Birth plan template

What is a birth plan, and why make one?

A birth plan is a short document that sets out your preferences for labor, delivery, and the first hours with your baby. It covers things like the atmosphere you would like, your wishes around pain management, your preferred birthing positions, and how you would like your newborn cared for straight after birth. It is a simple way to tell your midwife, nurses, and doctor what matters to you, without having to explain it all in the middle of labor.

The real value of a birth plan is the thinking and the conversations it prompts. Writing one encourages you to learn your options and to talk them through with your provider ahead of time, so you feel prepared and heard. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists describes a birth plan as a helpful way to communicate your wishes, while noting that flexibility matters, since labor rarely follows a script. Think of it as your preferences, shared with a team you trust.

What to include in a birth plan

Most birth plans cover the same areas. Include what matters to you and leave out anything that does not apply.

• The basics. Your name, due date, support people, and your provider and birth place.
• Labor and environment. Lighting, music, movement, monitoring, and eating or drinking.
• Pain management. Comfort measures, an epidural, or an unmedicated birth.
• Delivery. Positions, pushing, delayed cord clamping, and immediate skin-to-skin.
• Interventions. Your wishes on augmentation, an episiotomy, or assisted delivery.
• If a cesarean is needed. Support person present, a gentle cesarean, and skin-to-skin.
• Baby’s first hours. Cord clamping, cord blood, vitamin K, eye ointment, and the first bath.
• Feeding and recovery. Breastfeeding or formula, rooming-in, and visitors.

Choosing a starting point

The tabs above fill your plan with common preferences for a particular approach, so you are editing rather than starting from nothing. Pick the closest one and change every line to fit you.

• Natural. An unmedicated birth with comfort measures and freedom to move.
• Epidural. Planning for an epidural, comfortable with standard monitoring.
• Hospital. A hospital birth with options kept open.
• Birth center. A calm, home-like setting, often with a birth pool.
• Home birth. A planned birth at home with a midwife.
• Planned C-section. A scheduled cesarean, with a family-centered approach.
• VBAC. A vaginal birth after a previous cesarean.
• Simple. A short, one-page plan with just the essentials.

How to write your birth plan, step by step

With the tool above this takes a few minutes. Choose a starting point, then:

1. Add your name, due date, support people, and provider.
2. Read through each section and edit the lines to match your wishes.
3. Delete anything that does not apply to you.
4. Write one preference per line so it is easy to scan.
5. Keep the whole plan to about a page.
6. Choose a design and download it in Word or PDF to share.

Then, and this is the most important step, go over it with your provider at a prenatal visit so you are on the same page before the day arrives.

Keeping it short and flexible

The most useful birth plans are short. A single, clear page is far more likely to be read by everyone caring for you than several dense pages. Lead with what matters most to you, use plain language, and keep each preference to a line. If a nurse can take in your top wishes at a glance, your plan is doing its job.

Flexibility is just as important. Labor is unpredictable, and sometimes the safest path is not the one you hoped for. A good birth plan says what you would prefer “if all is well,” and trusts your team to guide you if things change. Going in with clear preferences and an open mind is not a contradiction; it is the healthiest way to approach the day.

Sharing it with your care team

A birth plan only helps if the right people see it. Bring copies for your labor bag and give one to your provider ahead of time, so it can go in your notes. On the day, hand a copy to the nurse or midwife looking after you, and make sure your support person, whether a partner or a doula, knows your wishes so they can speak for you if you are unable to.

Talk it through in advance rather than presenting it cold in labor. Discussing your plan with your midwife or OB-GYN at a prenatal appointment is the best way to catch anything that will not work at your birth place and to feel confident that your team understands what you want.

Download in Word, PDF, or copy the text

The tool gives you three ways to keep and share your plan:

Tip: print two or three copies for the day, and keep a photo on your phone as a backup.

Tips

• One page beats five. Short and clear gets read. Lead with your top priorities.
• Use “if all is well”. Frame your wishes as preferences, not demands.
• Talk it through first. Review it with your provider before your due date.
• Brief your support person. Your partner or doula can advocate for you in the moment.
• Stay open. Trust your team if the plan needs to change for safety.

Frequently asked questions