What’s the point of making a birth plan?! Why just ‘going with the flow’ will not get you the birth you want!

When you’re pregnant and getting ready to have your baby, there is so much to think about - what stuff do we need, what travel system do we get, how do I get the baby into a routine?!

But so often we forget one of the most important aspects of having a baby - birth prep…in particular birth plans!

Not just birth plans for your ideal, dream scenario birth, but preferences for different eventualities. Whilst you can’t plan for every single scenario, there are definitely some common ones that you can think about ahead of time to help you feel more calm and in control, for example “do I want to give birth in the Mulberry, the midwife led unit at Frimley Park?”, “what can my birth partner do to fully support me?”, or “can I have a water birth at Basingstoke Hospital?”

A birth plan is basically a list of your preferences / wishes for how you want your labour and birth experience to go and what’s important to you. It covers things like pain relief, who you want in the room, what kind of birth you’re hoping for, what are your thoughts on vaginal examinations, and even smaller details like lighting, music, smells, or food you want to eat.

In a study by Moore and Hopper in 1995, 93% of women reported that creating a birth plan improved their understanding of the process of labour and birth. In that same study, 92% of those women believed they were better able to express their wishes through the use of a birth plan. Great stats to back up writing a birth plan hey!

I’m spoken to so many couples who say “I’d really like a natural water birth, but I don’t want to get my hopes up, I’ll just go with the flow and see what happens”. If you just go with the flow, you’ll be going with the hospital trust’s flow, a system which doesn’t really put much trust in women’s bodies, so how do you figure out what’s right for you?

Here’s just a few reasons why writing a birth plan is a great idea and how it can make your birth experience so much better.

1. It Helps You Decide What You Want

Writing a birth plan helps you to think about what you actually want during labour and delivery. What are your views on different types of pain relief and comfort measures (there are a lot!) Are you okay with medical interventions like an induction, or do you want to avoid them unless absolutely necessary? Remember, everything is your choice so make sure you ask questions about anything that is recommended to see if it’s right for you and your baby.

By writing down your preferences, you’re more likely to have a clear picture of what you’re comfortable with and what you’re not. That way, you don’t have to make big decisions in the heat of the moment when you’re dealing with contractions or feeling overwhelmed.

2. It Helps You Stay Calm During Labour

Knowing your options and the pros and cons of things can really help to reduce the chance of producing adrenaline, the fight or flight hormone. It avoids you going into a panic state - the worst thing for giving birth as the uterus just can’t do the job it needs to do when you’ve got stress hormones pumping round your body.

When we feel under threat our bodies divert oxygenated blood away from our uterus to other organs to get you to escape (lots more on that in my hypnobirthing courses, but essentially when you’re stressed your body is trying to get you to a place of safety).

A birth plan helps you stay focussed on coping with each contraction and really concentrating on your breathing, instead of worrying about the details or making decisions. Reduce the adrenaline, boost the oxytocin!

3. It Helps You Make Informed Decisions

True informed consent means you are fully informed about any intervention that may be recommended, including the benefits, risks and alternatives. Creating a birth plan gives you the chance to research and learn about all your options for labour. From comfort measures & pain management techniques, to different stages of labour and what intervention may be recommended, you’ll get to understand what might happen and make decisions based on what feels right for you.

This way, you’re not going into labour feeling like things are just happening to you. You’re informed and empowered, which can help reduce anxiety and give you confidence as you head into your birth.

4. It Personalises Your Birth Experience

Every birth is different. And what every woman wants is different too. A birth plan lets you personalise the experience to match your needs and preferences. Maybe you’d love to have calming music in the background, or you want the lights dimmed, or want minimal conversation so you can really focus on getting into the birth zone. Perhaps you want immediate skin-to-skin with your baby after birth, or maybe you have specific requests for who’s in the room with you, or who you want to announce the gender.

These small details can make a really big difference in how comfortable and supported you feel during labour. Your birth plan helps you communicate these preferences to anyone who is supporting you, so they can help create the environment you want.

5. It’s Flexible, But Sets Boundaries

A birth plan isn’t set in stone, it’s a guide. Things might change during labour, and that’s okay, it doesn’t mean you’re a failure or did anything wrong. The point of a birth plan is to give you a baseline of what you want, what to aim for with your ideal birth. But if things needs changing, then you’re prepared for that too. The main thing is that any changes are yours to make and you feel in control of making that decision.

For example, maybe you’re planning for a natural birth at Frimley Park Hospital, or thinking about using the Birth Centre in Andover, but you’ve thought about the potential of getting an epidural if labour is taking longer than expected and you really need some rest. Or you might be hoping to avoid a c-section, but you’re open to it if it’s medically necessary for your baby’s safety.

By writing down your preferences, you’re making sure that your boundaries are respected, but you’re also allowing space for flexibility in case things don’t go exactly as planned.

6. It helps your birth partner feel confident.

One of the biggest reasons to write a birth plan is to help your birth partner feel confident. There’s a tendency for birth partners to think they’ll just be a spare part, standing at the side of the room, watching you go through the biggest thing you’ve every experienced! But they have such a big role in your birth experience, and can really have a huge impact on how you feel and how your labour unfolds.

The birth plan helps your birth partner know what your preferences are, so they can communicate these on your behalf during labour, without disturbing you and interruption the flow of labour and essential birth hormones. Also, it includes things like what practical things can they do to support you, what’s important to set out in the birth environment, what positive and motivational phrases do you want to be told, and what massage techniques are good to help your body stay calm and relaxed. A confident birth partner can really make all the difference in birth, allowing you to just switch off your conscious mind, get in the zone and focus on working with your body to birth your baby.

Final Thoughts: A Birth Plan Puts You in Control

Creating a birth plan gives you control, helps you make informed decisions, and helps you feel prepared and confident as your approach birth. Whether things go according to plan or not, having those boundaries in place can make the whole experience feel much more empowering and less stressful. And you deserve to feel like that as you bring your baby into the world.

Through my hypnobirthing courses and workshops I support families like you in Hampshire, Berkshire & Surrey to think about about your options, prepare your mind and body for birth, and equip you with tools to stay calm and relaxed on the day (even if things take a turn from what you were hoping).

Whether you’re looking for a full antenatal course including hypnobirthing, a more focussed condensed workshop, or a friendly group setting, I’ll help you create a birth plan that truly reflects you and supports the positive birth experience you deserve.

My next group hypnobirthing course is on Sunday 12th October in Hartley Wintney, and you can find all the details here. Or if 1:1 in your own home is more what you’re after I’m taking bookings for September-December, perfect for those babies due in Autumn and Winter.

I can’t wait to help support you in writing your birth plan and getting ready to meet your little one.

Fiona x