You’re talking to your best friend who made a birth plan for her first child and she says “ Don’t make a birth plan, they never work out!” “ Birth never goes as planned” So you think to yourself, Oh ok I won’t make one.
True, most birth plans don’t “work”. However an effective birth plan is just a guide line of how you hope your birth goes. Writing a birth plan does not mean your birth will be on point to a T with said plan. Remember a birth plan is like a road map. A road map can have detours. Detours, you will be ready for because of your birth plan. An effective plan provides answers to your wishes if they arise. It helps your partner, nurses, and Dr, remember your wishes so they do not need to interrupt you mid contraction. Along with that having a written plan doesn’t mean the staff wont check with you for a procedure. Your birth plan also does not guarantee a certain birth experience.
So how do you make an effective birth plan? As you read, watch and learn about labor, delivery, and postpartum, write down what you want for your own birth. Research your options for each procedure and policy at your hospital. Also make sure you write down what you don’t want or hope to avoid. A birth plan can look like the one below, (feel free to print and use), you can write your own wishes, or you can schedule a birth plan writing session with me and receive a visual birth plan.
I like to play the “what if” game with my clients, it helps them with writing a plan. If they don’t want to write a plan we still play the game so they understand their options. So many things happen when you give birth. I love helping my clients learn their options for their birth experience. The majority of moms talking to a pregnant mom, mainly talk about the pain from labor and suggest receiving an epidural. Which is fantastic for pain relief but did you know this is not the only option for pain relief? Labor, Delivery and your newborn come with many different options, knowing them and making your choice helps you have a more satisfying birth experience.
For more information on pain relief and birth plans contact The Nurturing Doula.
Click the link for more information on visual birth plans.
Katy Schmidt
thenurturingdoula@hotmail.com
805-791-8325
facebook.com/KSThe.Nurturing.Doula
The Nurturing Doula, LLC 