Ready to Make a Birth Plan? Get Started with This Template

Birth plans—part wish list, part strategy guide, and 100% worth your time. A birth plan is a written guide to your wishes and preferences during labor, birth and even the first few days after your baby is born. Giving birth is unpredictable, no matter how educated you are and how much you’ve prepared. That doesn’t mean you should throw up your hands and go with the flow. You are entitled to be informed and centered throughout the birth process.

You only get to give birth to your baby once, so it’s worth making sure your experience reflects what matters to you, as much as is humanly (and clinically) possible. After all, research shows that your birth experience can affect you, your baby, and your family for years to come. Writing a birth plan is a way to think intentionally about your options so that you can make informed choices and communicate with your care team. 

By now, you’ve probably already thought about some of the biggies—like your pain medication preferences and if you want delayed cord clamping. But what about the stuff that doesn’t always make the standard birth plan checklist? There are a few often-missed options you may not have considered. 

Below, we cover 5 of those, plus give you some guidance on how to actually put pen to paper (or words in the Google doc) to write a personal, practical plan for your birthing day. Note that these tips are best if you’re birthing in a hospital, but may still be useful if you’re planning a birth center or home birth. 

Scroll down further to see a 2025 birth plan template developed by a full-spectrum Doula and the pelvic floor PTs at Origin. Consider it a menu of options—everyone's plan will be different!

5 Things most people forget to include in their birth plan

1. Pelvic floor

You knew we were going to include this one here at Origin. Did you know your pelvic floor muscles can stretch up to three times their normal length during a vaginal birth?! That’s one of the reasons why your pelvic floor can be deeply affected by what happens during birth. Consider your pelvic floor when making your birth plan, including your preferences for pushing (like positions, breathing, etc), getting informed consent during a birth that requires a vacuum, forceps, or episiotomy, and any other concerns that might be specific to you. 

If you’ve already been experiencing pelvic floor pain, tightness, or other issues during pregnancy (or if you had a pelvic floor injury during a previous birth), it’s even more important to think through your options and articulate what you want. 

2. Privacy

Partner, check! Doula, check! But what about other people attending your birth? Plenty of parents want to optimize privacy during their labor—that means limiting people in the room to just essential medical personnel. 

If this is you, this preference is worth expressing on your birth plan. Include whether or not you’re ok with students (like medical students or nursing students) witnessing or being involved in your care. Remember, it’s always ok to opt for privacy during your birth.

3. Photography

Do you want photographs taken during your birth? Who will take them—your partner, support person, or maybe the L&D nurse you’re working with? Or are you considering working with a birth photographer to get professional photos of this pivotal event? Do you want photos that are strictly no-nipple and above the waist— or are you ok with some private parts, especially at the time of birth or during skin-to-skin?  

Some hospitals have limits on visitors during birth or rules against taking photos or video of certain aspects of the birth process, so it’s key to understand the policies of where you’re birthing, too. 

4. Placenta

You probably know you have the opportunity to take your placenta home. But did you know you always have the option to have your doctor or midwife give you a “tour” of your placenta after birth? They’ll show you all the ins and outs of the organ you grew to support your baby, including the fetal side, the maternal side, the amniotic sac where your baby lived, and anything else that’s notable about your placenta. 

If this sounds like it’s interesting to you, be sure to request it on your birth plan! 

5. Personalized Preferences

There may be requests unique to you, your lived experience, or your clinical situation that you want to put on your plan. For example, if your baby has a known condition and will go to the NICU soon after birth, it may be worth thinking through your options—like if you want your partner to head to NICU with baby while you stay in L&D to recover. 

You may also want to consider how you can best receive trauma-informed care during labor and birth. If you’re a survivor of sexual assault, you may wish to lessen the frequency of cervical checks or only have female providers involved in your care. 

If you’ve had a pregnancy loss, you may have other special requests for your care. Consider your life and past experiences—if there’s anything that hospital staff need to know or can do to make the experience of giving birth better for you, add it to your plan. 

Tips for writing your birth plan

Once you’ve considered all your options, you need to actually make the plan. The MO here is short and simple. While it’s tempting to cover every little thing that could pop up, this is the place for big-picture ideas for your best birth—include only the most important aspects.

