Birth plan examples

How you write your plan will depend on how strongly you feel about any specific areas. It can be quite short and simple, as these examples show.

Birth plan one

I hope to keep as active and mobile as possible in labour with the help of my partner Paul. I would appreciate your help and suggestions for ways to cope.

I don’t know what pain relief I will use yet, but would like the chance to discuss it with my midwife at the time.

I would like to be kept informed about how labour is progressing, and if I need medical interventions I would like the chance to talk through the options, if there is time.

When our baby is born we would like the lights kept low and for Paul to cut the cord, if all is well.

Birth plan two

This is my second baby and last time labour was long and slow. This time I have been to classes and want to use the helpful positions we have been shown, to move labour along.

I am hiring a TENS machine, which I shall begin to use at home. I am also planning to use relaxation and massage to ease the pain. I don’t think I’ll want pethidine, but if labour continues for a long time, I would consider an epidural.

Unless there are good medical reasons, I’d like to avoid artificial rupture of the membranes and electronic monitoring.

I want to hold my baby as soon as possible, and put him to the breast straight away.

Birth plan three

My eldest daughter is eight years old, and I would like her to be able to come into the labour room if she wants, and to visit as soon as the baby is born. I am planning to have an epidural, and my husband and sister will be with me, so there will be someone to mind her.

Of course I hope to deliver the baby naturally, but if I need an assisted delivery, I would prefer to have a ventouse if possible, because I suffered a lot of soreness last time from the forceps delivery.

I’m really squeamish about the placenta and would prefer not to see it.

Birth plan four

I hope to have my baby at home, and have hired a birthing pool to use for pain relief. I haven’t decided whether or not to deliver in the pool and would like to talk about that once I am in labour.

I plan to use lots of self-help techniques.

I hope to have my mum and a friend, Susie, at the birth. If I have to go into hospital for any reason I would like them to come along as well.

I would like to keep all intervention to the minimum possible.

• Read a home a hospital birth plan, and a brief plan
• Get the lowdown on writing your birth plan
• Find out all about what happens in labour
• Read our top tips on how to get the birth you want