What Is a Birth Plan? How to Prepare Yours
Organise your preferences for communication, privacy, your birth companion and the first hours, then prepare a short note to discuss with your healthcare team.
Read the guideBirth guides
Preparing for birth also involves expressing your preferences and talking with the person who will accompany you. These guides help you gather your wishes on one page, choose topics to discuss with your hospital and agree your partner or companion's role in advance.
When preparing birth preferences, make your priorities clear rather than writing a fixed scenario. Who you want beside you, how you prefer information to be communicated and your privacy preferences can start the conversation. The hospital’s rules for companions and independent midwives must also be confirmed.
These articles do not predict how birth will unfold. They help you organise questions if plans change, share tasks with your partner and decide whom to discuss your preferences with. Read the preferences guide and prepare a short note, then use the companion guide for transport and communication. If you want birth companionship, discuss timing and participation conditions in a birth support consultation.
Who should I share my birth preferences with?
Share your plan with the responsible team at your birth hospital and the person you want beside you. Discuss privacy, communication and companion preferences; clarify the hospital's arrangements and what will happen if plans change.
Discuss your preferences with your hospitalHow can my partner or companion prepare before birth?
Talk in advance about how you would like them to support you. Sharing tasks such as transport, bags, contact people and keeping track of notes gives you a practical way to understand each other's expectations.
Share practical preparation with your companionBirth companionship and support planning
Read about birth
Your partner and birth companion: small, meaningful preparations
Discuss your birth companion's role: listening, preparing transport, remembering preferences and helping communication with the healthcare team.
Read the guideThese preparation guides cover everyday planning and communication. Sources and publication details are provided in each article.
THE FIRST STEP IS A CONVERSATION
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