As an expecting mother, the day your baby arrives is one of the most important days in your life. It is essential to be prepared to make sure that everything goes well. And that is why you need to have a birth plan guide in place. It will outline and convey your preferences and expectations to your health provider.

What is a birth plan?

A birth plan outlines what you would like your health provider to know about your specific preferences regarding labor, delivery, and postpartum care. You can hand it to them a few days before the birth to make sure they understand and agree with your requirements and can make preparations for the big day. Write your name and the name of your partner at the top and list your requirement underneath. You can make the plan as detailed as you want.

While writing your birth plan guide, it is essential to ensure that your requirements are something that the birthing facility or hospital can accommodate. For instance, if you wish to give birth in a hydrotherapy tub, find out beforehand if the facility or hospital has it or is willing to make arrangements to get it. If not, you may need to find another facility or hospital that can provide it.

Six questions to ask in making your birth plan

Here are six questions that you might want to ask when writing your birth plan guide:

1. Who do you want to be present with you in the birthing room?

You can decide who you want to be with you in the birthing room during labor, delivery, and after delivery. You must read the visitation policies of the birthing facility or hospital. Some places may have specific rules about allowing male visitors.

2. What kind of ambiance would you like to have in the birthing room?

Find out if the birthing facility or hospital allows you to choose the type of ambiance you want in the birthing room during labor. If it does, you can decide if you would like music playing in the background and what type of music. You can choose to have bright or dimmed lights. You can also ask the provider to maintain the room at a specific temperature.

3. How would you like to labor?

Many facilities allow the mother to decide how they want to give birth. It may help to do some research before you make your decision. Aside from the conventional way of giving birth, you can give birth by sitting in a hydrotherapy tub or on a birthing ball. You can stand in a warm shower. You can stand and walk about while in labor. For this, ask the health provider if you need to use a portable monitor to monitor the baby frequently.

4. Would you prefer to get pain management?

You can decide beforehand if you want the health provider to administer epidural or narcotics for pain relief during labor. There are also other options for pain relief, such as cold or hot therapy, massage, breathing exercises, and meditation. It is also essential to discuss what you want the health provider to do if the pain is more than you can bear and your chosen pain management options are not working.

5. What will you prefer in the case of assisted birth?

Sometimes things do not go according to plan and you may need to avail of assisted birth or undergo a cesarean process. Find out in specific detail what is involved in these procedures and discuss your options with your health provider.

6. What are your delivery preferences?

In your birth plan guide, you can outline specific preferences during delivery. For instance, whether you want your partner to record the birth on video, use a mirror to watch the birth, have your partner cut the baby’s umbilical cord, and hold the baby right after it is born. You can also decide if you want the health provider to clean and examine the baby in your presence or if you prefer to wash the baby yourself. You can also state if you might need guidance with breastfeeding the baby and want your partner to remain with you and your new baby overnight.