First time mothers and women who may have had a difficult first birth may be worried about the labor and birth of their child. Having a birth plan can give women the structure and ease they need in order to relax into a process that is uncontrollable in many ways.
Birth plans also spawn an investigative search into the practical and spiritual aspects of having a baby and helps to define the type of birth that is ideal for a particular woman, mainly, which procedures may help or hinder the experiences.
Elizabeth Stein, a midwife from New York City recommends answering these 5 questions:
1. Keep it simple. Try to keep your birth plan to a single page.
2. Create your birth plan early in your pregnancy and then use it to find a health care provider whose philosophy aligns with yours.
3. Research hospitals and birthing centers whose policies and practices mesh with your birth plan “wish list.
4. Keep the big picture in mind. You don’t need to get into the nitty gritty details of how every aspect of your labor will play out. Think about the key issues that are most important to you.
5. Remember that a healthy mom and baby are the ultimate goal of any birth plan.
