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The Birth Plan

Is a Birth Plan Helpful or Troublesome?

By Marie Fellenstein Hale

After considering your preferences, as well as how you will handle circumstances if events don't go smoothly, you may want to take time to imagine your perfect birth. You can do this mentally or you can write it out and then reread it as frequently as you wish. Imagine yourself in labor, dealing with your contractions, finding your own strength and working through labor. If you think of situations where you begin to get worried, do more reading on that topic or talk to supportive friends to find ways to deal with it better.

By thinking positively about your birth and imagining working through your labor well, you will be creating thought patterns that make it easier for you to follow this path during your actual labor.

The following books have information on writing birth plans:

The Birth Partner by Penny Simkin
Gentle Birth Choices by Barbara Harper
Pregnancy, Childbirth, and the Newborn by Simkin, Keppler, and Whalley
Pregnant Feelings by Rahima Baldwin and Terra Palmerini
Trust Your Body! Trust Your Baby! Childbirth Wisdom and Cesarean Prevention by Andrea Frank Henkart When you're done here, come look at our customizable online birth planner. Make your plan now, or just get a head start learning about some options you might want to consider.

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