How to Write a Birth Plan (with Template)
A one-page birth plan that your care team will actually read.
9 min read
Why one page
Nurses and doctors rotate shifts. A short, scannable document gets honored; a five-page essay gets skimmed.
What to include
- Names and roles of your support team
- Pain management preferences (e.g., delay epidural offer, intermittent monitoring if low-risk)
- Pushing preferences (positions, mirror, perineal support)
- Newborn procedures (delayed cord clamping, skin-to-skin, vitamin K, eye ointment)
- Feeding intentions
- Postpartum: rooming-in, visitors, photography
Keep it flexible
Open with: 'We understand birth is unpredictable. These are our preferences if everything is going well.'
