Birth plan: what is it?

- Categories : Tips

Nateo CONCEPT

Prepare your birth plan

To best prepare for the arrival of the baby, there are several things that can be put in place, and this is particularly the case with the birth plan. While it is not mandatory, it is a very good way to ask the right questions and prepare for the big day of childbirth. So what exactly is a birth plan? How to best prepare it? Discover all our advice!

Ventre femme enceinte main maman et papa

What is a birth plan?

The birth plan is a document that gathers different information to prepare for the day of childbirth. It includes details regarding the parents' preferences on labor, delivery, child care, breastfeeding, etc. It allows expressing preferences, but also what one wishes to avoid, and it can be very detailed. Most often, it is the maternity wards that offer parents to write this type of document, but one can also propose their birth plan spontaneously.

Why write a birth plan?

There are several reasons why parents may wish to write a birth plan:

  • Be better informed: Making choices involves starting with research on the different possibilities available. Better informed, the future mother can become fully involved in her childbirth and make choices that correspond to her wishes as much as possible.
  • Envision the future: This step also allows you to project yourself into the upcoming event and therefore anticipate it with more serenity.
  • Involve the co-parent: Thanks to the birth plan, the co-parent will also be fully involved in the process of preparing for childbirth. They will thus understand the different stages and better envision what their role will be during this event.
  • Facilitate exchanges with medical teams: The birth plan also allows for creating dialogue with the medical team that will accompany the childbirth. This will promote discussion and thus obtain answers to various questions.
ventre femme enceinte avec carnet

How to go about it?

Writing a birth plan can be done very easily. It can be written on a computer or by hand on blank paper according to preference. It is important that the document is not too long to be easily readable by medical teams. We therefore recommend one to two pages maximum.

You can start with a short paragraph detailing the reasons why you decided to write a birth plan. This will allow the team to better know the future parents and take into account their background (difficult childbirth, fears...).

Finally, you can list the various elements to be taken into account in the form of a checklist which will make reading even more pleasant.

You can give your birth plan to your midwife or doctor at the end of pregnancy, which will allow you to readjust it by letting your reflection mature. It is also recommended to print it in several copies to be able to distribute it on D-day and thus ensure that each team member can read it.

femme enceinte sur tablette

What information to list in the birth plan?

The information that can be addressed in a birth plan can be very varied. In particular, you can specify:

  • Preferences on the presence of family and friends
  • Preferences on ambiance (dimmed lights, music...)
  • Pain management methods employed
  • The acceptance or not of the epidural
  • The acceptance or not of an episiotomy
  • If the partner wishes to cut the umbilical cord
  • The desire or not to breastfeed the baby
  • Etc.

Also think about preparing the baby's room

Beyond the birth plan, there are many other things to prepare to anticipate the arrival of the baby, especially the preparation of the room. It is most often recommended to opt for a wooden baby room. Warm and trendy, wood is also a durable and robust material that can be chosen as eco-responsible by opting for a baby room made of PEFC certified wood. This means that the wood used for making the wooden baby room comes from eco-managed forests. It is also recommended to choose furniture with low formaldehyde content to limit the presence of volatile organic compounds and preserve the well-being of your baby.

Beyond the materials of your wooden baby room, it's also the type of furniture that you'll need to pay attention to. A complete baby room generally includes a crib, a changing table, a chest of drawers, and a storage wardrobe. If you're preparing to welcome twins, you'll need to think about providing everything in double to create a wooden baby room suitable for two babies. We offer the twin baby crib which is perfectly adapted for this. We give you more advice on which baby beds to adopt for twins. You can also opt for a duo baby room which will include a crib and a changing dresser to avoid cluttering the space too much.

To save space, the wooden baby bed can be combined. A combined baby bed is a crib that will associate several elements to avoid occupying too much space. The combined baby bed is particularly suitable for a small room. In your wooden baby room, you can also opt for an evolving bed that will transform as the child grows. Preparing the birth plan is therefore an excellent way to anticipate the arrival of the baby. But it's also the creation of your future child's room that will allow you to project yourself and best anticipate their arrival.