How to Create a Birth Plan for Labor and Delivery
Plan your preferences for labor, delivery and newborn care
Plan your preferences for labor, delivery and newborn care
Key Takeaways
- A birth plan helps you communicate your labor and delivery preferences.
- Review your plan with your care team before labor begins.
- Keep your birth plan flexible in case your or your baby’s needs change.
Expecting a baby is an exciting time, and preparing for labor and delivery can bring many decisions along the way. A birth plan can help you think through your options, feel more prepared and share your preferences with your care team.
Your plan may include preferences for pain relief, movement during labor, who is in the delivery room, delayed cord clamping and feeding your baby.
Because labor does not always go as expected, think of your birth plan as a flexible guide rather than a fixed set of instructions. Your care team may need to adjust the plan if you or your baby needs different care.
Dina Fainman, MD, an OB-GYN at Scripps Clinic Encinitas, recommends learning about your options before labor begins so you can feel more prepared and confident about what to expect.
Choosing where to deliver
Choosing where to have your baby is an important part of preparing for labor and delivery. Consider your health needs, birth preferences and the maternity and newborn services available, especially if you have a high-risk pregnancy or your baby may need specialized care after birth.
Scripps provides neonatal intensive care in partnership with Rady Children’s Hospital San Diego for premature and medically fragile newborns who need a higher level of care.
If you receive prenatal care from a Scripps OB-GYN, you will generally deliver at the hospital where your physician has privileges. During pregnancy, confirm where to go when labor begins, where to check and what to expect.
A hospital tour can also help you become familiar with the labor and delivery setting. Scripps offers tours at each maternity care location.
“Scripps is committed to providing our patients the best possible childbirth experience with respect to their wishes and preferences, while also maintaining a strong commitment to quality and safety,” says Dr. Fainman.
What should you include in a birth plan?
A birth plan checklist can help you think through your preferences for labor, delivery and the first hours with your baby. You do not need to include every option. Focus on the choices that will help you feel prepared for your birth experience.
Your birth plan may include:
Labor and environment
- Who you want with you during labor and delivery
- Whether you prefer soft lighting, a quiet room or music
- Whether you want to walk, change positions or use a birthing ball or pillows
- Your preferences for fetal monitoring, when medically appropriate
- What you would like your support person or care team to say or do
Pain relief and comfort
- Your preferences for pain relief, including an epidural
- Nonmedication comfort measures, such as massage, acupressure, breathing techniques or warm and cool packs
Birth preferences
- Whether you want the birth photographed or recorded
- Whether you prefer to avoid an episiotomy, a surgical incision made to widen the vaginal opening, unless medically necessary
- Who you would like to cut the umbilical cord
- Whether you want delayed cord clamping, which means waiting briefly before clamping the cord after birth
After your baby is born
- Whether you would like skin-to-skin contact, when possible
- Whether you plan to breastfeed, formula-feed or use both
- Whether you want to bank your baby's cord blood
- Questions or preferences about routine newborn care, including vitamin K and eye ointment
When should you discuss your birth plan?
Talk with your OB-GYN or midwife about your birth plan during pregnancy, before labor begins. Your provider can answer questions, explain what to expect and help you understand which preferences can be accommodated safely at the hospital you plan to deliver.
Why birth plans need to be flexible
Labor and delivery can be unpredictable, so think of your birth plan as a guide rather than a fixed set of rules. If something changes, your care team may need to adjust the plan to protect you or your baby while keeping you involved in decisions about your care.
“Talk to your doctor about the options you would like and whether he or she has suggestions or recommendations. Discuss what will happen if your birth plan needs to be adjusted during delivery,” Dr. Fainman advises.
How can a support person or doula help?
A support person may be a partner, family member, friend or doula who provides comfort, reassurance and practical help during labor. They can also communicate your birth preferences to your care team.
Before labor begins, review your birth plan together and discuss how you would like them to support you if plans change.
Download a birth plan template
The Scripps Birth Plan can help you organize your preferences for labor, delivery and newborn care.
Download and complete the Scripps Birth Plan, review it with your care team before your due date and bring a copy to the hospital.