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Making a birthing plan

Planning your baby's birth will help to ensure you have active involvement in the way he is born and what happens to you as a family after the birth.

• Talk everything through with your partner and anyone else who is going to be present at the birth to make sure that you are all happy with the arrangements.
  
• Think about the issues that are important to you and then find out as much as you can to see if what you want is feasible. There's no point making a plan that can't be used once you're in labour.

What is a birth plan?
Quite simply, it's your way of saying how you want your labour and birth to be. It can address issues such as:

• what kind of pain relief would you like?
  
• who will be present with you at the birth?
  
• what position would you like to give birth in?

There are so many choices now surrounding childbirth and the mother has far more say than she used to years ago, so it's important that midwives and doctors are clear about your wishes and needs.

If there's an emergency, for example if you need a caesarean, health professionals will try to comply as much as possible with your plan but the safety of you and your baby is paramount.

How does it work?
Think about what you would like and discuss this with your GP or midwife early on in your pregnancy. If you want a home birth or would like to give birth in a pool, for example, this will have to be arranged in advance. Your doctor will advise you on which hospitals in the area are most likely to accommodate your needs.

You should also talk things through with your midwife, antenatal teacher and other local mothers to get a feel for what kind of experiences they have had.

How will the plan help?
The birth plan will help you and your partner feel more in control and should alleviate many anxieties about the birth. If this is your first baby you will have a better idea over what to expect.

The plan will also help your midwife and doctor so they know what you want.

What if there's an emergency?
It's a good idea to have an alternative birth plan on stand-by in case there are complications or an emergency. On rare occasions labour may be prolonged or difficult or the baby may need special attention. By considering all the possibilities you enable your birth partners to take care of any situation according to your wishes.

Choices to consider in your birth plan
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Listed below are some of the areas where you, as a patient, have a choice.  By making a decision concerning each of these points, you’ll feel more confident going into your labour.

• hospital/home birth
• medical induction of labour/spontaneous start
• amniotomy (breaking your waters) if necessary/spontaneous rupture
• foetus monitored electronically for a short-time only/continuous foetal monitoring
• nothing by mouth only if high-risk of Caesarean /eat or drink as desired
• types of pain relief : pethidine, epidural, gas and air, breathing exercises, TENs, diversion (such as massage)
• commanded pushing/spontaneous pushing
• deliberate breath-holding/no deliberate breath-holding
• elective episiotomy/episiotomy only if absolutely necessary
• mother not touching vaginal area/touching baby's head as it crowns
• use of drugs to speed delivery of placenta/natural expulsion of placenta

If you are at all unsure about any of these points, discuss your options with your midwife or your antenatal class teacher before preparing your birth plan.

1st trimester
2nd trimester
3rd trimester
Exercise during pregnancy
Diet during pregnancy
Mum's body what to wear
Pain relief

Use our online birthing plan creator to make a plan to dicuss with your midwife, just click the button below.