Creating a Birth Plan
My mother had a birth plan: one day prior to her due date she packed an overnight bag. When contractions commenced (11 days late), she called my father and went to the hospital. That was it. Nowadays, women are bombarded with increasing choices in all areas of their life, so why should giving birth be any different?
what is it?
A birth plan is a document for your doctor or midwife that outlines your ideal delivery. “It provides an informative discussion,” says Dr. Vyta Senikas, associate executive vice-president of The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC). It helps open the lines of communication between patient and health-care provider, and encourages you to bring up topics you may have otherwise forgotten until labour begins—when it can be too late. “If I get the impression a patient has special requests, I will ask her to write them down,” says Dr. Dan Hodges, an Edmonton, Alberta-based OB/GYN. “I sign the paper so my colleagues know I have reviewed it with my patient, in case I am not on call when she delivers.”
the nitty gritty
A birth plan can be as simple or as detailed as you wish. You can write a few key considerations on a piece of paper such as “I don’t want an epidural to help deal with pain.” Or, you may choose to follow online templates that allow you to “build-a-birth.” “I would like a birthing bar to aid in pushing.” Check. “My partner will call out the sex of the baby.” Check.
“A birth plan is a good idea so a woman can voice her preferences surrounding birth,” says Kristina House, a Toronto-based doula and mother of two. “Having a birth plan was about me being in control,” says Merydth Holte-McKenzie, a new mom in Kemptville, Ont. “It allowed me to thoroughly discuss the implications of different outcomes with my husband and midwife, so if there should be a deviation from our best-case scenario plan, we were on the same page to make new decisions.”
will it be followed
Health-care providers are usually open to discussing a birth plan. “Most doctors want what their patient wants,” says Dr. Hodges. “Once, I somewhat resented birth plans as a non-confidence vote, but I have changed my tune and now find them an efficient way of communicating to give the best experience, and to review the risks and alterations that may come up.” If your care provider is resistant, keep the plan simple and the language positive. House suggests having two birth plans: a more detailed one to review with your support staff that includes medical and non-medical considerations, such as using a birthing ball during contractions, and a shorter, basic plan (pain control preference, etc.) with medical-only concerns for health-care providers to review. It’s also a good idea to bring a copy of your birth plan with you at the time of labour/delivery. “It will be in your doctor’s file, but papers can get misplaced,” says Dr. Senikas.
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