As your labor and delivery day approaches your OB-GYN might ask you if you plan on writing a birth plan. A birth plan is a written guide for the medical staff and hospital about what you would like (ideally) to happen at your delivery including whether you would like drugs or not, what people you want to be there, if you would like any music playing and so on.

Of course many birth plans get thrown to the wayside once the contractions kick in, but having one is still a good idea so that you don’t have to think about things on the spot when your mind will definitely be on other matters. And do your really trust your husband to come up with the right decisions while you pant and concentrate on your breathing?

Planning for the birth well in advance will help you keep calm and know what to expect, and more importantly, the people around you will also understand what your ultimate goal is for the birth.

As long as you are open to changes that might happen along the way having a birth plan is a great idea, especially for first time mothers who are experiencing their first pregnancy and are nervous about the upcoming delivery.

How to Write Your Birth Plan

• Make a list of all the people that you want present for the birth. This may be your partner, any family members, or a Doula if you plan on using one.
• Write down any allergies, religious preferences or dietary special needs that you have so that the hospital staff is prepared prior to your arrival.
• If you have had a previous birth, you should make mention of this and the type of delivery you had, whether it was natural or you used pain relief, how long the labor was and whether you were happy with how things went.
• Your preferences for how you would like the birthing room to be such as lights dim, music on / off, or types of aromatherapy oils you would like if that is an option (some hospitals provide electric oil warmers rather than candle aromatherapy candles since naked flames are not permitted around the monitoring equipment.
• Any positions that you think you might prefer such as lying on a bed, sitting in a bath, walking around the room, using a birthing ball. This includes while you are in labor, and for the actual pushing and birth. You probably will want to try a few different positions anyway, but having options such as the birthing ball in the room with you will allow you to see what works best without screaming for it at the last minute.
• The types of pain relief that you will accept including non-pharmacological treatments such as massage, warm heat packs, acupressure or breathing techniques, or if you want drug relief – and if so which type – or if you are open to an epidural.
• Any food and drink that you want during labor (which often you’ll need to bring yourself). Sometimes you will not be able to eat anything too heavy while you are in labor so only bring light snacks to keep your energy up or see what the birthing centre provides. Many offer flavoured icechips or iceblocks for hydration and to keep your energy levels up.
• If the labor is not progressing fast enough whether you will allow induction methods such as the use of pitocin to speed things up.
• Your preferences about episiotomy whether you want to be cut or allowed to tear if the baby is having trouble making his/her way out of the vaginal canal.
• Who you want to cut the cord after delivery (your partner, you, a nurse?).
• Whether you are choosing to breastfeed and would like guidance or not, or use a bottle and formula immediately instead, and if so the type of formula you want to use.
• How long you want to stay at the hospital/birthing centre to recover. Some women stay three or four days, and others leave after the first day.

Once you have written your plan it’s important to talk it over with your obstetrician to discuss it in detail. She will be able to guide you on how you can make it happen or provide options if she feels a particular request can’t be met exactly as you want them.

Remember a birthing plan is just a guide of what you want to happen, and no one can really predict how you will feel or want when the actual time comes. I remember for my first child, that I wanted a natural birth with aromatherapy massages and to sit in a warm bath to ease the contractions, however I only made it to about four centimetres before I was begging for an epidural. For my second child I booked the epidural as soon as I got to the hospital and it still took ages to arrive.

Of course I’m a complete wimp when it comes to pain and think women who can handle a natural birth are just amazing. My point is just that it’s often that what you want before labor starts, and what you want when the contractions are in full swing might be two different things – so it’s important to be open to different choices.

By allowing yourself to be flexible, you will avoid the disappointment if things do not go as planned. Many women feel upset if they need an emergency caesarean inside of the vaginal birth that they dreamed about but you really shouldn’t be concerned.

The medical professionals will try to accommodate your requests as much as possible but at the end of the day, it’s both your health and the health and safety of the baby that is of the utmost importance.

And when you are holding your newborn in your arms and looking into his dear little face, your heart will melt and you’ll forget about the whole delivery anyway. Just as Mother Nature intended.