Your birth plan should be about one page long. Use bullet points under each section header. You want your plan to be easily readable and understandable—a busy nurse should be able to scan and get a solid idea of how she can care for you.

Be sure to put your name and the names of any other people attending your birth (including a doula), the name of your doctor or midwife, and the name of the baby’s pediatrician. Some people also like to include a short sentence providing some context around their choices, e.g. “I’m a runner and used to pushing my body, so please do not offer pain medication unless I request it” or “I had a previous loss, so I’d love extra verbal reassurance that my baby is doing well.”

You may also want to include an advance thank you to the staff for their care and consideration. 

No matter where, how, or with whom you’re planning to give birth, making a birth plan is a powerful exercise in exploring your needs and desires, as well as understanding the care and options available. It’s also an excellent way to have important conversations with your support people, from your partner and provider to your doula and family members. Above all, it’s about making sure your voice is heard when it matters most. 

2025 Birth Plan Template

This is a guideline for you and your birth term to discuss ahead of time.  Please follow your hospital’s / birth center’s guidelines when filling this sheet out.  Also, know that a birth plan does not guarantee all preferences will be met; this is dependent on your hospital’s / birth center’s resources and your medical team's decision making that optimizes safety for yourself and your baby.

Birth Team

• Name and number of your support person:
• Name and number of ob-gyn:
• Name and number of pediatrician:
• Name and number of doula/midwife (if applicable):
• Due date:

Labor Preferences

• Choose as many as you wish:
  
  • I would like to be able to move around as I wish during labor
  • I would like to be able to drink fluids during labor
  • I would like to be able to eat foods during labor
• I prefer:
  
  • An intravenous (IV) line for fluids and medications
  • A heparin or saline lock (this device provides access to a vein but is not hooked up to a fluid bag) 
  • I don't have a preference
• I (would) / (would not) like to avoid vaginal/cervical exams unless absolutely necessary?
  
  • If selected “would not”: I (would) / (would not) like to avoid vaginal/cervical exams after water is broken.
• I would like to have the access to the following options (if they are available and/or if I provide them):
  
  • A birthing ball
  • A birthing stool
  • A birthing chair
  • A squat bar
  • A warm compress
  • A room with a tub for a warm shower or bath during the 1st stage of labor
  • Other:
• I’m not interested in
  
  • A urinary catheter unless medically necessary
  • An intravenous (IV) line, unless I’m dehydrated
• I’d like fetal monitoring to be:
  
  • Continuous
  • Intermittent
  • Internal
  • Performed only by doppler
• If my labor needs augmentation, I would like to use these options:
  
  • Performed only if baby is in distress
  • First attempted by natural methods (such as nipple stimulation)
  • Performed with prostaglandin gel for cervical ripening
  • Performed with Pitocin
  • Performed by cook balloons
  • Performed by foley bulbs
  • Performed by stripping of the membrane
  • Performed by rupture of the membrane
  • Never to include an artificial rupture of the membrane
• Other (fill in if you want to provide more information):

Pain Management Preferences

• Choose one:
  
  • I do not want an epidural offered to me during labor unless I request it.
  • I would like an epidural. Please discuss the options with me.
    
    • If yes + you have scoliosis and/or a spinal fusion surgery, please bring x-rays to share with your anesthesiologist 
  • I do not know whether I want an epidural. Please discuss the options with me.
• For pain management, I would like to use the following
  
  • Acupressure
  • Acupuncture
  • Breathing techniques
  • Cold therapy
  • Opiod analgesics
  • Distraction
  • Hot therapy
  • Hypnosis
  • Massage
  • Meditation
  • Reflexology
  • Standard epidural
  • TENS Unit
  • Nitrous oxide
  • Nothing
  • Only what I request at the time
  • Whatever is suggested at the time
  • Other (fill in if you want to provide more information):

Birth Preferences

• My preferred mode of birth is:
  
  • Vaginal
  • C-section
• During vaginal birth, I would like to:
  
  • Squat
  • Semi-recline
  • Lie on my side
  • Be on my hands and knees
  • Stand
  • Lean on my partner or support person
  • Use people for leg support
  • Use foot pedals for support
  • Use a birth bar for support
  • Use a birthing stool, chair or ball
  • Be in a birthing tub
  • Other:
• If applicable, I would like the following:
  
