Hit print and get planning.
Updated: November 29, 2022 Originally Published: July 14, 2022 We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.When it comes to creating your birth plan, where do you even start? Aside from all the choices you have to make about your delivery, how do you make the actual plan? The good news is that you’re not the first parent to wish for a little guidance, so there are plenty of free birth plan templates available online whether this is your first pregnancy, you’re planning on a V-BAC, in case this turns out to be an emergency cesarean, and everything in between.
When you’re scrolling through all the printable birth plans out there, so take some time to find a format that you like. Maybe you want all the possible options you could consider in one big list so you can just check off which ones you want, or perhaps you’d rather use a simple birth plan template that’s short and sweet. If you’re having a planned C-section, a home birth, or giving birth to multiples, it’s important to find a printable birth plan that addresses the unique decisions you’ll need to make for those specific types of delivery. And for those having a vaginal birth after C-section, when your delivery could really go either way, a VBAC birth plan is going to be helpful for everyone involved.
After you’ve found a birth plan template you like, you’ll likely want to print more than one copy to fill out. At the hospital, you can usually add your birth plan to your patient records, and you may want to bring copies for your nurses and doctors when you arrive to deliver your baby. In birth centers or at home, your midwife or doula may want copies as well.
Looking for a one-page option that covers the essentials and doesn’t overwhelm you with the rest? This printable birth plan template from Truly Mama focuses on need-to-know information about you and your delivery. The checklist includes some of the most common preferences listed in birth plans — like wearing your own clothes and delayed cord clamping — so you can check the boxes you want and forget the rest. It even includes a section on C-section wishes in case you have one, because even the simplest birth plans should address all the possibilities. The color-coded sections are a nice way to break up the information for your providers, too.
One major reason birth planning can feel so overwhelming is all the medical decision-making, especially when you don’t know what’s standard practice and what you have to specifically ask for. This printable birth plan from the Cord for Life Foundation includes brief descriptions of what typically happens during that stage of labor, and why it’s important to think about your options. It’s a helpful introduction to the whole birth planning process.
A checklist-style birth plan template like this one from the Peanut app covers many popular preferences, meaning you can simply print it out and select the options that suit you. The sections address each stage of your delivery — active labor, pushing, and immediately postpartum — so you can envision how everything will flow on the big day. This printable birth plan template is a one-page, one-sided option, which makes it easier for busy doctors and nurses to read in its entirety, ensuring they know exactly what’s most important to you. If anything is missing from the checklist sections, you can always add it in the notes area.
If you want full control over what your birth plan says and you want it to look polished when you’re done, this is the template for you. The Savvy Mama Lifestyle blog’s birth plan worksheet breaks your preferences up by topic (atmosphere, pain management, and so on), but otherwise leaves the description of your choices up to you. Midwives, doulas, nurses, and doctors will love that they’re not scanning a long document for which boxes you’ve checked and which you haven’t, and guarantees that the preferences you care about are front and center. This printable template is more for people who have a good sense of what they want. If you haven’t researched all of your birth plan options yet, some of the other templates in this list may give you a better jumping-off point.
Want to fit all the essentials on one page? The birth plan template from Motif Medical is free, printable, and designed to be easy to read quickly. It ensures everything that matters to you gets across clearly while keeping things short and simple.
