A birth plan is a great way for you to visualize what you want your baby’s birth to look like and to verbalize that with your provider. As Robin Elise Weiss, Ph.D., a pregnancy expert and president of Lamaze International, explains, “A birth plan is really just a communication tool — it’s a way for you to think about your birth the way you want it to happen.”
A birth plan template available online can be a great tool to help you get started with that process.
What a birth plan should include
When looking at birth plan templates, here are some things to consider:
Comfort measures
What do you think would help you to feel comfortable during labor? Some things to think about, according to Dr. Linda Burke-Galloway, M.D., a board-certified OB-GYN, author and pregnancy expert, are: “Can the patient can be mobile and walk around in labor? Can she eat or drink during labor? Can she choose what position she’s in during labor? Can she listen to music? Can she have a massage?” Think about ways to put yourself at ease during birth.
Pain relief
Whether you intend to have a natural birth or you want an epidural as soon as possible, your birth plan is a way to communicate these preferences.
Support systems
Who do you want to be present with you during the birth? Do you want your partner, a doula or certain family members?
Postpartum baby care
What do you want to do when the baby is born? Do you want to do skin-to-skin right away? Do you prefer that your baby is cleaned and checked before holding her?
Tips for using a birth plan template to create your own
Talk to your provider
Use the birth plan templates as a conversation starter with your provider and have that conversation early. “It is critical that these begin to encourage women to have real conversations with their provider well before labor,” explains Nicole Deggins, CNM, MSN, MPH, CEO and founder of Sista Midwife Productions, LLC, which provides coaching, education and advocacy to pregnant women. The templates are a great way to bring up things you might not know about or understand, which you can then discuss with your provider. Deggins encourages women to learn about what is routinely done where you will be giving birth.
Keep it short and sweet
Both Weiss and Deggins emphasize keeping your plan to one page. “If you could have a three-item birth plan, what would you write to get the most bang for your buck?” explains Dr. Weiss.
Skip things that aren’t routinely done
Many birth plan templates include items like enemas and shaving, but those are rarely done anymore. Having that conversation with your provider will help you know what things you can skip when looking at a birth plan template.
Sample birth plan templates for you to use
1. Create it in multiple languages
Simple, straightforward and bilingual, this PDF by the March of Dimes is available in both English and Spanish.
2. Focus on the positive
The American Pregnancy Association provides a positive framework, with questions to get you thinking about all aspects of the birth.
3. Think about stages
Baby Fit breaks down the birth plan into three stages: Labor, Birth and Postpartum Baby Care.
4. Deal with pain
This birth plan by Healthy Baby Network breaks down different options for dealing with pain, from epidurals to meditation.
5. Keep it simple
Birthing Naturally offers templates for three different formatting options as well as six real-life sample plans. Their simplest template is a matrix.
6. The paragraph plan
If you want to skip the pre-made template and write out your plan, Birthing Naturally provides a guide of what you should cover in each paragraph.
7. Outline
If you are more of a notes jotter than a paragraph writer, Birthing Naturally offers a handy outline form.
8. Have options explained
This interactive template by Childbirth explains many options for both labor and postpartum baby care.
9. Keep it brief
This one-page printable sheet by Lamaze International is short and to the point.
10. Save it online
Just the Facts Baby offers a fun birth plan generator that you can save online.
11. Plan for a vaginal or Cesarean birth
The Earth Mama Blog offers a lengthy birth plan with options for both vaginal and Cesarean births.
12. Focus on Cesareans
If you know you’ll definitely be having a Cesarean, this birth plan by Verywell is for you.
13. Explain more
United Healthcare offers a birth plan template with handy pop-up boxes that explain some of the options.
14. Pick content
Choose what sections to include with this checklist by Pregnancy and Baby.
15. Include the small details
This birth plan cited by The Bump includes items that could get missed with the fast pace of labor, such as a preference to wear contacts throughout the birth.
16. Take control
This plan from BabyCenter helps women take charge of their birth experience by expressing their preferences, such as “I’d like to delay newborn procedures (such as bathing and measuring) for the first hour to give me a chance to feed and bond with my baby.”