What is a Birth Plan?
What is a birth plan?
Why should a pregnant woman plan her birth?
Is a birth plan for everyone?
Generally speaking, a birth plan is a written document that a woman provides her care givers outlining her 'intentions' for her labour and birth. They are often used by women who have very clear ideas about how they wish to be treated, and what interventions they wish to be offered (or not), during labour and in the hours post birth.
Forget the Birth Plan - you need a Birth Map!
The Birth Map is available via blurb
For many a birth plan is given 'lip service', it is part of the tick-box approach to birth preparation. There are many free 'proforma' plans available, and these may be helpful for setting out your plan, but it is the research that you put into the plan that makes the difference.
Informed Birth Preparation is the fundamental difference, not the piece of paper called a ‘birth plan’.
When we don’t know the questions we need to ask, it is hard to know how to begin. It is often assumed that our care providers will give us the information we need, and the time we need to make informed decisions, but the reality is we are often told things on a ‘needs to know’ basis, which does not allow time to make informed decisions, let alone create a 'birth plan'.
For example, if a woman were to go past her estimated due date, she may feel pressured to induce, she is at a fed up and anxious stage of pregnancy, and may be experiencing fear and hearing many horror stories about going 'over due', not to mention all the "have you had that baby yet?” comments…it is very difficult to make an informed decision in these circumstances.
The process of Informed Birth Preparation , however, considers this scenario (along with many others) well before the due date, and creates a game plan (Birth Map) to follow.
Informed Birth Preparation creates a personalised Birth Map using:
The process is done in conjunction with care providers. Your support team will be familiar with your decisions, and able to stand by you as you proceed on your terms. The written document (usually called Birth Plan) contains your Informed Decisions.
See more FAQ
Informed Birth Preparation is the fundamental difference, not the piece of paper called a ‘birth plan’.
When we don’t know the questions we need to ask, it is hard to know how to begin. It is often assumed that our care providers will give us the information we need, and the time we need to make informed decisions, but the reality is we are often told things on a ‘needs to know’ basis, which does not allow time to make informed decisions, let alone create a 'birth plan'.
For example, if a woman were to go past her estimated due date, she may feel pressured to induce, she is at a fed up and anxious stage of pregnancy, and may be experiencing fear and hearing many horror stories about going 'over due', not to mention all the "have you had that baby yet?” comments…it is very difficult to make an informed decision in these circumstances.
The process of Informed Birth Preparation , however, considers this scenario (along with many others) well before the due date, and creates a game plan (Birth Map) to follow.
Informed Birth Preparation creates a personalised Birth Map using:
- information from evidence-based sources,
- an understanding of your own medical circumstances and history, and
- your personal circumstances and feelings.
The process is done in conjunction with care providers. Your support team will be familiar with your decisions, and able to stand by you as you proceed on your terms. The written document (usually called Birth Plan) contains your Informed Decisions.
See more FAQ
