When you're pregnant, hiring a midwife makes sense for a lot of reasons. The constant support that you receive, not only when you're in labor, but also before and after, makes your midwife a trusted ally as you navigate this challenging time in your life. When you hire a midwife, you'll talk a lot about the process of giving birth, so it's useful to actually write up a birth plan. Whether you wish to give birth at a hospital or in your own home, a birth plan in which you describe your ideal labor process can ensure that your midwife can implement as many of these wishes as possible, situation permitting. Here are some items that you may wish to include.

How The Room Will Look

Many people explain how they want the delivery room to look when they give birth. In a hospital, your options are somewhat limited, but there are still certain details that you can outline. For example, you might want a family photo placed on the table beside you or a bouquet or flowers nearby. You might ask for the lights to be dim, when possible, too. At home, you have more flexibility. For example, you can choose the room in which you'll give birth and can discuss the decor that you want around you. Some people like candles in the room to offer a relaxing vibe, while others want an essential oil diffuser to make the air smell pleasant.

What Care You'll Get

Your birth plan can also outline the type of care that you want to receive from your midwife or others. There are important points to detail here, including whether you want an epidural and other types of medication. However, you can also spell out other types of care that you want. For example, perhaps you want your midwife or your spouse to massage your feet or another part of your body while you're in labor. Or, maybe you want to soak in a tub for relaxation for as long as you can during labor.

Preparing For Challenges

Some labor processes have challenges, and your birth plan is an opportunity to outline how you want things to go if unexpected issues arise. For example, if you end up needing a C-section, you can specify several details, such as whether you prefer to have a horizontal incision or one that is vertical. This might seem like a minor detail, but thinking about it in advance is better than feeling pressured to come up with a decision at the time.