  • To use a mirror to see the baby's birth
  • For my labor partner to help support me during the pushing stage
  • For the room to be as quiet as possible
  • For my music to be played
  • As few interruptions as possible
  • Hospital staff limited to my doctor and nurses only (no students, residents, interns, etc.)
  • To wear my own clothes
  • For the lights to be dimmed
  • To be able to have one of my support people take a video or pictures of the birth if allowed by the hospital
  • For my partner to help catch the baby
  • To cut the cord 
  • To have my support person cut the cord
  • For my baby to be put directly onto my chest immediately after delivery
  • Other:
• Immediately after delivery, I would like:
  
  • The umbilical cord to be cut at 60 seconds
  • The umbilical cord to be cut only after it stops pulsating (delayed cord clamping)
  • To bank the cord blood
  • To donate the cord blood
  • To deliver the placenta spontaneously and without assistance
  • To see the placenta before it’s discarded
  • To save the placenta so I can take it home
• In the event of a vaginal birth, as baby is delivered I’d like to:
  
  • Push spontaneously
  • Push as directed
  • Push without holding my breath
  • Push while holding my breath
  • Push without time limits, as long as baby and I aren’t at risk
  • Use a mirror to see baby crown
  • Touch the head as it crowns
  • Let the epidural wear off while pushing
  • Have a full dose of epidural
  • Avoid forceps usage
  • Avoid vacuum extraction
  • Use whatever methods my provider deems necessary
  • Help catch the baby
  • Let my partner or a support person catch baby
  • Have baby placed on my chest immediately after birth
  • Other:
• I would like an episiotomy:
  
  • Only if my baby is at risk
  • Performed as my doctor deems necessary
• In the event of a c-section, I would like:
  
  • A second opinion (if unplanned)
  • To make sure all other options have been exhausted (if unplanned)
  • My partner or support person to remain with me the entire time
  • The drape lowered so I can watch baby come out
  • My hands left free so I can touch baby
  • The surgery explained as it happens
  • A spinal block for anesthesia
  • My partner or support person to hold baby as soon as possible
  • Have baby placed on my chest immediately after birth
  • Other:
• I would like to hold baby:
  
  • Immediately after delivery
  • After suctioning
  • After weighing
  • After being wiped clean and swaddled
  • Before eye drops/ointment are given
• Yes / No: I would like one of my support people to hold the baby after delivery if I am not able to
• Yes / No: I would like my support person to go with my baby to the nursery
• Yes / No: I would like my support person to know what shots my newborn will receive
• As needed post-delivery, please give me:
  
  • Acetaminophen
  • Ibuprofen
  • Opioid analgesic
• Other requests (fill in if you want to provide more information):
  

Baby Care Preferences

• For feeding the baby, I would like to (please select all that apply):
  
  • Breastfeed exclusively
  • Bottle-fed donor milk
  • Bottle-fed formula
  • Combine breastfeeding and bottle-feeding
  • On demand
  • On schedule
  • With the help of a lactation specialist
  • Other:
• I would like to breastfeed/chestfeed:
  
  • As soon as possible after delivery
  • In the recovery room, in case of c-section
  • Before eye drops/ointment are given
• It's OK to offer my baby:
  
  • A pacifier
  • Sugar water
  • Formula
  • None of the above
• I’d like baby’s medical exam and procedures:
  
  • Given in my presence
  • Given only after we’ve bonded
  • Given in my partner’s or support person’s presence
  • I would like to be informed and consent to all medical procedures prior:
  • Other:
• I’d like baby to stay in my room:
  
  • All the time
  • During the day
  • Only when I’m awake
  • Only for feeding
  • Only as requested
  • I will decide after birth‍
• If my baby has a penis, circumcision should:  
  
  • Be performed
  • Not be performed
  • Be performed later
  • Be performed with anesthesia
  • Be performed in the presence of me and/or my partner/support person
• If my baby needs more support in the NICU, I’d like:
  
  • My partner/support person and I to accompany them to the NICU or another facility
  • To breastfeed/chestfeed or provide pumped milk
  • To hold them whenever possible
• Other
  (fill in if you want to provide more information): 

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