

Reason #1 If you’re writing a birth plan, it usually means you have researched
your options regarding childbirth and you’re educated about a lot of the current
issues. This is always a good thing. Knowing what is going on in the world of
birth is extremely important.

Reason #2 It allows you to have some control over your experience and
therefore usually produces a more safe and positive experience for you and
your baby. Is it true that many nurses and doctors laugh or shake their heads
when a woman comes to the hospital with a birth plan? Yes. They know birth
can be unpredictable, and hospital routines fairly stringent. Does this mean that
you should just forget it and not make one? No. This is your birth. Take charge
of it. You don’t even necessarily have to write down your birth plan. It mostly
provides a way of knowing what you want and don’t want. Though writing it
down will help you convey to others your wishes.

It is true that birth is not always predictable. You won’t be able to control
everything that happens or choose exactly how your labor will go. This is what
makes birth plans controversial. People may feel that because of these facts,
you shouldn’t have one. I’ve also heard people say that once you’re actually in
labor you won’t care about your birth plan. And my favorite is the people that
believe first time parents have no idea what to expect and therefore shouldn’t
have one. I disagree with all of these ideas. Birth plans are for first time parents
and every other type of parent. Birth plans are for everyone. You can have a birth
plan no matter how many births you’ve had. Just because you have never been
through labor and therefore do not know how it feels, does not mean that you
can’t have opinions regarding birth or ideas of an ideal experience. I also feel
that the things that were important to you before your birth will also be important
to you during birth. Your ideals and convictions will not just go out the window
because you are in labor. You may not be able to focus on your birth plan every
moment during labor, but who you are as a person will still be intact during
labor, I assure you. A birth plan is just a guide of your ideal experience. You may
not be able to control everything about your labor, but you can have
specifications regarding certain things.

This brings us to what types of things to put in a birth plan. Your birth plan
should not focus on things you can’t control. While all of us may like to have a
labor and birth that lasts two hours, it is not possible to choose. So, stick with
things you can control, and don’t be hesitant to make adjustments during labor
if something is not working.

Here are things you may want to consider or include in your birth plan:

Where do you want to be while you are laboring?

Where do you want to be when giving birth?

What position are you most interested in giving birth in?

Who do you want present for your labor? Birth?

What interventions are you willing to consider if necessary? Which are you not?

What is the immediate postpartum period to be like?

Do you want to hold your baby right away?

When are you hoping to initiate breastfeeding?

Do you want your baby kept with you at all times or are you fine with brief
separations?

Who is allowed to visit?

I wouldn’t be doing you justice as a holistic minded parent if I didn’t just add that
many parents interested in a more natural approach to parenting and to life use
a birth plan as a way to refuse interventions that they do not agree with. A birth
plan can be used as a tool to help get around policies a parent may not feel
comfortable with. I fully support birth plans being used for this purpose.
Remember, that you have control over the things that happen to you. You do not
have to be simply a passenger during your birth. You should be the driver. Your
birth plan and the people involved in your birth should ultimately be there to
serve you.

If you are giving birth in the hospital, be sure to educate yourself regarding the
policies of that particular hospital and how that hospital can accommodate your
specific needs. Some hospitals are more flexible than others. Some women
may not be aware that they can have choices and control over their situation.
You may have to check different area hospitals until you find the best one to suit
your needs. Your birth is going to be one of the most memorable and important
days of your life. It is your experience.
The most important thing to remember about birth plans is that they are there to
serve you as a guide. Nothing has to be written in stone. You are free to change
your mind. Don’t be attached to any one aspect of the birth plan. Not everything
always goes exactly as planned. Labor is a very natural process. Use your
instincts during labor to do what works best for you.

One last note: Don’t buy into a terrible misconception about birth plans. There’s
a dirty little secret out there that some people believe if you create a birth plan
you are just asking for disaster. Hospital staff snicker at times when a woman
comes in with a birth plan that she’ll be the one to get a Cesarean Section. This
is simply not true. Do not believe it! Visualizing your ideal birth will help it come
to pass, not the other way around.

The Holistic Parent.ORG

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