Why You Should Write Your Birth Plan/ Preferences When Preparing for Birth
Many birth preparation checklists have a line about writing a “birth plan” to bring with you to the hospital, birth center, or wherever you plan on giving birth. But how do you write such a document?
We’ve guided many clients through this process, but before we talk about the “how,” we need to discuss the “why.”
Why write a birth preference document (formally known as a birth plan)?
You’ve heard the potential scoffing from friends, family or a care provider as you talk about writing your birth plan/preference…
“You can’t plan your birth!!”
“Isn’t it bad luck to have specific expectations?”
“Do you have anything to put on a birth plan/preferences?”
But we believe there’s great power in this writing exercise. Let’s talk about why it matters to write out your birth preferences:
Your Birth Preference document helps you come together with your birth support team and allows you to go a bit deeper into what feels important for you to communicate through your labor and birth.
Do you have a preference in having a water world room (laboring tub)? This document is a great way to share that!
Do you have anxiety about needles? You may want to request a charge nurse to assist with an IV port placement.
Want to advocate for a family centered Cesarean birth in the event of a cesarean? Here’s the place to write it down.
2. Your Birth Preferences document helps you get to know your nurse!
You may have developed a relationship with your care provider, doula or have family/friends as support, but you’ll most likely meet your nurse for the first time in labor!
Writing a little blurb about who you are and adding a cute picture can drive connection and be a sweet intro to working with your nurse (who will be a huge part of your care and birth team).
3. Your Birth Preferences document shares INTENTIONS, not EXPECTATIONS
It’s important to remember intentions are not expectations.
The beautiful thing about a birth preference is not that it hardens you into one perspective or expectation for your birth...it allows you to think through the many routes or “left turns” that may come up in your birth.
Having an out of hospital birth?
We’d recommend having two birth preferences...
→ 1 for the Birth Center/Home birth
→ 1 for a potential transfer to the Hospital
Writing out birth preferences for these scenarios is a great prenatal exercise to allow your mind to process these potential outcomes for your birth, so that you can feel confident and supported whether you birth your baby vaginally, via cesarean, at the hospital, birth center or home birth.
Eager to learn more about the birth preparation process? Join our next Asheville Embodied Childbirth Education class series!
