Why You Should Create a Birth Plan & How to Get Started
Hi Mama!
We’re happy that you are here, preparing for your best birth with us! In this blog, we’ll be diving into creating your blueprint for birth: Why you should create a birth plan and how to get started.
I love creating birth plans with the expecting parents because we get to envision the birth and talk about all the details and preferences for labor, birth, and immediate postpartum. Knowing the birth preferences and desires helps us doulas know how to help expecting parents prepare with education, tools, techniques, and special prayer requests that support their needs. Let’s explore why creating a birth plan is essential and how to get started.
Why create a birth plan?
1. Clarifies Your Desires A birth plan is like a roadmap guiding you and your birthing team through one of the most important moments of your life. It helps you articulate your preferences for things like pain management, interventions, and the environment you want during labor. This clarity allows your providers to understand and respect your wishes.
2. Reduces Anxiety Birth is an unpredictable process. A birth plan can reduce anxiety by giving you a sense of control over things that matter most to you. It gives you and your partner peace of mind, knowing that you're prepared for a variety of scenarios, while still leaving room for flexibility should the need arise.
3. Improves Communication with Healthcare Providers A well-crafted birth plan fosters clear communication between you and your providers. It ensures that everyone is on the same page about your preferences for labor and birth. Whether it’s your desire for a natural birth or a request for a specific intervention, your birth plan becomes a vital communication tool. Your birth plan will also help you identify very quickly whether or not your hired provider is the right fit for you and your family! Having a clear vision of what you desire for your birth can help you interview providers that are in alignment with what you’re desiring in your birth experience.
4. Encourages Informed Decision-Making Creating a birth plan encourages you to research different options and think through decisions before the intensity of labor begins. Understanding your choices beforehand empowers you to make informed decisions and advocate for your needs when the time comes.
5. Strengthens Your Support System A birth plan also helps you define the role of your support team, including your doula, partner, or other loved ones. By outlining what kind of support you want, whether it's physical, emotional, or spiritual, your team can provide the care that aligns with your desires.
How to create a birth plan:
1. Start with Prayer and Reflection Before diving into specifics, take time to pray and reflect on the type of birth you desire. Ask God for wisdom in making the best decisions for you and your baby. Consider what kind of atmosphere you want, how you envision your labor unfolding, and how your faith plays a role in the birthing process.
2. Consider Your Options Take time to learn about your birthing options. This includes deciding between a hospital birth, birth center, or home birth, and understanding who will be present at your birth. Some providers may conduct all the prenatal appointments but sometimes it could end up being a different provider at your birth. Ask your provider who will be there to support you and what that looks like.
3. Be Informed About Medical Interventions It’s important to think through potential recommended interventions such as pregnancy, labor/birth, postpartum, and newborn interventions. Make informed decisions about any potential interventions. Remember, you are the one who gets to decide “yes” or “no” to any decision pertaining your body and your baby.
4. Tailor Your Birth Plan to the Location Each birthing location (hospital, birth center, home) has its own policies and culture (even certain hospitals). Tailor your plan to fit the standards of where you’re giving birth. If you are birthing in a hospital, we highly recommend that you understand the hospital policies and standards such as: What comfort support measures do they have or not have? Some hospitals have birth balls, peanut balls, laughing gas, birth tubs, etc. and some don’t. If your hospital has a birth tub, can you birth your baby in the tub? Will there be any issues if you want to birth your baby in any position you choose rather than on your back? Will there be any issues if you want to do optimal cord clamping and wait to clamp the cord until it stops pulsating (even if it’s beyond 2, 5, 10, 15 minutes)?
5. Be Flexible While it’s important to have preferences, remember that labor can be unpredictable. A birth plan should be a flexible guide rather than a rigid set of rules. Unexpected situations may arise, and it’s important to lean on your team and God’s plan, knowing that you’ve done your best to prepare.
6. Involve Your Birth Team Share your birth plan with your provider, birth doula, and partner. It’s crucial that everyone is aware of your preferences and feels confident advocating for them during labor. Your doula, in particular, can be a wonderful resource to ensure that your plan is communicated to medical staff, even if you’re unable to do so during labor.
How Anointed Births Can Help:
Birth Doula Services OR Private Birth Planning Session(s)
At Anointed Births, we are committed to supporting you in every step of your birthing journey. Our birth doula services are tailored to meet your unique needs and we specialize in helping our clients create a birth plan that reflects their desires. We know of the policies, standards, and culture of local birthing providers and locations intimately. This knowledge allows us to help you craft a plan that aligns with both your preferences, your birthing environment, and your provider.
Whether you're looking for help with labor preparation, comfort techniques, or advocacy during labor & birth, our experienced doulas are here to walk alongside you. Let us help you bring your birth vision to life with care, prayer, and expertise. Reach out to us at Anointed Births to learn more about how we can support you in creating the birth plan and experience you’ve always dreamed of.
To learn more about our birth doula services or private birth planning sessions to get started on your birth plan:
CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE A FREE CONSULTATION
Stay tuned…
for more tips, stories, and resources on how to have your best birth!
And in the meantime, if you are looking for in-person support in Orange County, LA County, San Diego County, and the Inland Empire, click the button below to schedule your FREE consultation for any of the following services:
Birth Classes
Birth & Postpartum Doula Services
Birth Photography & Videography
Placenta Encapsulation
Lactation Support
Birth Planning Sessions
& More!
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