Welcoming your child into the world is super exciting, and such a beautiful gift. Along with the excitement thereâs also a lot to prepare for⌠including preparing for the birth!Â
However, itâs important to understand that in our perfectly imperfect lives, we canât always plan for everything and sometimes we need to be a little flexible! I can tell you this from personal experience.
During my first pregnancy, I created a very detailed birth plan for a natural birthâ very little actually went according to plan! In the end, I needed to have a C-section after 50 hours of labor. I had to adjust my birth plan significantly during my first pregnancy, but as long as my baby arrived safely, I was absolutely willing to be flexible.
During my second pregnancy, I chose to create a birth plan that was much simpler. My plan was just to deliver a healthy baby. And I did! I didnât care nearly as much about the birth plan for my second pregnancy, as long as my baby was born safely.
So please know itâs okay if your birth plan doesnât go completely as you hope it does. The best birth plan is one that results in a healthy mom and a healthy baby, so donât fret if a few thingsâ or even a lot of thingsâ end up being different from your plan.
Pregnancy and childbirth are a beautiful and intimate part of many womenâs lives, but they can also be unpredictable! Itâs okay if our realities are not as perfect as our expectationsâ as long as mother and baby are both happy and healthy, there is no right or wrong way to create a birth plan.
All that being said though, planning for your babyâs arrival by creating a birth plan offers you some peace of mind.
Your birth plan doesnât have to be complicated. Yet, with the right preparations youâre removing unnecessary stress from your pregnancy. It allows you to focus on your health and on delivering a healthy happy baby. Most importantly, youâll have peace of mind on delivery day.
Iâm sharing a few important things to consider while learning how to create a birth plan, but first letâs better understand what a birth plan is.
A birth plan is your written plan that outlines your wishes as an expectant mother before, during and after the birth process. Share your plan with anyone involved during the birth. This includes your obstetrician and care providers, birth partner, and any family or friends you want to share in this special experience with you.
When you prepare a written birth plan in advance, you, your partner and your care team will have a list of guidelines to follow as you prepare to bring Baby into the world. This can help to ensure your babyâs birth goes as smoothly and easefully as possible.
A birth plan can include whatever information you want, but thereâs a lot of information that you probably want to consider, like your care specifications during labor, postpartum care, and even comfort requests while giving birth.
There is no right or wrong way to create a birth plan, itâs entirely up to you! The intention is to help create the most stress-free birthing process, so stressing out over creating a complicated plan if youâre not a planner isnât the goal.
If youâre looking for something easy and not complicated, you can create a bulleted list as an effective way to outline your plan. When thinking through what to include, you may not know where to begin. In that case, you can choose to use a birth plan template. Your care provider may have one available or you can find them online. 1 Iâll also share some important information to include in your plan below.
Like your pregnancy, your birth plan is unique to you and doesnât need to be any more specific than you want it to be. You can even create a very minimal birth plan, and that will still be just fine. Sometimes, the most important part is that writing a plan beforehand encourages you to ask questions that you may not have otherwise asked. It also helps you become more informed of your options.
Everything that happens during childbirth isnât controllable, but being prepared regardless of what happens can provide peace of mind and see to it that your wishes are honored where they can be.
Some mamas may want a very thorough and detailed birth planâ I did for my first pregnancy! Others may not, and thatâs totally fine too. Information you absolutely want to include on any birth plan includes: 2
Some details you may want to consider before you go into labor include:
This is where you can outline your preferences, big or small, during your childbirth experience.
Itâs important for you to take postpartum into consideration in your birth plan as well. A few decisions to make following your babyâs birth can include:
There is definitely a lot to consider here! But donât let that worry you, Beauties. These are just a few suggestions for creating your very own birth plan. As a helpful rule, any detail youâve spent time thinking about is worth including on your birth plan.
You donât need to create a plan, but for all of the reasons shared above, it can be very helpful! Remember, your birth plan can be as specific and comprehensive as you wish, so you donât need to stress about creating the âperfectâ plan. But itâs definitely helpful during delivery and after if you have a plan for your babyâs birth, especially if there are complications.
After birth, youâre moving into the next beautiful phase of your life â the postpartum period. Itâs a wonderful opportunity to bond with your baby and nourish yourself in new ways.
Many women share their experiences and talk about some of the challenges during this time (like sleep!), but when you incorporate our Four Cornerstones of True Beauty during this period, and truly nurture yourself and your body, youâre doing the very best things to help create a happy, healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
There is so much to know during the postpartum period, like how to support a healthy mood and prevent the baby blues, how to best lose the baby weight, get a good nightâs sleep, and how to produce lots of nutrient rich breast milk!
Thatâs why Iâve created a comprehensive postpartum course for our plant-based Beauties (and anyone who wants to incorporate more healthy plant-based foods during this period). I discuss everything from what to eat, how to nourish your body through exercise and movement, how to support your emotional well-being and even how to support your spiritual growth (which isnât about religion but rather how to get in touch with your true self!).
Our postpartum plant-based pregnancy course is available by early 2022. Let us know your interest and weâll notify you as soon as itâs released!
Healthy Steps Towards a Healthy Pregnancy
Solluna Pregnancy Course
Plant-based Pregnancy Nutrition
Incorporating a Plant-Based Lifestyle During Pregnancy and Beyond
