I do not actively encourage my clients to write a Birth Plan. In my experience, some care providers immediately react antagonistically to “birth plans”. However, I do see value in going through the process of creating a birth plan. Deliberately sitting down to discuss and think through all available options is very beneficial. It is also helpful for me, as your Labor Assistant, to know what is in your mind and heart, where your desires and beliefs lie, and how I can best serve you to support that. It is also a helpful process to ensure that you initiate productive conversations with your care provider to establish what his or her practice generally entails.

Unquestionably, the best way to ensure your odds of achieving your goals through your child’s birth is to hire a care provider who already practices in line with your beliefs. Sometimes it can be hard to determine what your care provider’s beliefs might be at the start of care (but see “Interviewing a Birth Attendant” for tips), but usually throughout the prenatal process, one gathers a feeling for what they may expect of their provider. It is good to keep in mind that if you feel your provider is not going to serve your needs, you always have other options. If you need assistance with determining these options, I’m here to serve you.

Also, in some respects a birth plan may too deeply root a certain picture of what your particular birth is going to be. Birth is not predictable, or controllable, really. I’ve found that no matter what a family’s desires are, whether they intend a natural birth, or have already requested an epidural at their 38 week visit, when birth does not go as “planned” there can be disappointment, regret, and even feelings of failure, even when everyone comes through in good health.

So with all of that in mind, I have included for my clients some helpful tools and ideas for reviewing your birthing options. The primary intention of those who prepared these was for the creation of birth plans. Instead, I would encourage you to think through these, pray about them if that is your belief, and create a document to share with me, listed from what is most important down to what is least, but still desirable. Keep in mind that you need to consider the unexpected as well, and what your desires might be if labor does not follow along with your expectations.

If you still desire to include an official birth plan in your medical chart, I will certainly help you create one that is positive and oriented toward your desires. The simpler, the better, to create an effective birth plan.