How to do a Birth Plan

1. Do your homework.  There is really no short cut.  First, you have to read up on how to do a birth plan.  Then, you need to do your homework and find out more about giving birth, the various medical procedures and their complications both to you and to your baby, what are your hospital's standard practices, the options that are available to you, etc.  Read books, surf the net, talk to people.

2. Think through.  Having done all that research, you will have to think through the entire birth process and decide what you want.  It may help to visualise the whole process.

3. Discuss with your doctor. Let your doctor know what your preferences are and get his agreement.  You may have to do several revisions before you get an agreed birth plan. Sometimes, you need to compromise on certain aspects.  You may not be able to get all of what you want but to be able to have a say in even just some aspects is good enough.  However, if your doctor has completely no regard for your preference, you may wish to consider changing to another doctor who will be able to accommodate your preferences.

4. Write it down. Have writer's block?  Have no worries.  These days, you can write your birth plan with the aid of online interactive birth plan maker.  These sites either supply templates of birth plans or provide interactive, step-by-step guide.  They also have sample birth plans for your reference.

5. Don't sweat the small stuff.  Focus on the big issues.  It may be nice to have candlelights, soft music and aromatherapy in the labour ward.  But what's the point if you have all these and not the more important issues like whether to have an episiotomy or not?  Sometimes listing too many things down may work against you in that your doctor will also lose focus on what kind of labour (overall) you really want.

On the Other Hand....

A birth plan, though signed by you and your doctor, is not a legally binding document.  The good news is that you need not worry about situations like 'what if I decided to have epidural even though I stated that I don't want it in my birth plan'.  The bad news is that when the day comes, the doctors, nurses and midwives attending to you may not follow your birth plan to the dot. Your birth plan may become nothing more than an unfulfilled wish list.

Nevertheless, having a birth plan allows you to be aware of the possible options opened to you.  In the process of constructing your birth plan, you become more knowledgeable and knowledge empowers you.  If you do not know your options, you basically have no options. 

In my opinion, knowing what is going on will enhance your 'enjoyment' of the whole labour process.  It is possible to enjoy the birth process (despite the fact that the media always portray women who are giving birth screaming in pain and agony).  Minimally, with greater knowledge, you know what is going on and what to expect. This reduces your fear and anxiety level during labour and you will be more able to relax during your labour.