Have you seen those really long questionnaires that are supposed to help you write your birth plan? While those can be helpful in finding out what options you may have during different stages and if complications should occur, most of what they say is not necessary to include on your birth plan.
Suppose you put a lot of thought into how you want your birth experience to go. You type up your birth plan, and it ends up being three pages long. When you're in labor, you go to the hospital and hand the nurse a copy of your birth plan. S/he might glance at it. But s/he likely won't have the time to go through it. And with so many items listed, s/he won't know what is most important to you.
One suggestion: keep it short and succinct.
My favorite way to lay out a birth plan is to divide it into the stages of labor and then put only one or two items in each section. These should be the things that are crucial to you, that apply to normal labor and birth, and things that are a departure from the hospital's normal routine. Don't put down "I would like to play music during labor" if the hospital allows it - just bring your music along and set it up when you get there.
Here's an example:
FIRST-STAGE LABOR
- I would like to be free of time limits. No artificial augmentation of labor so long as the baby and I are fine.
- I do not want any pain medication offered to me. I will request it if needed.
SECOND-STAGE LABOR
- I would like to allow the baby to descend using breathing-down techniques until the crowning takes place.
- I would like to push instinctively and not be told when or how to push.
POST BIRTH
- I would like to delay ointment in the baby's eyes for one hour after birth to allow for sight bonding.
That's it. One page long. But it's very clear and only lists the things that matter most to the mother or that depart from normal procedures. Many of the things you might want - "I'd like to breastfeed", "I'd like to take pictures" - probably do not need to be written down on your birth plan and only take up space. Keep it simple. Keep it realistic.
Also keep in mind that I'm talking about the piece of paper that will be handed to the nurses and doctor/midwife. When you're thinking about what you want and don't want, yes, be as lengthy and comprehensive as you can. But realize that your caretakers will pay more attention to a short, easy-to-read list of the most important parts, so pare down the list you give to your care providers.
This will require you to talk to your caretaker about what is and is not allowed according to hospital protocol. Writing "I want to eat and drink freely" on your birth plan won't do you a lick of good if the hospital doesn't allow laboring women food and liquids by mouth.
As far as complications (the specifics of what you want to do in case of emergency c-section, if the baby is not breathing, etc.), your options are important to understand. I would write that list and keep it separately. But know that your options will likely be limited and the hospital will make as many accomodations for you and your partner as they can.
Sick Infant
Choose as many as you would like.
This seems a bit unnecessary to write on a birth plan. You're not going to say, "If my baby is sick, I want my visitation to be limited" or "I want to stay in a separate location from my sick baby". But things like wanting the screen lowered during a c-section or having the baby stay with one parent at all times after a section, or if you have something like a lotus birth planned (I'm not holding my breath that anyone in this audience does), those things should probably be on your "complications" list.
Some people say that birth plans are silly, unimportant, and you can't plan what will happen during labor anyway. I think that, though they probably won't change the kind of labor one has, they are valuable, at the very least because they make the pregnant woman find out what matters to her. When labor begins it is too late to do research or make preferences.
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