A birth plan, while sounding like a set of instructions for the doctor, midwife or nurse who will deliver your baby, is actually more a list of preferences to share with your delivery team. And so that you have a written list so that you won’t have to remember everything in the midst of labor! The goal of a birth plan is to help you realize what’s most important to you during the birth of your baby.
A birth plan will help you understand your labor and birthing options well before birth. It offers the luxury of a guideline or road map for you, your partner and your health care providers –- especially if your delivery is a surprise and the doctor on duty is not your regular obstetrician.
Some questions to consider while creating your birth plan: What are your wishes during a normal labor and delivery? How are you hoping for your baby to be treated immediately after and for the first few days after birth (do you want to hold the baby before he or she is cleaned, measured and so forth; will you breastfeed, bottle feed)? What do you want to happen in the case of unexpected events?
