Getting Ready To Have A Baby

Creating Your Birth Plan

As your due date approaches thinking about how you want your birth to go may seem quite daunting. Do you want a home birth or go to the hospital? What do I need? Do I need this or that document? Fret not as this is where your birth plan comes in when you are getting ready to have a baby.

A document that you have complete control over that lays out all the important pieces of information ready for the big day. If you want a place to get started, this is the blog for you. Read on for tips about what to include in your birth plan.

Medical Details

Your midwife and your doctors will have your medical records or notes from your pregnancy. However, it can save time on the day to have some details right there at your fingertips. If you have any allergies, medications your take consistently plans for the afterbirth like donation or private storage or anything the medical team might need to know.

 You might also want to put the contact details of your doctor and midwife in the plan too just in case someone needs to contact them on the day, but they aren’t present.

Instructions for Your Birth Partner When You Have A Baby

These could be vital pieces of intel or simply how they can help you out on the big day.

Need someone on crowd control so that you can have some time alone with your baby before any visitors come? Leave it with the birth partner. Need someone to advocate for you while you are otherwise occupied? Leave it to the birth partner.

Need someone to simply stay by your side the whole time and talk you through everything going on? That’s right… birth partner. If you need them involved in any way you should probably prep them on your plans and ensure that everyone is happy but once they are locked in, leave them their duties within the plan.

Create The Right Environment When You Have A Baby

This is somewhat easier to do during a home birth, but you can make some requests once you know what hospital or facility you are giving birth at.

If you want dimmer lighting, a birth pool or music for your birth, check what’s possible at your desired location and then get it into the birth plan. That way you, your birth partner and your medical team will know exactly what is happening.

Your Birth Plan, Your Rules … Almost

This document is yours to create. Whatever details you want to include, or vice versa, do not want to include, is entirely up to you. You don’t even have to have a full plan written out if you prefer, a few things for your birth partner to note and a list of things needed in the room could be enough for you.

The one note we will leave you with is that no birth is the same as another. You may need to be slightly flexible with your plans should something change in the day. You can even factor in a Plan B or two just for safety.

Wishing you all the best with your pregnancy. Now get to planning!