Your birth plan: what to decide and what to ask the maternity unit
A short birth plan helps you think about your birth partner, pain relief, time with your baby and feeding before contractions begin.
4 min read
In this article
A birth plan is a short sheet where you write down how you would like the birth to go: who will be with you, how you want to cope with pain, what you want to happen as soon as your baby is born. It is not a contract. Labour does not always go to plan, and your doctor or midwife may suggest something else when it is safer for you or your baby.
Its value is in the preparing. Writing it makes you think about things that are hard to decide in the middle of contractions, and you learn what your maternity unit offers before you need it.
In many maternity units in Albania nobody will ask for your birth plan. That does not make it worthless. Often a conversation with your gynaecologist in the last appointments, list in hand, is enough.
How to put it together
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1
Find out what the unit offers
Ask your gynaecologist or visit the maternity unit around weeks 30 to 34. Some things depend on the unit, not on your wishes.
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2
Write it in bullet points
One page is enough. Short points are quick to read for a midwife meeting you for the first time.
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3
Talk to your birth partner
Your partner, or whoever will be with you, should know the plan so they can speak for you when you have no energy.
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4
Take two copies
One in your hospital bag, the other with your birth partner. Show it as soon as you are admitted.
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5
Leave room for change
Write what you would like if things change too, for example if you need a caesarean.
What to include
Before and during labour
- who will be with you, and whether you want them to stay if you need a caesarean or a ventouse delivery
- whether you want to move freely, walk, use a birth ball or choose your own position
- how you want to cope with pain: breathing, warm water, massage, an epidural. Read pain relief in labour
- whether you are happy for students to be present
As soon as your baby is born
- skin-to-skin contact straight away, before weighing and measuring
- when the cord is cut and who cuts it
- how you want to feed your baby. If you want to breastfeed, write that your baby should not be given formula without asking you. See breastfeeding: the first days
- vitamin K for your baby, given to prevent a rare but serious bleeding problem
Questions for the maternity unit
- Can my birth partner be with me in labour? In theatre?
- Is an epidural available at any hour, and is there a cost?
- Does my baby stay in the room with me?
- What do I need to bring? Compare with the hospital bag checklist.
- If my baby needs special care, is there a neonatal unit here or will they be transferred?
If the plan does not happen the way you pictured it, that is not a failure. Ask the doctor why something changed. You have a right to know, and an explanation makes the experience easier to come to terms with.
Common questions
Do I have to have a birth plan?
When should I write it?
What if the doctor does not follow the plan?
Sources we consulted
Written by the mam.al editors as general information. It does not replace advice from your doctor or midwife. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.