The birth plan or birth preferences

A birth plan is a document in which you record your wishes and preferences for labour and birth. It helps you, your partner, and us as your midwives to get a clear picture of how you envision your birth. It’s not a contract, but rather a guide that helps shape the care you receive.

You might wonder whether a birth plan is useful, since births often unfold differently than expected. Still, writing down your wishes can be very valuable. It helps you make conscious choices and gives peace of mind — for you and your birth team.

Witsenkade Birth Plan

We’ve created a template for a birth plan. However, you’re also welcome to use a different format — for example, one you found online or received through a childbirth course.

Why a birth plan can be valuable

A birth plan can be helpful for several reasons:

• It gives insight into your wishes: Writing a birth plan encourages you to think carefully about what’s important to you during birth.
• It supports communication: Your plan helps your partner and care team understand your priorities.
• It provides guidance: During labour, emotions and pain can make communication more difficult. Your plan can serve as a reference point.
• It helps you feel more in control: Even though birth can take unexpected turns, reflecting on different scenarios helps you approach it with more confidence.

What to include — key themes

You don’t need to know exactly where or how you want to give birth yet, and it’s impossible to predict whether you’ll want pain relief. What helps is thinking about the following questions:

1. What do you need to feel confident going into labour?
2. How can we support you so you feel safe, connected, and empowered during birth?
3. What personal details should we know to care for you in the best possible way?
4. Who do you want to be present at your birth? Your partner, a doula, or another important person?

Answering these questions helps you clarify what matters most to you and allows us as your care team to tailor our support accordingly.

What we do as standard:

When we say “we,” we mean the Witsenkade midwives — and, where necessary, gynaecologists, nurses, and maternity care assistants.

✔️ Clear and open communication.
✔️ Freedom of movement and position during labour and pushing.
✔️ Dimmed lighting where possible.
✔️ Episiotomy (cut) only if medically necessary.
✔️ Delayed cord clamping before cutting (by you or your partner if desired).
✔️ Immediate skin-to-skin contact with your baby.
✔️ Breastfeeding within the first hour after birth, if desired.
✔️ Photos with your camera if you wish.
✔️ Catching your own baby, if you’d like.
✔️ The placenta can be kept or disposed of by us.

Frequently Asked Questions

💡 Available both at home and in hospital/birth centre:

• Birthing stool
• Birth ball
• Adjustable lighting

🎵 Not standard, bring your own if you’d like:

• Music (on your own device or speaker)
• Birth pool (for home use — can be rented via www.bevallingsbaden.nl)
• Personal comfort items — for example, a photo frame, affirmation cards, a soft toy, or scented sachets

Discussing your birth wishes with us

It’s important not only to write down your birth plan but also to discuss it with us — during the consultation where we go over your wishes together.

A few tips:

• Keep it short and clear: A one-page birth plan is usually most effective.
• Stay flexible: Birth doesn’t always go according to plan. Describe your preferences but stay open to change if medically necessary.
• Think about “what if” scenarios: Consider possible alternatives — for example, if a caesarean section becomes necessary, or if your labour progresses faster or slower than expected.