7 Days To A Stronger Birth Plan
- rodriguezmariza
- Jan 23, 2024
- 2 min read
Writing a birth plan can be... paralyzing. There are so many choices to make and details to consider, especially if you've really taken a deep dive into what birth can look like.
Medicated vs. unmedicated, hospital vs. homebirth, how you move, how you energize yourself, who is there, who isn't there... it's A LOT to think about. A quick Google search will pull up a million birth plan templates, most of which look like a packing list for a cruise or some even a 10 page manifesto (I do offer an intuitive birth planning journal that is a great guide, but by no means required to practice strong birth planning). Regardless, finding the right template is not as important as how you connect with the information it provides to your birth team. Checking a box for the sake of doing it is not helping you get any closer to feeling connected and empowered when the big day actually arrives.
Spending time understanding why or why not you are including something in your birth plan can be a much more productive use of your time than just trying to pick the 'right' answer and move on. When you thoroughly understand all of the options available to you along with exploring the paths your birth could take (even if unplanned) leaves less room for a "oh crap" moment when something unexpected arises. You are prepared, informed, and setting yourself up to feel less out of control at any moment.
Last week, I spent some time walking through some steps that will help you explore what you are intuitively most focused on internally while building your birth plan. While not completely comprehensive of what can be included, it's a great way to identify what is most important to you and where your thoughts are going when you imagine your birth. I also cannot say this loudly enough, you do not need to have a preference in your plan for every single bit of your birth! It's ok if you think "I honestly don't think I feel strongly one way or the other" if you are thinking about an epidural or laboring positions after you've taken time to understand all that's available and what comes along with each option. What's dangerous is avoiding making a decision because you are scared of a particular outcome or unwilling to understand the full benefits and complications of each choice. I truly believe the practice of birth planning, rather than just the birth plan itself is a key factor in contributing to informed consent, empowerment, and preventing some potential birth trauma.
Here are some great additional readings for birth planning:
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