Birth plans help to give a sense of control and assist maternity care providers in understanding what matters for you as the labouring mother. While birth plans are not a guarantee of outcome, they clearly outline your preferences about how you would like your labour and birth to take place. A birth plan is a written record of what you would like to happen when you are having your baby. Birth plans can be simple or complex — there is no one right format to suit every woman. One of the main advantages of a birth plan is that it helps you prepare for having a baby. Sitting down and making a written record can help you focus attention on what’s really important. Making a birth plan can also be a good way to initiate conversations between you and your partner/support persons as part or preparing for birth.
What’s valuable about birth plans is that they give the expectant mother a 'voice' for her body and a say in the decisions that are made. Talk to your birth partner about the type of birth you'd like and the things you prefer not to do, so he or she can help support your decisions. It can help to go through your birth plan together, so that your birth partner/support persons can play an advocacy role for you if you cannot communicate clearly for yourself during labour and birth. Birth plans often change over the course of a pregnancy. It’s fine to change your mind about what you’d like to happen when you’re having your baby. Even when you’re in labour and your baby is close to being born, you’re entitled to vary from your original plan.
Birth plans aren’t essential, so don’t think you have to have one. Speak to your midwife at Admira Kvinnohälsa about what’s important to you and we can make notes in your records. Most women are asked during labour how they can be supported to have the type of birth they’d like. Conversations between you and your midwife give insights into the labour and birth which is important to you.
What to include in my birthplan
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