Should you write a Birth Plan?

The short answer is, yes. I think writing a birth plan or, more accurately, birth preferences is essential. Birth preparation is your responsibility, and saying you'll "go with the flow" is usually code for "I'm feeling overwhelmed/scared at the thought of learning about what's actually going to happen". Which is understandable, but do what you can to overcome this.

The process of writing your plan can be more important than the plan itself.

This is because in order to write the plan you have to learn all about birth. A fully informed person is an empowered person. You need to know your options, your wants and absolutely don't wants. In my 1st labour, I shouted mid-contraction "I DO NOT CONSENT TO THAT!" when the consultant was prepping for an episiotomy - my daughter was born 2 pushes later, no tears, no stitches. If I hadn't been educated, I couldn't have advocated for myself in that moment and would have had an unnecessary intervention and much longer post-natal recovery.

Despite all I’ve just said, it's important to remember the role of luck. You can do all the planning in the world and still, your birth might not go ‘to plan’. It is NEVER your fault. It happens. A lot of birth is out of our direct control and that can be hard to accept, but doesn't mean you should skip the birth plan.

What I would say is that often fear gets in the way, so do as much mental prep as you can. Biomechanics can also impact a vaginal birth and I’ll share more about this another day. For now, find yourself a great pregnancy-trained osteopath and get booked in (Amanda Burnham is my go-to in Edinburgh!).

📝 Birth Prep Activity

Write your birth preferences/plan but ONLY once you feel like you are knowledgeable and educated about birth in your area or country.

You could:
📖 Read books
👩‍⚕️ Ask your midwife or consultant questions
💻 Learn about the normal physiology of birth
💡 Research induction of labour
🏥 Learn about the so-called 'cascade of interventions'
💭 Consider the pros and cons of each intervention/type of pain relief and when you might reach your threshold on your risk analysis