The importance of a good birth plan
A birth plan is a document created by the pregnant woman, in which she writes down and specifies her wishes and preferences at every stage of her child’s birth, according to hers and the child’s health along the pregnancy. Its importance is emphasized by the World Health Organization (WHO), which has categorized it as aa priority recommendation, as it improves the quality of care to mothers and newborns around the world.
In this sense, a good birth plan ensures the best chance of a peaceful and satisfying experience at this very important moment of giving birth. Furthermore, it’s also a great way to ensure the most natural and humanized birth possible.
In order to promote the benefits of having a birth plan customized to the individual wishes of a pregnant woman, we have separated the main questions that may arise regarding its use, functioning and preparation:
WHAT SHOULD MY BIRTH PLAN INCLUDE?
In this document, women should mention their preferences and wishes, including:
- type of delivery
- environment (lighting, music, noise interference)
- medical interventions (if necessary)
- presence of companions (husband, friend, doula, etc)
- how the first contact with the baby will be
- baby care
It is also important for pregnant women to specify any special health issues, as these may interfere with labor.
HOW CAN I BEST PREPARE MY BIRTH PLAN?
It’s important that the pregnant woman writes it calmly, studying and researching all their interests. Therefore, it is ideal to start this process at the beginning of the pregnancy, so that all of the woman’s requirements and desires are included in the document.
The assistance of a doula, although not mandatory, is very important at this time, as she will inform, support and show the woman all her rights and choices. This increases the guarantee that the pregnant woman is aware of all the details of her delivery.
It’s highly recommended to take a good perinatal education course, so that the pregnant woman understand all the processes of pregnancy, delivery, and the postpartum period, with the support of technical-scientific, physiological, psychological, and emotional knowledge. This will give the mother-to-be a better understanding of the stages her body will go through which will enable her to draw up a good birth plan that respects her body, psychological state, and unborn baby
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