Home Birth Plan Template

Table of Content

• Properly Balancing Doula Work with Your Family Life
• Sample Birth Plan Template
• Creating a Birth Plan for a Vaginal Birth
• C-section birth plan template
• Free, Printable Birth Plan Templates For Every Kind Of Delivery
• Common Questions When Planning Your Home Birth
• You Should Also Review The Plan With Your Midwife And Obstetrician So He Or She Is.

Having a birth plan which takes this possibility into account, may help you to retain more control over the way you and your baby are treated. Actually, a birth plan might be more important in circumstances like these, where things don't go to plan - if all goes smoothly and you are at home, you will often be able to make your wishes known very easily. It's when things get complicated that you might forget to mention things which are important to you, or perhaps you might be unable to let your midwife know what you want at the time. VBAC stands for “vaginal birth after cesarean” delivery and refers to giving birth through the vaginal canal after a woman has already had a c-section. You’ll follow the same process used for any natural vaginal delivery when you go into labor.

Soak up information to make the best choices for the birth of your baby. There are numerous great natural birthing classes you can learn techniques from. If your natural birth story takes an unexpected turn and something from your plan can’t be followed, keep in mind that it’s good to remain flexible. Your natural birth plan contains all your birth wishes, emphasizing that you would like it to be as natural as possible. A birth plan is especially useful in a large practice group of doctors where it’s possible that you won’t have met your delivering physician during your appointments. In smaller practices, however, patients often have the chance share their birth wishes with all of the providers.

Properly Balancing Doula Work with Your Family Life

For more discussion of these options, see 'The Third Stage of Labour - Choosing between active and physiological management'. I would like the lights dimmed when my baby is born, and for the minimum amount of noise to be made. I would like to have relaxing music/whalesong/Holst's The Planets Suite/Anthrax/Metallica playing when my baby is born. My doula/active birth teacher/acupuncturist/hypnotist/ may attend if called for. If the baby appears to be poorly positioned or labour is not progressing well for some reason, I would appreciate it if you could suggest changes of position or movements which might help.

Remember to include their names, so they have the necessary authorization. You can also decide when after delivery you would like to see them, such as immediately after delivery or after the baby has had its first feeding. If you want your baby to be circumcised, you can detail your preferences as to how you would like the circumcision to be done in this section.

Sample Birth Plan Template

There will be several options that seem similar, so read carefully and find your best answer. You want to customize and personalize your birth plan so that it realistically fits you and not you trying to fit your plan. A homebirth birth plan is an essential component of an active and informed birth — one where the parents and the birth team work together to give the baby the best possible start in life. And at the end of the day, that’s what we’re all here for, anyway.

Let your heart and mind be filled with these positive statements so that when you're in the thick of labor, you can recall them as an encouragement to keep going. If you're laboring at home, this is especially effective because as you move around the rooms, you'll see the affirmations you now know by heart. You won't even have to read them for your mind to recall what they say and provide emotional encouragement throughout the birth process. My goal is to help you and your family walk into your birthing experience, feeling empowered and confident. I love to look at a birth plan as a tool to use during the labor journey.

Creating a Birth Plan for a Vaginal Birth

It’s a good idea to know your midwife’s plan for transfers and what a hospital transport might be like. It’s important to include a hospital transport plan as an attachment to your homebirth birth plan. A birth plan is a document that contains your preferences, goals, and hopes for your baby’s birth. Keep in mind that you will have to go over your birth plan with your doctor before you go into labor.

You may want one or both to happen, or want it made clear you do not want any type of photos or videos taken. If that's the case you might even want to add that you do not want smartphones brought into the room. If you do allow photos or videos, you should make it clear who is allowed to do this and also if you will be having a professional birth photographer present and their contact information. Include your physician's name, address, phone number and emergency contact information, as well as the hospital where they have admitting privileges. Amy Cassell was a senior editor at BabyCenter, the world's number one digital parenting resource, where she wrote and edited wellness and lifestyle content about pregnancy and parenting.

Requests Immediately After Birth

A birth plan is a written outline of what you would like to happen during labor and delivery. This plan lets your obstetrician–gynecologist (ob-gyn) know your wishes for your labor and delivery. The feelings and emotions that your birth team, family members, and other people bring into the birth space can affect your feelings, affecting how labor progresses.

It also gives you a chance to communicate more detail if you deem it necessary. The completed birth plan helps the birthing parent cover their bases so the birth team has a clear idea of their preferences in a variety of possible situations. You can copy and paste the text below, or use the google doc template to get started. The first steps to creating a birth plan template are deciding what you want and how you envision your upcoming birth experience. Home birth plans are customarily followed more closely to meet the birth mother’s preferences while giving birth in a home setting. This holds true regardless of whether baby was born via vaginal delivery or c-section.

Having a birth plan, no matter if you are at home or in the hospital, reminds your team of your desires, when you may not be able to tell them. Although home birth after cesarean is becoming more popular, there are still many states and even countries where it is not allowed or supported. If you are in an area where this is the case, and you feel home birth is the best option for you, try reaching out to your local home birth midwives and see if they know of any other options for you. Your husband’s support during labor will also be very important if you’re giving birth in your home. In this article, we’ll walk through what’s involved in planning a home birth, and provide plenty of information on choices you can make ahead of time.

It is the best way to familiarize yourself with the options and choices that may come up during the birth process. If you're planning a home birth, I recommend making TWO birth plans—a home birth plan and a hospital birth plan. One major reason birth planning can feel so overwhelming is all the medical decision-making, especially when you don’t know what’s standard practice and what you have to specifically ask for.

If you are uncomfortable with writing a list of things you do not want to happen, one alternative is to rephrase things so that you are focussing on the positive aspects which you would like. For example, instead of "Please do not tell me when to push in the second stage" you could write "In second stage, I would like to push in my own way, rather than being directed". You may feel that this approach is less confrontational, and it is probably less likely to put your midwife's back up. You can specify how many visitors you would like to see you and the baby.

However, I would rather tear naturally than have an episiotomy . I would like to give birth in an upright, kneeling, supported squatting or all-fours position to give the baby maximum space to descend through my pelvis. I do not want to be on my back or semi-reclining unless that position seems right for me on the day, having tried alternatives. If I am too tired to maintain an upright position then please encourage me to lie on my side instead of my back, to allow maximum mobility in my pelvis. Please keep the room as quiet as possible during the second stage.