A Birth Plan is nothing but a planned, organized and, well-thought written document that the parents, especially the mother, decide upon as to how her labor and delivery process will go through. It is ultimately the wish list of the parents as to how their birthing experience will be.

Creating a Birth Plan is a simple process that involves all the necessary questions answered which the parents think of about a child’s birth experience which involve thinking about where the delivery is supposed to take place, do you want the baby to be in the same room as the mother after birth in the hospital nursery, and many more.

Every mother’s labor and delivery experience is different and every mother goes through different emotions at the time of giving birth but these differences can not stop one from creating a birth plan guide for themselves as creating a birth plan is not exclusive to women who expect a normal delivery but also for women who are giving a C-Section birth.

How to create a Birth Plan Guide?

When creating a birth plan guide, the parents should keep in mind that labor and the delivery process is a natural process and should always be prepared for any unpredictable turn of events that might not be in line with the plan that they created. Creating a birth plan guide would not mean that the delivery process will be free of surprises, but it will at least make you ready for these turn-in events. Prioritizing the most important objectives of a birth plan that the parents feel would mean the most to them should be kept on top of the list.

Checklist of Birth Plan.

There are a few basic things that are necessary for the parents to checklist while creating a birth plan guide. Firstly, the place of birth is the most important to think of, as the mother needs to be in a comfortable environment and at a place of her choice where she feels comfortable giving birth. Secondly, the people present at the time of birth should be thought of as there are a lot of unwanted visitors and the parents should make sure to ask as to how many visitors are allowed at the birthing site at the time of delivery.

Moreover, many other technical aspects of childbirth need to be included in the birth plan guide like whether to give the mother pain relief medication, if the mother should get an episiotomy for delivering the baby, asking the doctor to cut the umbilical cord, or getting the umbilical cord cut by the father of the baby. You can even find affordable cord blood banks at $19.99/month.

There are a few post-birth decisions the parents have to make in advance regarding the umbilical cord donation or banking, circumcision, and birthing the baby in the same room as the mother or the nursery in the hospital. Many parents prefer privately banking the umbilical cord of their baby as it is rich in stem cells and is seen as a valuable medical asset as it treats many life-threatening illnesses. The umbilical cords can also be donated to public cord blood banks which is also an option for the parents. Circumcision of boy babies is also the choice made by the parents.

Some hospitals allow the parents to let their baby be in the same room as the mother, rather than the hospital nursery. This decision can either be made before delivery or can be made post-delivery as well. Some hospitals may give options such as keeping your newborn with the mother, getting the baby to the mother’s room after recovery, letting you keep the baby with the mother I during day time but not during night time, or baby staying in the nursery and be taken to the mother only during when the baby needs to be fed.

A good birth plan should ultimately be more than a list of preferences, but also should tell a little about the parent’s personal information so it helps the hospital staff to know you much better so it would be easier for them to take much better care of the mother.

The better the staff knows the patient the better service and care they would be able to provide. The Birth Plan should be well discussed and thought through by the parents and should be discussed with the gynecologist beforehand and raise any questions related to the plan with the doctor to minimize the complications up ahead.