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My opinions on birth plans have gone back and forth over the years depending on who's argument I favour at the time. Now that I am coming into the labour and birth space myself, I definitely see the advantages of having an outline, understanding or full-blown plan of what you want or don't want in your experience. I don't think I will ever be fully against them again as they can assist women and families to make informed choices about their care and showcase their personal values, while maintaining an air of flexibility (that is highlighted by health care professionals) due to the 'spontaneous' nature of labour and birth.

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I think birth plans can be powerful tools in many ways when created with a healthy perspective. Firstly, it's an opportunity for women to be educated on the realities of birth. As a professional/client relationship is already inherently imbalanced, empowerment through knowledge has the potential to provide more equal footing and therefore a healthier relationship between woman and midwife.

Birth is a world-bridging dance between control and surrender. If a woman is unwilling to surrender to her body, a birth plan can become an unhealthy tool she clings to in order to gloss over deeper anxiety. However, when made with the mindset of healthy empowerment leading to conscious surrender, a birth plan has the power to facilitate a much more positive experience for everyone involved.

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I am 100% pro birth plans. So great to be able to express what you want and have some respect those decisions. Made me think that on placement not one midwife ever asked for a birth plan and the one time is happened it wasn't treated with respect. Labour and birth is intense enough so great to have the ability to voice what you want in moments you might not be able to speak.

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Watching the videos, I think birth plans have its own pros and cons. I feel that a birth plan is a great idea for primipara women who are not prepared for birthing because it guides the women to research/explore options of what kind of birthing they would like to have, mentally preparing them and a sense of ownership. Most importantly, the midwives and other healthcare providers are aware of what kind of birth their women would like to have. However, midwives should mention that sometimes the birthing they hoped for might change if the birthing becomes critical (birth education in antenatal visits). However, for multipara women, a birth plan is not applicable because they are aware of what birthing is like but it is always good for these women to mention what kind of birth plan they would like to have with their midwives and healthcare provider OR the midwife can ask the women about any thoughts on what kind of birthing the women would like to have.

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PS I don't have many selfies without my dog!

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I feel that birth plans are beneficial in so many ways. Putting together a birth plan requires women to educate themselves and when women are informed, they are in control and can make the best decision for them for each scenario they might come up with. In a fragmented system of care, plans are even more essential for women to communicate to care providers they don't yet have relationships with. A plan allows everyone to be on the same page with what is appropriate care for an individual woman. From my limited experience of birth plans in practice, I've observed midwives get flustered/annoyed when a birth plan goes against hospital protocols or against the midwife's preference for how things are done. The first video against birth plans is interesting... it wraps up stating that having a birth plan is trying to control uncontrollable events and that we should just let the event unfold as it would occur naturally. If this is what was happening, then there would be some merit to that statement. But when women walk through birthing unit, things aren't left to just 'unfold' - we are seeing interventions with VE's, inductions, instruments.

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I think birth plans are a fantastic tool for women to consider their birth options and have their expectations and preferences highlighted, especially within fragmented care. Women are often encouraged by care providers to take a passive role in pregnancy and birth, and I think a birth plan facilitates women to regain some control. Hospitals have 'birth plans' in the form of protocols and policies that dictate what they expect to happen for all women from the outset. It's interesting that women are told to be flexible or to just 'go with the flow' as birth is unpredictable, yet hospitals consistently manage labour and birth so rigidly. There's a big difference between going with the physiological flow and going with the system's flow. And the notion that women with birth plans aren't going to be adaptable or aren't capable of dealing with disappointment if things don't go to plan is pretty problematic

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I think birth plans are an amazing tool to help a woman visualise labour and birth as well as become educated on her wishes surrounding birth. I think it provides a starting point for education especially for first time mothers on the options and things that can happen in emergencies i.e. forceps, episiotomies etc. If they are aware of these it allows for a better sense of informed consent, as getting someone to consent in an emergency situation is tricky and in my eyes a bit of an ethical grey area. I think that we need to ensure that women know about the unpredictability of birth and are informed on all the options in order to be fluid with their choices in all areas.

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Hi I’m Kathleen.
I think the process of creating a birth plan can be a great opportunity for women to get informed about the options available to them and the choices they may face during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Ideally birth plans also help women to choose the most appropriate care provider and support people for her needs. In a fragmented system, or should her situation change, they can quickly communicate a woman’s needs without needing to interrupt labour. Also women should be aware that hospitals definitely have plans that don’t necessarily align with the individual needs of each woman!

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I have no idea why anyone would see anything other than positives in a well written, well thought out birth plan. We want women to be supported and have a sense of control in their birth regardless of what their final outcome is. It goes without saying that birth can be unpredictable and when you are birthing as a woman or working as a midwife within fragmented care, a woman's birth plan is so essential. Labour is no time to be thinking rationally about what we want, so pre planning is essential for the system to work at all. For example, without a birth plan we might take it for granted that we know as providers what women are going to prefer for their care, and we might be completely wrong. Maybe this woman who is going for a VBAC, for example, was actually in two minds about a vaginal birth verses another caesarean, and when labour stalls, rather than advocating for her to have augmentation or a trial of forceps, etc, because that is what we might assume, as midwives that she would want, we can know that she would probably prefer a caesarean. there seems to be an assumption that birth planning means wishful thinking and not considering the alternatives, but the inverse is true. Even within freebirthing communities women are often encouraged to write birth plans that include all the possible different avenues that could eventuate, including caesarean birth. Having a plan allows women to feel that sense of control and avoid a potentially traumatic experience even in an objectively traumatic situation, because they have already thought it through in their minds and decided what they would stiull want in that scenario.

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I believe birth plans give clarity to the women and also some sort of control over the birth. As a student midwife, i love to bring up the 'birth plan' discussion in the Antenatal clinics. It's the woman's choice whether she decides for or against a birth plan. I am here to support her choices.

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I think birth plans are a useful tool for women to communicate their intentions and choices for labour and birth, particularly in fragmented care. But since labour and birth can be unpredictable, birth plans also need to be flexible and consider acceptable alternatives to the ideal. It's important for birthing women and midwives to manage expectations.

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I'm either way with birth plans. I think it's great if women have a clear plan for their birth and this is able to be communicated with the team providing care. But also can understand why some women choose not to have a plan and want only the safe delivery of their baby as their plan. I think as midwives we are able to assist in engaging women in these discussions and providing education in the various choices surrounding birth.

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Hello! I'm Allison. I think birth plans can be very empowering for birthing people and their families. Ideally, they enable midwives to understand, respond and respect individual rights and goals. 

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Hello! I'm Allison. I think birth plans can be very empowering for birthing people and their families. Ideally, they enable midwives to understand, respond and respect individual rights and goals. 

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Me and my crazy son (he gave me consent!)

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Not sure if my view is going to be incredible but I think birth plans are really beneficial. It clarifies for the woman her goals and choices for her birth and also is a written direction/plan for her health providers so they can support her to achieve those goals and choices.

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I think birth plans have pro's and con's, however I personally think it's up to the woman, if she wants a birth plan and that helps her, then that is whats best for her. Likewise, If a woman doesn't feel the need for a birth plan, then that is great too!

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Click the plus bottom on the bottom right to create your post.
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2. What do you think about birth plans?
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