Birth plan worksheet

Highlights

• Why you may need a birth plan
• More information

Why you may need a birth plan

Writing a birth plan gives you a chance to think about and discuss with your partner and your caregiver how — ideally — you'd like your baby's birth to be handled. You can't control every aspect of labor and delivery, but a printed document gives you a place to make your wishes clear. Just remember that you'll need to stay flexible in case something comes up that requires your birth team to depart from your plan.

A written birth plan also helps refresh your practitioner's memory when you're in labor. And it informs new members of your medical team — such as your labor-and-delivery nurse — about your preferences when you're in active labor (and probably not in the mood for drawn-out conversation).

Get ready for labor

Print and fill out our
birth plan worksheet.

Our worksheet provides a checklist of options to consider. Not all of these will be available in every setting or make sense for your situation, particularly if your pregnancy is high-risk. That's why it's important to take the worksheet with you to a prenatal appointment and go over it with your doctor or midwife.

Read and print out the birth plan worksheet.

After you've filled out the worksheet, give one copy to your practitioner, have one put in your file at the hospital or birth center, and put one in the bag you're packing for the day you give birth.