How to Make a Birth Plan

A birth plan is a general guide that outlines your wishes for your birthing experience. When you're in the midst of pain and a little hazy from drugs, you are going to want your wishes outlined for you. A woman's birthing experience is one that sticks with her for the rest of her life, so you want it to be as wonderful and as idealistic as you can possibly imagine.

Although some of your wishes may not be able to be granted, your physician and the hospital will make every attempt to give you your wishes on your birthing plan. There are so many alternatives in medicine, this will help your doctor and the hospital keep everything straight on all of the decisions you have for your birth. Just remember, that you are not bound to your birthing plan. You and/or your doctor can change it any anytime.

A birth plan generally covers three major areas of the birthing experience: Your wishes during a vaginal labor and delivery, your wishes for the baby after he/she is born and during the few days the baby will be in the hospital, and if unexpected things arise, what do you want to happen?

It is important to remain flexible when creating your birth plan, because sometimes things happen and your wishes cannot be carried out due to medial risk factors. Do not let it make you feel like your birth experience is a failure. Your birth is like a story and each event is like a chapter, so you just need to remember that they will do whatever is in the best interests of you and your baby.

Here are a few things you might want to include in your birth plan:

Who do you want in the room? For myself, I wanted my room filled with my husband, mother, and two sisters. My hospital's policy was to only allow three people in the room, but I just told my nurse flat out that I wanted everyone there and they were more than happy to oblige. Every hospital is different, so make sure you ask.

Would you like to labor in water? This was a wish I wanted, but because I was having a vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) and was progressing quickly, I didn't get to experience it. Some people say that it eases the pain that you are having because it take gravity out of it.

Do you want to use fetal monitoring? Sometimes those little monitors are more a hassle than anything, but they are there for a reason. If your labor is high risk, more than likely, you will have no choice in the matter.

Do you want them to break your water? Although this can speed up the labor process, it makes it much more painful. Make sure you find out the pros and cons of this step and make that decision before your labor starts.

Do you want a medicated or natural birth and labor? Many women view medication as a cop-out, and some people think people that do it all natural are nuts! You cannot listen to other people. You decide your own wishes and don't let anyone tell you that you're crazy! Be proud of your decision!

You only want a cesarean if medically necessary? Some practitioners will do it just to make it easier for their schedule and try and scare you with "the risks". They have to cover themselves from liability, so make sure that the decision for a cesarean is necessary. However, not all physicians are this way. Just make sure that you think this decision through before you go under the knife.

Do you want an episiotomy? If you don't know what that is, it is a procedure where the doctor cuts the perineum (the skin between the vagina and the anus) to ease the delivery. Some people believe it is better to tear than to have an episiotomy. You should discuss that with your doctor to see if that is a risk you want to take or not. I personally had internal tearing, so I didn't have an episiotomy.

Do you want them to use forceps or vacuum suction? Sometimes a little assistance is necessary, but make sure that you are educated on both procedures so you can have a say in that matter.

Then you have your post birth questions, like do you want your spouse to cut the umbilical cord, do you want to hold the baby immediately after he/she is born, do you want to feed the baby immediately, and if you have a boy, do you want him to be circumcised?

There are many more factors to consider, and these are just a few! Make sure when you type it all up that you use positive words and make sure it doesn't come across forceful. Use phrases like, "I would like to" and "if medically necessary". Then when you are done, print off at least five copies. You'll want to give one to your doctor/midwife, one to the hospital staff, one for your doula (labor assistant, if you have one), and a few extra just in case.

Remember, you want your birthing experience to be a good one, and having a birth plan will help you along the way to getting the best one you possibly could have!