Birth plan: How to Write a Birth Plan That Actually Gets Used

A birth plan is a written document that communicates your preferences for labor and delivery to your healthcare team. While labor rarely goes exactly according to plan, having a birth plan helps you research your options, discuss them with your provider, and feel more prepared and empowered. The goal isn’t a “perfect” birth — it’s a birth where you feel informed, respected, and supported.

Why Write a Birth Plan?

Writing a birth plan forces you to learn about the process of labor and delivery, the available interventions, and your options at each stage. It opens important conversations with your healthcare provider about their practices, protocols, and philosophies. And it gives your labor and delivery team a clear picture of your priorities so they can support you effectively, even if you’re unable to communicate during active labor.

What to Include in Your Birth Plan

Labor Preferences

• Who will be in the room with you (partner, doula, family members)
• Your preference for mobility during labor (walking, position changes, hydrotherapy)
• Pain management preferences (natural coping techniques, nitrous oxide, epidural)
• Your thoughts on induction or augmentation of labor
• Monitoring preferences (intermittent vs. continuous fetal monitoring)

Delivery Preferences

• Preferred pushing positions (upright, side-lying, squatting, lithotomy)
• Your thoughts on episiotomy vs. natural tearing
• Preferences for cord clamping (delayed clamping is standard)
• Who you’d like to cut the cord

Immediately After Birth

• Skin-to-skin contact preferences
• Delayed bathing preferences
• Breastfeeding initiation preferences
• Vitamin K and erythromycin eye ointment administration
• Who will be present for newborn exams

Tips for an Effective Birth Plan

• Keep it to one page — busy nurses and doctors need a quick reference, not a novel
• Use positive language — “I prefer” rather than “I don’t want”
• Include backup preferences — “If an epidural is needed, I prefer a walking epidural if possible”
• Be flexible — labor is unpredictable, and what’s most important is a healthy baby and a healthy mother
• Review your plan with your provider — some hospitals have policies that may conflict with your preferences, and it’s better to know in advance

Related: Stages of Labor Explained

Disclaimer: A birth plan is a communication tool, not a binding contract. Emergency situations may require deviations from your plan to ensure safety.