Four Reasons You Should Write a Birth Plan

 Every expectant mother reads everything she can on childbirth. She wants to learn what her body will go through, what her mind will go through and what’s ahead, and education is key for that. The one thing that all mothers want, however, is to control what comes next and childbirth is the one thing that no mother can control at all! 

We can plan for what we want. We can talk to people about what to expect. We can look up the worst case scenarios that may require a birth injury lawyer and we can prepare all we want. The thing to know about childbirth, though, is that childbirth does its thing and no one can truly plan out what’s going to happen. You can have an idea of what you want. You can have a daydream about your perfect scenario. But you cannot make that scenario come true. Instead, you can write a birth plan; a document that outlines your ideal birth and what you’d like to aim for. This document can help you to advocate for what you truly want and it will be something that matters most during your childbirth. So, why should you bother writing one?

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1. To empower yourself. You cannot plan how your body will respond to childbirth, but you can plan what you would like and it can be an empowering moment in life to do that. You can Google the ideal plan and start looking for why you would want your birth to go a certain way. It can be empowering to make these decisions and choices for yourself, and a part of that will be in speaking to other mothers who have gone through it.

2. To open a conversation. If you haven't given birth before, you might want to know what to discuss with your healthcare providers. If you educate yourself about childbirth, you will be able to ask for what you want and properly advocate for yourself along the way. This is exciting, empowering and gives you a chance to be familiar with those helping you to birth a baby.

3. To ask for an advocate. When you know what you want for your birth, you’ll be able to tell someone who will be with you during it. When your body is pushed to its limit with labor and childbirth, you need someone to talk to and help you through it. If they know what you want, they can advocate for you in those moments where you are pushed and ready to have a child exit your body.

4. To ensure that you have the best experience. The end goal is for a healthy baby to come into the world and a plan can help give you a focus on that end game. If you have a plan and you go into writing that plan with the view that it may not happen, you will be a happier, more relaxed person as you give birth. It’s an experience you won’t want to miss.