Parents today may consider whether or not they should write a birth plan as part of their childbirth preparation. Is there any benefit to writing a birth plan? Does writing a birth plan make any difference in the outcome of the birth?
Writing a Birth Plan is Recommended for Every Expectant Mother
If parents wonder if writing a birth plan is only for mothers planning to have a natural childbirth, think again. Birth plans can be for mothers who are planning to use an epidural or those planning to have an elective cesarean. The main reason to write a birth plan is that the expectant mother is given an opportunity to indicate what is most important to her and how her birth team can best meet her needs during childbirth.
Writing a Birth Plan Helps a Laboring Woman Have a Greater Sense of Control
Instead of having things done to her without her knowledge or consent, writing a birth plan can give the mother a sense of control over her labor. In fact, a new study shows that writing a birth plan provided women a greater sense of mastery and participation over their labor rather than not writing a birth plan. In short, mothers who wrote a birth plan experienced a greater sense of control during labor, which is more often than not a time when mothers experience a lack of control.
Writing a Birth Plan Gives a Mother More Fulfillment During Birth
More mothers find that their birth experience was fulfilling if they write a birth plan as a part of their childbirth preparation. Rather than causing mothers to feel that they cannot meet their own prenatal expectations or that writing a birth plan sets mothers up for failure, research shows that birth plans are an effective way of helping the mother to have a positive and fulfilling birth experience.
Where to Start if You Want to Write a Birth Plan
As a part of the childbirth preparation, mothers may consider writing a birth plan early in pregnancy. Some parents begin by researching the internet for birth plan samples to see issues that are often included in birth plans. If you are working with a birth doula, they can be of assistance in helping you write your own individual birth plan. It is always a good idea to share the birth plan with the care provider well before the mother's expected due date.
Remember that writing a plan for your delivery does not mean that things will go exactly as you hoped or planned. But rather, a birth plan will help mothers think through all of their options and preferences well in advance to reduce the unexpected and to be knowledgeable about the choices you have even when your plans change.
References:
Kuo, SC., "Evaluation of the effects of a birth plan on Taiwanese women's childbirth experiences, control and expectations fulfillment," International Journal of Nursing Studies, December 2009.
Lane, B., Kirsch, I., The Knack Pregnancy Guide, Globe Pequot Press, 2009.
Brenda Lane - Brenda Lane is a published author, Lamaze certified childbirth educator, DONA certified birth doula and approved birth doula trainer.
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