Why Do You Need a Birth Plan? 5 Important Reasons

Let me just start off this post by saying: If an obstetrician (OBGYN) will be delivering your baby, you should definitely create a birth plan.

Here’s why. OBs follow a much stricter protocol than midwives do. They often look at birth as a medical event rather than a natural physiological event.

A group of midwives once expressed that,”unless proven otherwise, the mother and fetus are almost always physiologically able to complete the process, with the midwife as a present but non-dominant force.” (source)

I can’t speak for all OBs…But based on what I’ve experienced with my OB and what I know of their scope of practice, it appears many of them don’t look at birth the way midwives do.

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My experience

I’ve had two natural births in a hospital setting. The first time, I had no birth plan and now that I look back, there are things I would’ve changed about the care I was provided.

The second time around, I had a midwife and she was all for the type of birth I wanted to have. I made sure to do my research and she also did a good job educating me.

Needless to say, my experience the second time around was SO much better. I can say with confidence that being informed and having a plan, makes ALL the difference in the world.

Here are 5 reasons why you should create a birth plan.

1. Your birth plan directs your birth team to offer care based on your particular wants and needs.

Only you know what you want, and it’s your responsibility to let your team in on your wants and needs. Ensuring that everyone is on the same page as you are will contribute to you being less stressed and more relaxed – which is crucial for a smooth labor.

2. A birth plan gives you a sense of control.

With my daughter, not only was a new mama, but I wasn’t armed with a birth plan. I felt out of control. I believe that this contributed to me feeling stressed out during birth and pushing a lot longer than I needed to. Having a birth plan will give you a sense of control.

You’ll be confident in knowing that you’ve shared you wants and needs for your babies birth with your care team.

3. It empowers you.

You can’t control what happens during childbirth. But you can be prepared in order to ensure that regardless of what happens, your wishes are honored as much as possible. Having a birth plan will allow you to gain the confidence you need to focus on your baby’s birth.

4. It speaks for you.

When you’re in active labor, you won’t want to talk to anybody about anything. Or even if you want to, you might not be in the headspace to be making decisions or having more conversations than necessary. Your birth plan will speak for you even during the times you won’t want to speak.

5. It protects and honors your vision and your dream birth experience.

Childbirth is a big deal and should be treated as such. Whether you have an unmedicated birth or a c-section, it’s ok to have a vision and to honor it by planning!

Some people say that having a birth plan is a good way to set yourself up for failure, because you’re so bent on having everything your way even when things may go “wrong”.

But don’t you ever plan your route on your GPS before you head out to some place you’ve never visited before?

Don’t we spend months planning weddings and weeks planning holiday dinners? Why not plan our births?

It’s not about ignoring the fact that things may not go as plan, because the can! But it’s about having a plan and establishing how you and your child want to be cared for if things do go as planned and in the event that things don’t go as planned.

Download My Free Birth Plan Template

Customize my birth plan template — based on your choices and preferences for childbirth!

Subscribe