Home Birth Plan Template
Table of Content
Everyone has their own comfort level on this—some people choose to buy a labor gown to wear during the delivery, some people wear the hospital gown, and some want to wear their own clothes. If you prefer your own clothes, don’t forget to leave room for them in the hospital bag. Know that birth can be messy and the clothes you wear might not wash clean. Births happen every single day without a birth plan, but a birth plan empowers you to think through and write down your ideal birth situation and ensure your preferences are communicated to your birthing team. Any emergency that arises during labor or delivery, in which case your medical team may need to make changes to the plan based on what’s best for the health of you and your baby.
Some documents cover just the basics, while others are extremely detailed. First, you'll want to gather a few things ahead of time to get your house ready for the big day. You'll need towels, washcloths, and a plastic sheet or liner to place on your bed. If your midwife isn't providing puppy pads/absorbent pads, you need to get some of those, too. If you plan to use a birth pool, grab a couple of flannel-backed tablecloths and place them plastic side down underneath the pool before you fill it. The plastic will protect your floors from getting wet, and the flannel will absorb any drips you get in and out of the tub.
Properly Balancing Doula Work with Your Family Life
Although birth plans are more often created for when people are giving birth in the hospital, if you are planning to give birth at home, writing out a home birth plan is very beneficial. Whether you choose to breastfeed or formula-feed, you can begin whenever you and your baby are ready – the World Health Organization recommends starting breastfeeding right after birth. If you're nursing, let your medical team know if you'd like a lactation consultant to help. Feel free to use this template to create your home birth plan that works for you. It is my sincere hope that you have a beautiful birth experience that you feel good about in the end of the day. Remember this is a template, so you can choose which option is right for you.
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Sample Birth Plan Template
It even includes a section on C-section wishes in case you have one, because even the simplest birth plans should address all the possibilities. The color-coded sections are a nice way to break up the information for your providers, too. If you’re expecting twins or multiples, you’ve probably already noticed that most birth plan templates don’t exactly apply to your delivery. This free, printable template from Twiniversity is focused completely on twins, and includes detailed checklists of options for labor and pushing, as well as preferences for postpartum care. It’s extremely simple — just check your preferences, make copies for everyone in your care circle, and move on.
You don't have to hire a doula if you have a home birth, but some birthing parents like having both a doula and a midwife present while they're in labor. A doula is there for physical, emotional, and informational support, while the midwife tracks labor progress and ensures you and the baby stay safe during labor and delivery. They are monitoring the well-being of both you and the baby and keeping an eye on the labor process to ensure a safe birth. These two birth attendants serve very different roles, and some families like having both resources available. A support person should be someone you can feel comfortable with during the delivery. It is also essential to choose a person who will be there when you go into labor.
Creating a Birth Plan for a Vaginal Birth
As long as you and your baby are healthy and don't have any medical concerns, it's safe to have your baby at home once you are full-term and up to 2 weeks beyond your estimated due date. Your health care provider will do an ongoing assessment throughout your pregnancy to ensure that neither you nor your baby is high risk. If the need for a hospital transfer should arise, your health care provider will discuss their assessment with you.
Please see Practical Preparation for Home Birth for things to organise before your labour starts. You might also find the page on Antenatal Preparation for Home Birth interesting. Send me exclusive offers, unique gift ideas, and personalized tips for shopping and selling on Etsy.
But sometimes, complications can occur, and preferences such as having a home birth may no longer be safe for you or your unborn child. You should consider creating a contingency plan with backup options in case the unexpected happens. In which case, you can specify you’d prefer a gentle c-section or for the medical team to perform a vaginal seeding procedure. Discuss your preferences for pain management with your healthcare provider. If you're trying for an unmedicated birth, you might plan to work with a support team or use various labor props.
It also gives you a chance to communicate more detail if you deem it necessary. The completed birth plan helps the birthing parent cover their bases so the birth team has a clear idea of their preferences in a variety of possible situations. You can copy and paste the text below, or use the google doc template to get started. The first steps to creating a birth plan template are deciding what you want and how you envision your upcoming birth experience. Home birth plans are customarily followed more closely to meet the birth mother’s preferences while giving birth in a home setting. This holds true regardless of whether baby was born via vaginal delivery or c-section.
Aim for one or two pages at most, rather than an overly detailed checklist. Gathering as much knowledge as you can give you realistic expectations and instills confidence as you carry out your birthing plan. Basically, any solid support person to distract you from the pain, talk you through what’s next, and cheer you on. A mother birthing naturally moves in response to what she feels. Whether she gives birth in a hospital, birthing center, or at home, she is able to use a wide variety of comfort measures. All a woman needs is to be surrounded by family, friends, and health care providers who remind her of the power of birth and encourage and comfort her patiently.
I personally did this when I was putting together a VBAC birth plan for my VBA2C. I had a provider who was willing to help me specifically if I needed to transfer for any reason. Below is a list of common labor preferences to consider including on your home birth plan. Creating a list of preferences on your home birth plan is great. Just as with any other birth plan, keeping it short and sweet will typically benefit you the most.
Finally, be intentional about who you invite to be with you on your baby's birth day. Most home births are attended by a midwife, as they are the providers who have received specific training for out-of-hospital birth and are considered experts in normal, physiological birth. Have your birth plan in case of transfer separate from your home birth plan, and keep it tucked away in your bag. Below are some things you may want to consider having on your birth plan in case of a hospital transfer. First things first, I would suggest discussing this with your midwife and birth team in advance.
If your baby does need to be taken from you for special medical care, your partner or attendant can usually go along. Unless your baby needs special medical care, you can usually ask for all procedures and tests to be done while your baby is in the room with you. I'd like to be offered an epidural or other pain medication as soon as possible.
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