Sample birth plans

A birth plan can help you to work out what is important to you for your baby's labour and birth. Your midwife will talk to you about creating a birth plan from 28 weeks of pregnancy. There are no rules when it comes to writing out your birth preferences. A birth plan can be short or long, whatever suits you. It can also cover your preferences if labour or birth strays away from your ideal. Here are two sample birth plans from BabyCentre mums to give you an idea of how to write one and what to include.

Mandy

Mandy is 29 and pregnant with their first baby. They plan to give birth in hospital. Mandy wrote a very succinct birth plan, sticking to the things that are most important for them.

Birth partner

My partner, Sam.

Pain relief

Relaxation and breathing techniques for as long as possible; then gas and air, diamorphine and an epidural in that order, if needed.

Monitoring

Intermittent monitoring -- not continuous electronic monitoring if at all possible.

Interventions

As few as possible -- I really do not want to have an episiotomy or forceps.

Birth position

On my side on the bed.

Placenta

I want a natural third stage and delayed cord clamping for at least five minutes.

Feeding

Chestfeeding for preference, but bottle-feeding if I have problems.

This birth plan is not meant to be rigid. I am happy to change it, after discussion with you, if there are problems with my labour.

Lavinder

Lavinder is 33 and expecting her second baby. She is going to have her baby at a birth centre close to her home. Her birth plan is more like an essay, with lots of detail about what she would like for her labour.

My birth partners are going to be my mum and my daughter, Nuritza, who is 13. My daughter knows a lot about labour and she wants to stay with me all the time. I would like her to see the baby being born.

My mum has had five babies and is pretty experienced! She knows what kind of support I want and will be massaging me and helping me change my position frequently.

I am going to try and manage with just gas and air, and I would love to use the birthing pool. I would like my baby to be born in the pool and then get out for third stage. I want to have the injection to help the placenta out.

My preference is to be monitored intermittently using a hand-held doppler. I don't want to have to get out of the pool for monitoring.

I would like to lift my baby out of the water myself, and keep him with me all the time. I want to breastfeed him even though I wasn't successful in feeding Nuritza. Please help me to be successful this time round. I have no bottles in the house and don't intend to buy any.

If I have to transfer to hospital, I want my mum and my daughter to come with me. I do not want to be separated from them. I want to keep my baby with me at all times in the hospital and to have him in bed with me.

I am happy for students to be present during the labour and birth, although only one at a time.

Thank you for all your help. Find out more about writing a birth plan.