Birth Plan

Pregnant and thinking about your delivery? A birth plan helps!

Your delivery is one of the most special moments in your life. It makes sense that you think about it and want to make your own choices. With a birth plan, you put your wishes clearly on paper. Not because it allows you to fully direct your delivery—it often goes very differently than planned. But with a birth plan you can make clear to others what you find important. How to create such a plan, what to include, and when to discuss it? We’ll tell you here, including an example of a birth plan.

What is a birth plan?

A birth plan, also called a birth preference document, is a document where you write down what is important to you for the delivery. It contains your wishes and preferences. For example, where you would like to give birth and how you feel about possible interventions. You can also write down what happens right after your baby is born, who may be present, and whether photos may be taken. It is not a strict manual that must be followed, but a useful overview that makes your wishes clear and helps you prepare.

What should be included in a birth plan?

You can make your birth plan as detailed or brief as you like. What you include is up to you, but it could cover the following:

• Where you would like to give birth (at home, hospital, or birth center)
• Who you would like to have present
• How you want to cope with contractions
• Whether you want pain relief, and which kind
• Whether you would like to give birth in water
• How you want to handle atmosphere, quietness, and photography
• What you definitely do not want
• What your expectations are after birth (such as breastfeeding, cutting the umbilical cord, and first contact)

In short, the birth plan is your plan. There are no rules you must follow. Want an example so you have an idea of what to write down? Take a look at this birth plan, which we’ve put on our site as an example.

When should you discuss your birth plan with your midwife?

Have you prepared a birth plan? Then it is of course useful to discuss it with your midwife so that we know your wishes. At Verloskundigen Amsterdam Zuid, we usually do this between week 32 and week 34 of your pregnancy. We go through your choices and discuss anything you are unsure about. By discussing it, we also know what you find important and what your wishes are. We will take them into account as much as possible, and if you are transferred to a gynecologist, we will inform them too. Keep in mind that things can always go differently—because you change your mind during labor, or because the medical situation requires it.

What forms of pain relief are available?

If you want to include something about pain relief in your birth plan, it’s good to look into it beforehand. You can choose from different types of pain relief, both natural and medical. Not every option is available at home or in a birth center. These are some options:

• Warm water (shower or bath)
• Massage, breathing techniques, or a TENS device
• Laughing gas (available at the birth center and hospital)
• Epidural (hospital only)
• Morphine or other pain-relieving injections (hospital only)

Can someone take photos during my delivery?

Yes, that’s certainly allowed. But do discuss it in advance. Do you want your partner to take photos or someone else? And do you want clear boundaries about what can and cannot be photographed? That’s exactly the kind of thing to include in your birth plan.

What do you do with your birth plan?

Keep your birth plan with the things you prepare in your hospital bag. Even if you want a home birth, it’s helpful to have everything together so we can quickly find your plan, or take it along if you still go or want to go to the hospital.

Frequently Asked Questions about the birth plan

Is a birth plan mandatory?

No, it’s your choice. But it does help you calmly think about what’s important to you during your delivery.

Can I discuss my birth plan with my midwife?

Yes, absolutely. We usually do this around week 32–34 of your pregnancy.

Can I have a water birth?

Yes, at home or in a birth center. For a home birth, you must arrange this in advance. At a birth center, a birthing pool must be available. Not all hospitals in Amsterdam have a birthing pool.

How would I like to give birth?

That’s up to you. You don’t have to know it perfectly in advance, and it often changes during labor. So think about it, write it down, and remember it can always go differently than you imagine now.

Create your birth plan together? You’re welcome in Amsterdam Zuid

Would you like to prepare well for your delivery? Come visit Verloskundigen Amsterdam Zuid. We guide you throughout your pregnancy so that you go into your delivery with confidence. And if you want to record your wishes in a birth plan, we are happy to help with that too. Feel free to ask us—we’re here for you.