At Brood, we know firsthand that birth is a deeply personal and transformative experience. Whether you’re preparing for a home birth, a planned cesarean, or something in between, understanding your birth preferences can help you feel more informed, empowered, and engaged in your care.
Birth is unpredictable, and as any doula will tell you, things rarely go exactly as planned. That’s why it’s important to think beyond a rigid birth plan and instead craft a set of birth preferences—a flexible, values-based approach that supports your ability to make informed choices throughout labor and delivery.
Birth Plan vs. Birth Preferences: Why Flexibility Matters
A birth plan is traditionally seen as a structured document outlining specific desires for labor, delivery, and postpartum care. While it helps communicate your wishes, it can feel rigid—and if things don’t go as expected, it may lead to stress or a sense of lost control.
Birth preferences, on the other hand, offer a more adaptable approach. Rather than a fixed script, they provide a flexible framework that:
- Clarifies your priorities → What matters most, even if things shift
- Explores your options → Where are you flexible? Where is important to set boundaries?
- Supports real-time decision-making → How do you want to engage in choices as labor unfolds?
Why Focus on Birth Preferences?
Approaching your birth plan as birth preferences shifts the focus from control to confidence. It helps you:
- Make informed decisions—Understanding where you stand on a spectrum of interventions, comfort measures, and postpartum care allows you to adapt as needed.
- Foster open communication—Your preferences create a shared language between you and your care team, ensuring they understand your values and priorities.
- Reduce stress and decision fatigue—When labor is intense, having a clear sense of what matters most can help you and your team make choices in the moment without second-guessing.
- Embrace flexibility—Rather than feeling like your birth “didn’t go to plan,” viewing your plan as a guide allows you to adjust with confidence and autonomy.
Who Should Be Involved & When to Create Your Birth Preferences
Crafting birth preferences is a collaborative process. You, as the birthing person, should take the lead, but involving your partner or primary support person(s), your doula, and your care provider(s) is key. Their insights can help balance your desires with realistic expectations while ensuring your plan remains adaptable. Sharing your preferences with your broader support team—such as a birth photographer or family members—also helps set clear expectations for everyone involved.
We recommend beginning this process around 28-32 weeks of pregnancy. This gives you time to research, discuss with your care team, and make adjustments based on any changes in your pregnancy. Since preferences can evolve, revisiting your plan in the final weeks of pregnancy ensures it reflects your most current desires.
The Brood Way – Birth Preferences Framework
A well-rounded birth preference document covers key aspects of labor, delivery, and postpartum care, it should reflect your priorities and values. Here are some areas to consider, and tips to support you in creating your own!
- Logistics → Who will care for older children or pets? Where will you give birth? Who are your emergency contacts?
- Birth Environment → Do you prefer dim lighting, calming music, or certain scents? What comfort measures feel most supportive to you?
- Emotional & Physical Support → How do you prefer to be touched or spoken to? Are there certain phrases or affirmations that help ground you?
- Pain Management Spectrum → Are there non-medicated tools you’d like to try before medication? Are you open to an epidural under specific circumstances?
- Medical Interventions → What is your stance on induction methods, fetal monitoring, and potential interventions like vacuum or forceps-assisted delivery?
- Delivery Preferences → Who would you like to catch the baby? Cut the cord? Would you like immediate skin-to-skin or a golden hour before visitors?
- Postpartum Care → Would you like delayed cord clamping? How do you want your placenta to be handled? What newborn procedures (Vitamin K, eye ointment, first bath) align with your preferences?
Keep it clear and concise—Your care team should be able to reference it quickly in the moment.
Stay open to adjustments—Your birth journey may unfold differently than expected, and that’s okay. Flexibility allows you to remain empowered.
Print copies for your birth team—Make sure your doula, partner, and providers have easy access.
Use Brood’s Birth Preferences Template—We’ve designed a tool to help you navigate your choices in an accessible, adaptable way.
Remember, It’s Your Journey
At Brood, we believe every birthing person deserves to feel respected, informed, and supported. Your birth preferences document isn’t just about making choices in advance—it’s about equipping yourself with the knowledge and confidence to navigate the unexpected with clarity and self-advocacy.
Want to dive deeper? Join our online course, Pregnancy, Birth & Right After, where we explore birth preparation, postpartum care, and real-life tools to help you navigate every stage of your journey.
Ready to create your birth preferences?
Download our Birth Preferences Form and crafting a flexible, informed guide to your birth experience. Just enter your email below to get access to that and other amazing free resources!
