Birth plan: what it is, what it is for, how to do it and limitations

The birth plan is a document created by the pregnant woman and recommended by the World Health Organization, which includes the woman’s preferences regarding her birth process, routine medical procedures and care for the newborn.

The birth plan aims to personalize the moment of birth, which should be very special for the parents, and keep them as informed as possible about the procedures that will be carried out.

See the video below for more details about the birth plan:

What is it for

The birth plan serves to meet the mother’s preferences regarding the entire birth process, including the execution of some medical procedures, as long as they are based on scientifically proven and up-to-date information.

In the birth plan, the pregnant woman can mention:

• Location where you want the birth to take place;
• Conditions of the environment in which the birth will take place, such as lighting, music, taking photos or videos, among others;
• Escorts you want to be present;
• Whether or not to accept the presence of students and interns in the delivery room;
• Medical interventions you want or don’t want to do, such as administration of oxytocin, analgesia, episiotomy, enema, removal of pubic hair or active management of the placenta;
• Type of food or drinks you will consume;
• If you want to perform an artificial rupture of the amniotic sac;
• Baby expulsion position;
• When do you want to start breastfeeding;
• When clamping and cutting the umbilical cord;
• Interventions carried out on the newborn, such as aspiration of the airways and stomach, use of silver nitrate eye drops, pacifiers, bottles or artificial milk.

In addition, some women also opt for the presence of a doula, who is a professional who monitors the pregnancy and provides emotional and practical support to the pregnant woman before and during birth, which should also be mentioned in the birth plan.

How to make a birth plan

The birth plan must be created and discussed together with the professionals who will provide birth assistance, in order to ensure that on the day of birth everything goes as planned.

To prepare the birth plan, you can use a birth plan template provided by a healthcare professional (and which can be found on the internet) or the pregnant woman can choose to write her own personalized plan.

The birth plan must be printed in two copies: one that must be delivered to the maternity or hospital team at the time of birth and the other that must be kept with the pregnant woman’s companion, so that they can consult whenever any doubts arise about woman’s choices.

Some maternity wards and hospitals already offer an exclusive consultation to prepare the birth plan, and in this case, the document is filed in the woman’s file before admission for the birth.

Limitations of the birth plan

Although the pregnant woman has a birth plan, it is up to the team assisting her to decide what is the safest way to conduct the birth, especially if there are risks to the health of the mother or baby. In these cases, where the birth plan is not followed, the doctor must justify the reason to the parents.