Birth Plan Template: What to Include, What to Skip

Keep it to one page

Labor and delivery staff are far more likely to actually read and reference a clear, one-page plan than a lengthy document. Focus on your genuine priorities and preferences rather than covering every possible scenario in detail.

What to include

• Who you want present — partner, doula, family members, and any limits on visitors
• Pain management preferences — epidural, unmedicated, or open to deciding in the moment
• Mobility preferences — freedom to move/change positions during labor if possible
• Immediate newborn preferences — skin-to-skin contact, delayed cord clamping, who cuts the cord
• Feeding intentions — breastfeeding, formula, or open to deciding after birth
• Special circumstances — anything specific to your situation (previous C-section, religious/cultural practices, sensory sensitivities)

What to skip

Detailed contingency plans for every possible complication tend to add length without adding usefulness — your medical team will make real-time decisions based on what's actually happening, and an overly rigid plan can create disappointment rather than flexibility if birth doesn't go as scripted. Frame your plan as preferences, not demands, and it'll serve you better emotionally either way.

Bring multiple copies

Print several copies — one for your chart, one for your partner, one to keep with your hospital bag. Don't rely on a single digital copy alone, since phone battery and hospital wifi can't be guaranteed during labor.