Your Birth Plan Is More Powerful Than You Know

Your birth plan is more powerful than you know.

A birth plan is not a legal document, but it can serve as evidence in a court of law to demonstrate how a woman expected to be treated and supported by her care providers during labour, birth, and the immediate postpartum period. It outlines preferences and decisions that should have been discussed and agreed upon before the estimated due date. For example, if the plan specifies the desire for a water birth, it highlights the expectation that this option would be available.

Click here to find out more about Birth Mapping

 

 

When creating a birth plan, it’s crucial to keep it succinct, specific, and easy to read. Use bullet points and clear, direct language to eliminate confusion and ensure your preferences are immediately understood.

Long, overly detailed birth plans are often overlooked by care providers due to time constraints or dismissed as unrealistic. Some may even assume that a lengthy plan indicates a rigid mindset, which can lead to unnecessary interventions like a caesarean if complications arise.

A concise birth plan shows that you are well-informed, flexible, and prepared while making it easier for your care team to quickly understand your priorities. Focus on the key points that matter most to you and be clear about your preferences for different scenarios. This approach encourages collaboration, minimises misunderstandings, and helps you stay in control of your birth experience.

If you feel your care providers are not supporting your wants and needs, remember that you have a choice: you can either stay and accept the care being offered or seek out a provider who better aligns with your preferences.

With choice comes responsibility and consequences, so it’s important to take ownership of those decisions—you have to own your birth.

Having a birth plan doesn’t mean you can’t change your mind later. Instead, it provides a foundation for discussion, informed consent, and trust.

I’ve included a basic birth plan template for you to customise and create your own personalised plan. This is just a guide—you can add or remove anything to suit your individual needs and preferences.

You’ll notice that the language used in the template is assertive and direct, clearly highlighting your choices. As Catherine Bell emphasises in The Birth Map, “It is your birth, your way,” and using active language in your plan is essential to communicate your decisions without relinquishing your power. If interventions become necessary, that should be addressed as a separate pathway, carefully researched and included in your plan to ensure you’re prepared for every possibility.

 

Back to Basics Birth Plan Template

 

I also advise women to read and print out a copy of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) Maternity Decision Making Guidelines and attach it to your birth plan.

CLICK HERE FOR AMA MATERNITY DECISION MAKING GUIDELINES

Along with the AMA Maternity Decision Making Guidelines I have included the RANZCOG “Consent and Provision of Information to Patients in Australia Regarding Proposed Treatment – July 2019″

Consent-and-provision-of-information-to-patients-in-Australia

Prepare your birth plan and give one copy to the Obstetrician at your next appointment and ask for it to be placed in your file.

Do this early – rather than towards the end of your pregnancy when there may be more challenges if you want to change care providers.

 

I also suggest that you take several copies of your birth plan and the AMA guidelines when arriving at the hospital during labour and have those on hand in the birthing suite for anyone who hasn’t looked at your birth plan.

Here is another article about birth plans that was co-written by Professor Hannah Dahlen who is the Professor of Midwifery at the University of Western Sydney and Bashi Kumar who is a Human Rights Lawyer specialising Human Rights in Childbirth:

https://ethics.org.au/dont-throw-the-birth-plan-out-with-the-birth-water/

It’s important to remember that consent can be withdrawn at any time.

The key is to ensure your entire birth team is aligned with your wants and needs for this birth.

Take your time when choosing a healthcare provider, and don’t commit until you’re confident they will support your decisions. You can determine this by asking relevant questions. If they don’t align with your preferences or you notice red flags, you still have time to seek alternative care.

Here is a list of questions you can ask your care provider:

Questions to ask prospective care providers

You can also document conversations with your provider, especially when discussing risks or benefits. If you’ve requested research or evidence and feel that the information provided isn’t evidence-based, you have the right to voice your concerns and say:

“I understand what you have told me about the risks and benefits of that recommendation, and I still decline / do not consent to that.”

If a healthcare provider continues to harass or bully you about a recommendation, then you can say:

“I’d like to see that policy / research / evidence in writing, and I’d like you to notify your legal department that you are going to force me to have an intervention / treatment that I have formally declined.”

If that doesn’t work, then ask to speak to the hospital / patient advocate who will then need to document all discussions between you and your care provider.

This is another benefit of having a “birth plan” documented in your file.

 

It is also important that women recognise they have rights when it comes to childbirth. You are not just a vessel for incubating your baby, and you have the right to consent, not consent or withdraw consent at any time.

You are protected by the law when it comes to consent for medical procedures and in this article, I wrote “The Rights of Childbearing Women in Australia” I have included links that highlight the protection of women and the legalities around consent:

Click here for “The Rights of Childbearing Women”

Dr Rachel Reed from Midwife Thinking has also written about consent and the law in her article where she states: “It seems that many health care professionals are routinely putting themselves at risk of legal action in relation to information giving (or not as the case may be). Either they are unaware of the implications, or they think women will never hold them to account. This post is a very brief and basic overview of law (Australian) in relation to information giving.”

https://midwifethinking.com/2016/06/15/information-giving-and-the-law/

If you feel you need more information about creating a birth plan, then please do not hesitate to contact me and we can book an appointment to prepare a plan based on your set of circumstances.

If you would like more information about my Hypnobirthing Classes Perth, please CLICK HERE