Some include a short paragraph about their goals for their birth and what they have done to prepare for that type of birth. The meat of the plan should include the options that you feel are the most important for your goals. Here are a few options to get you started.

During labor:

• What comfort measures would you like to utilize during labor?
• What would you like your environment to be like?
• What are your pain relief preferences?
• Do you want to be offered pain medication or will you ask for it?
• Would you like intermittent or continuous monitoring of the baby during labor?
• How often would you like vaginal exams?
• Do you want visitors during labor?

During pushing: 

• What position would you like to push in?
• Would you like to be coached during pushing?
• Would you like an episiotomy?
• Would you like perineal massage during pushing?
• Who will catch your baby?
• Who will announce your baby’s sex?

During the immediate postpartum period: 

• Do you want immediate skin-to-skin with your baby?
• Do you want delayed cord clamping?
• Who will cut the cord?
• Do you want to take your placenta home?
• Do you want your baby to receive: eyes drops, vitamin K, Hepatitis B vaccine, circumcision, bath, bottles, formula, pacifier, etc?
• Do you want to breastfeed?

Preferences for birth interventions:

• What would you like to have as part of your birth in the case of an induction of labor or Cesarean birth?

Additional Tips:

• Try to keep this document to one page if possible.
• Try to use positive language. Instead of saying, “Don’t perform vaginal exams,” say, “We prefer to avoid vaginal exams as much as possible.”
• Include unique information to your situation. For example, my husband did not want to be asked to cut the umbilical cord after our baby’s birth. It is a common tradition to ask the partner to cut the cord, and he did not want to be asked. I included that on the birth plan. I did not include, “Please keep vaginal exams to a minimum” because those midwives already do that as part of their policy. If you feel confident that something is already routine with your care provider, it does not need to be included on the birth plan.
• Try to make this document easy on the eyes. I find bullet points and bold headings helpful when I am needing to review someone’s birth plan, especially in a dimly lit room, and especially if I am only able to take a 30 second peek between double hip squeezes.
• Finally, this is a personal preference, but if you are using a visual birth plan, try to make the words bigger. Even though the pictures are super cute, I still have to read the descriptions underneath to know exactly what each picture represents. The words underneath are super tiny, so I’ve had to ask clients to make the words bigger for me so that I could read them.
• Have fun with this! This is unique to you, and there is no wrong way to do this.

If you used a birth plan during labor, what tips do you have?