Although you cannot anticipate and control every aspect of your delivery, it is important for you to be informed and think about some of the decisions you will be making during your birth experience.

We recommend you give some thought during your pregnancy to how you would like to welcome your baby into your family. Think about who you would like to be present during the birth, comfort measures you would like, and your preferences regarding breastfeeding or bottle feeding.

Birth plans

A birth plan is a written tool that communicates your preferences to all of your health care providers throughout your labor, delivery and hospital stay. Our OB team has created a birth plan to help you get started. Download your copy here:

Eastern Wisconsin

A good time to share your birth plan with your physician or certified nurse-midwife is during the third trimester of pregnancy. Your provider will review your plan and answer any questions you have. Keep in mind that birth can be unpredictable and birth plans are meant to be guidelines. You can change your decisions as labor progresses.

Not everyone chooses to draft a birth plan, and that is okay. Whether you would rather have a written plan or verbally communicate, taking the time to think about your wishes ahead of time will help ensure clear communication and as pleasant an experience as possible during your labor, delivery and hospital stay.