Birth Plan Tips
Your birth plan must be read and respected. Here's how to increase your chances of having the care you want from the hospital staff. If you're looking for an interactive birth plan maker, please check the links below.
Keep it brief - list only what's most important to you -- don't list every possible intervention you'd like to avoid. Remember that you can refuse any intervention when it is offered. If you want to eat and drink in labor, it will help if you can get your caregiver to sign your birth plan (or at least initial that one item) and include it in your chart.
Make it easy to read - avoid using a small font or handwriting unless your handwriting is clear and easy to read. Use bullet points and leave some white space.
Make it relevant - make a separate birth plan for the nursing staff and the doctor, including only relevant items on each. The nursing staff doesn't need to be told that you're having a doula since your doula will arrive with you and the doctor doesn't need to be told that you'd like to keep the lights dim while you're in labor, since he or she probably won't arrive until the very last minute.
Humor Helps - if your birth plan is entertaining, amusing, or somehow different, the nurses will be more likely to take notice. A cute baby picture, or funny observation can make all the difference!
Say it with food - nurses work long hours and sometimes miss their lunch break, so they always appreciate snacks. Your birth plan, with its photo attached, will be read by every nurse at the station if it is presented along with a small basket of reasonably healthy snacks, such as cookies, fruit, crackers and cheese, nuts, etc. Chocolate can be included but there should be some nourishing food along with it.
Personalize it - attach a snapshot of you and your partner to the birth plan. This will make you more real to the staff as well as identify who provided the food basket (leave a blank area to add your room number once you've arrived at the hospital). If you've had other birth experience, you might mention that, i.e., "My first child was born by cesarean delivery, so it's important to me to have a vaginal delivery this time."
Solicit their help- most doctors and nurses go into the health profession because they want to help. However, because they are in the medical profession, many of them have never seen a natural (unmedicated) birth, and they truly believe that the epidural, episiotomy, IV, Heplock, catheter, internal fetal monitor, etc. are all "helpful." If you ask for their help in avoiding these interventions, it gives them a different focus for their desire to help.
Keep it positive - avoid the words and phrases that include "no," or "don't." Find the positive way to say what you want. Saying "It's important to me to have the freedom to walk and change positions during my labor" will be respected more than "I don't want to have continuous fetal monitoring."
Keep it simple - �I am hoping to work with a nurse who believes in natural childbirth� and �I expect to actively participate in all decisions to ensure my ability to provide informed consent� are the types of simple statements that will get you what you want.
by tracy hartley CD(DONA)
revised
B*E*S*T Doula Service-look for birthplan along the right side
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