What to Include in a Birth Plan

A birth plan is a communication tool, not a contract. Labor rarely follows a script, and the nurses and doctors caring for you will have seen every variation of every preference you've written down. The plan isn't there to bind anyone — it's there to make sure your care team knows your priorities quickly, without having to ask during a contraction.

Done well, a birth plan takes 1–2 pages, uses clear language, and gets read. Done poorly, it's a 6-page document full of rigid demands that ends up folded in a folder no one opens.

When to write it

Aim for 32–36 weeks. Early enough that you've thought through your preferences, late enough that you've had the conversations with your OB or midwife that will shape those preferences. Review the final version at your 36-week appointment and ask your provider to flag anything that conflicts with hospital policy or your specific situation.

What to include

Labor environment

Who you want in the room (partner, doula, family members)
Lighting preferences (dimmed, natural light)
Music or ambient sound
Whether you want to move freely during labor (walking, birth ball, shower)
Photography — who can take photos and at what moments

Pain management

Be specific about your preferences, but include your fallback. For example: "I'd like to try nitrous oxide and/or a birth ball before requesting an epidural" is more useful than just "I want a natural birth." Options to address:

Epidural (yes / no / open to if needed)
IV opioids (fentanyl, morphine)
Nitrous oxide
Non-medical methods (movement, hydrotherapy, counterpressure)

Labor interventions

IV vs. hep-lock (saline lock)
Continuous vs. intermittent fetal monitoring
Artificial rupture of membranes (breaking your water)
Cervical checks — how frequent
Induction or augmentation methods (Pitocin, Foley bulb) if needed

Delivery preferences

Pushing position (semi-reclined, side-lying, squatting, hands and knees)
Coached pushing vs. laboring down
Episiotomy (prefer to avoid / open to if necessary)
Delayed cord clamping (how long — 1 minute, 3 minutes, until it stops pulsing)
Who cuts the cord
Immediate skin-to-skin after delivery

Postpartum (first hour and beyond)

Breastfeeding initiation — immediate or after a short delay
Newborn procedures — Vitamin K injection, eye ointment, hepatitis B vaccine (timing preferences)
Rooming-in vs. nursery
Visitors — who and when
If applicable: placenta preferences (encapsulation, burial, hospital disposal)

C-section preferences (if applicable)

Even if you're planning a vaginal birth, it's worth having a short section covering your preferences if a c-section becomes necessary. Preferences can include: clear drape or lowered drape for viewing, music in the OR, immediate skin-to-skin (if stable), partner staying close throughout.

What to skip

Overly rigid language. "I refuse all interventions" or "under no circumstances will I accept Pitocin" signals inflexibility rather than preference. Instead, use "I prefer to avoid unless medically necessary." Your care team is on your side — write the plan as if you trust them.

Too much detail. Your care team doesn't need three paragraphs about your philosophy on pain management. A checkbox with a short note is enough.

Duplicating your medical record. Your allergies, previous c-sections, and GBS status are already in your chart. Don't use birth plan space to repeat what's documented elsewhere.

How long it should be

One to two pages, maximum. Use checkboxes or short bullet points rather than paragraphs. Organize by phase (labor, delivery, postpartum) so the nurse reading it at shift change can find what's relevant in 30 seconds. If it requires a table of contents, it's too long.

A clean format also matters. A plan that's hard to read is easy to set aside. Use headers, clear sections, and enough white space that it doesn't feel like a legal document. For a structured approach to building single-page tools, see how lead magnet PDFs handle single-page layouts with clear information hierarchy.

The Birth Plan template on BuildPDFs gives you a pre-structured, printable one-page format with sections for all the key preferences, organized by phase. Fill it in, export it as a PDF, and bring multiple printed copies to the hospital — one for the chart, one for the wall, one for your bag.