Free Birth Plan Template: What to Include

A birth plan is not about controlling your birth -- it is about communicating your preferences to a medical team who is meeting you for the first time during one of the most vulnerable moments of your life. Done well, it takes five minutes to read and gives everyone in the room a shared understanding of what matters to you.

Here is what to include, what to skip, and a section-by-section template you can adapt.

Before You Start: Key Principles

Keep It Short

Your birth plan should fit on one page. Nurses read dozens of these. A concise plan gets read; a three-page manifesto gets skimmed or set aside. Prioritize your top preferences and communicate the rest verbally.