Should I bother with a birth plan?
In this episode I’m sharing all about birth plans, whether you should make one, what a birth plan is, the problem people have with them, the advantages and some ideas of things to put in your induction birth plan.
So get as comfy you can, grab your birth partner if possible and enjoy.
Resources:
Download our birth plan template and sample birth plans here: Birth Plan Template
Find out more about the Positive Induction Course at https://positiveinduction.com/course/
Transcript
Should you bother with a birth plan?
In summary, yes! Whether you’re having an induction or not I love a birth plan and I want to explain why in this episode and also give you some pointers as to how you can make it really useful for you.
Firstly, what is a birth plan? I’m sure you’ve heard the term but birth plans vary massively from person to person and area to area. For example, where I am in the North East of Scotland, our pregnancy notes are now online and many people fill out a short birth plan in the online version of their notes. When I was expecting the first time and my midwife discussed my birth plan with me I think she wrote a maximum of two sentences.
Of course, many people write separate birth plans too, some short and some long.
You may also have heard birth preferences which is the same thing, it’s just that for some people the word planned seems too fixed.
I definitely get that and you can call it whatever you want!
The important thing is not what you call is, it’s that you create a document that considers the various paths your birth may take.
I generally call it a birth plan, but always include a plan A, plan B, plan C etc.
If you’re listening to this is likely that you’re planning an induction.
It’s possible you already created a plan, that only considered your ideal birth scenario.
Which brings us to the problem with birth plans
One of the reasons people will steer you away from a birth plan is to avoid the problem this can cause. When you only create one idea scenario plan and things don’t go to plan you can be left feeling pretty rubbish.
I remember even before I was pregnant a friend telling me if I ever have kids the one thing I need to know is that a birth plan is completely pointless. Just go with the flow she said, you can’t plan something so unpredictable.
And yes, birth is unpredictable but so is life! If you were planning a trip somewhere and someone pointed out there’s a chance your train would get delayed, or a replacement bus service would be put on, you wouldn’t through the plan out the window and just turn up hoping a train was running to the right place at that moment and just go with the flow, no you’d continue with your plan A but also research a plan B or C, you’d find out the likelihood of that delay and whether it actually impacts your journey and so on.
I do understand where my friend was coming from. Sometimes people feel disappointed that you didn’t get what you wanted, or annoyed at the time you spent creating what seems like a useless document, or even that you’ve failed. And this last one is actually a pretty common feeling.
When I work with people to help them process birth trauma they often say they felt they failed, or didn’t do all that they could. In reality it is of course not a failure, and it’s not their fault. There are of course many other factors involved here.
But to bring it back to birth plans, let’s talk about why birth plans are important! Taking time to consider different scenarios and interventions can help you be more prepared for change in plan.
One of the reasons I’m so passionate about creating a birth plan is because there’s a lot more to gain here than just ticking ‘create birth plan’ off of your to do list.
To me it’s the process of creating a birth plan that’s so important.
When you sit down and think about your options, you’ll likely find some topics that you don’t know a lot about, which usually results in some research, whether it’s different pain relief options, or positions for birth, or understanding more about options that you thought weren’t actually options.
Secondly it will help you mentally prepare for the what if’s, by thinking through intervention and other changes in plan, rather than burying your head in the sand, you can think about what would be helpful or beneficial to you in these cases.
For example, if you do opt for an epidural, how you can still be in a comfortable position? Can you use a peanut ball in this case, what do you need to know to be able to do this. If you have a Caesarean, do you want to know what’s going on step by step, or would you rather not know, would you like to listen to your own music.
It can be very empowering to look at your options in this way and how you can take the things that are important to you through each scenario.
It’s also really helpful to talk through your birth plan with your birth partner, they may have been helping you create the plan or you may have done it yourself or with a doula etc. but talking through what’s important to you with your partner will also help them be more prepared, and better able to support you.
Birth plans are empowering and a way you can take back control of your experience.
So what kind of things can you include?
Here are some things you may wish to add or find out for your birth plan if you’re preparing for induction, this is a list of idea that you can include or not, the idea is to get you thinking about some of the things you can put in here. I’ll also put this list in the shownotes long with our birth plan template and examples too.
If I mention something you haven’t heard of that’s another reason a birth plan is important – it give you the chance to research, it before you’re in labour.
- Who do you want to be with you in labour
- Are you aware of your options in terms of staying in or going home, is there still the opportunity to be in a midwife led environment, even a midwife unit if your labour kicks off after the initial steps
- Can you still use the pool if you were previously planning to
- Things that are important to you, any history you feel you wish to share
- How can you make your environment more oxytocin boosting or homely in the early stages
- And also later in labour, especially if you are in more a more clinical environment
- Whether you want to be offered pain relief or you don’t want it mentioned unless you ask for it
- If you’re using hypnobirthing and anything related to that that you wish to mention
- Your feelings on vaginal examinations (remember that these should always be done with consent), you may wish to know, or you may wish to have limited examination and not know how dilated you are, it’s a personal choice
- Whether you want support in the pushing phase, with encouragement or would rather this be a quiet time where you can focus on your body and baby. It may also depend on whether you have an epidural as well.
- Your feelings on assisted birth, the use of ventouse or forceps
- Then the time after baby is born, optimal cord clamping, discovering baby’s sex, Vitamin K for baby
- Birthing the placenta and what you wish to do with your placenta
- You may also wish to add in your plans for feeding baby
- Your thoughts on Caesarean birth and what would be important to you in this scenario, whether you want to know what’s happening step by step, if you want music played, if you opt for a planned Caesarean, you may have even more choices available to you depending on your hospital, so it’s worth asking your midwife what can be done locally.
That’s just some ideas, there’s no right and wrong for what you put in your plan.
Thanks for being here with me today, here are a couple of points that I want you to take away with you today.
Firstly, a birth plan is a good idea! But do remember to consider the different options and interventions so you’re as prepared as you can be.
Secondly use it as motivation to research the different areas, it’s much better to learn about your options before you’re actually in labour. Ask all the questions.
Finally talk through your birth plan with your partner or partners so they know what’s important to you, it will enable them to support you as best they can.
Thanks for listening. Head over to the show notes for this episode at positiveinduction.com forward slash episode fourteen, where you’ll find links to additional resources and of course the positive induction course. A hypnobirthing course specially created for induction.
Thanks again for being here with me today and do get in touch, if you have any questions, you can email me jade@positiveinduction.com.
I hope you have a lovely week.