Birth Plan Examples: Copy-and-Paste Wording for Every Section
Below are ready-to-adapt birth plan examples grouped by section, from early labor through newborn care and a possible cesarean. Each one is a short, first-person line you can copy, personalize, and drop into your own plan. Where a decision has two common directions, we give you wording for both, so the page works whether you are planning a medicated or unmedicated birth, and whether you give birth vaginally or by cesarean.
These are starting points, not a script you have to follow. The best birth plan sounds like you and reflects what you actually want.
How to use these examples
Think of every clause below as a starting point to adapt, not a rule to copy exactly. Read through each section, pick the lines that match what you want, change the wording so it sounds like you, and leave out anything that does not apply to your birth. Your plan should reflect your real preferences, not ours.
As you adapt them, keep the golden rule of phrasing in mind. A few simple habits make a birth plan far easier for your care team to work with:
- Phrase preferences with a short reason. A preference with a reason attached is easier to honor than a demand with no context. Notice how the examples say what you want and why in the same breath.
- Keep it collaborative. Words like "we would like" and "unless there is a medical reason" invite your team to work with you, rather than setting up a standoff. The goal is partnership, not conflict.
- Keep it to one page. Choose the handful of clauses that matter most and lead with those. A short, prioritized plan is far more useful during a busy shift than a long list.
- Discuss it with your provider first. Share your wording at a prenatal visit, not for the first time in labor, so you can talk through anything where your preferences and their usual practice differ. Our guide to sharing your birth plan covers how.
New to all of this? Start with how to write a birth plan for the full step-by-step. Then come back here for the wording.
Skip the copying: build your full plan free in minutes
You can absolutely copy and adapt the clauses below by hand. But the fastest way to get a finished, personalized plan is our free builder. It walks you through every decision on this page one at a time, lays your options out on equal footing, and exports a clean, professional PDF you can share with your care team. It takes about five minutes.
Build My Free Birth PlanBefore the hospital and early labor
These clauses cover when you plan to come in and the environment you would like as you settle in. A calm arrival sets the tone for everything after it.
We would like to labor at home for as long as it feels safe and comfortable, and come in once labor is well established, so please expect us to arrive in active labor rather than early on.
We would prefer to come in earlier rather than later for peace of mind, and we would welcome guidance on when to head to the hospital.
The opposite preference, for parents who feel calmer arriving sooner.
We would like the room kept calm and quiet if possible, with lights dimmed and our own music playing, as this helps us stay relaxed during labor.
When we arrive, we would like any initial monitoring done in a way that still lets us move around, unless there is a medical reason we need to stay in bed.
During labor
This is the heart of most birth plans. For each decision below, there are honest choices in more than one direction, so pick the wording that matches what you actually want.
We are planning an unmedicated birth and would like to be supported in that, so please offer comfort measures like position changes, the birth ball, and water rather than pain medication unless we ask for it.
We would like an epidural, and we would appreciate not being asked to wait longer than necessary once we request it. Using pain medication is the right choice for us.
The medicated-leaning version. Both are equally valid.
We would like to keep our options open on pain relief, so please talk us through what is available when the time comes rather than assuming either way.
A flexible middle option.
We would like the freedom to move, walk, and change positions throughout labor, as staying upright and mobile helps us cope and can help labor progress.
We would prefer intermittent monitoring rather than continuous monitoring if our labor is low risk, so that we can stay mobile. We understand that if a specific medical reason comes up, we will talk about continuous monitoring at that time.
We would like a saline lock rather than a continuous IV if it is safe to do so, so that we can move freely while still having quick access available if it is needed.
The alternative is simply to accept the standard IV. Either is reasonable.
We would like the freedom to eat light foods and drink clear liquids during labor if our labor is low risk, to keep our energy up.
We are comfortable sticking to clear liquids or ice chips during labor and do not need to eat, and we simply want to understand the reason if that changes.
The other direction, for parents who would rather follow the more conservative default.
For pushing, we would like to follow our body's urges and try different positions rather than a single default position, unless a specific position is medically needed.
At birth
The minutes right after delivery move quickly, so writing these preferences down helps make sure there is room for them.
We would like delayed cord clamping for at least a minute, and ideally until the cord stops pulsing, unless there is a medical reason to clamp sooner. We understand our baby will be watched for jaundice.
We would like our baby placed directly on the chest for immediate, uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact, and we would like non-urgent tasks like weighing and measuring to wait until after the first hour unless there is a medical emergency.
If our baby needs to be checked, we would like that done on the chest whenever possible so that skin-to-skin is not interrupted.
We would like my partner to cut the cord, and we would appreciate a moment's notice so they are ready.
Some parents prefer the provider handle it; you can simply leave this line out.
Newborn care
These are the routine procedures your baby will be offered in the first hours. Deciding ahead of time means you are not choosing under pressure. There are reasonable choices in more than one direction here too.
We would like the vitamin K shot given while our baby is on the chest during skin-to-skin, so the golden hour is not interrupted.
We would like to discuss the oral vitamin K schedule rather than the shot, and we would like to understand the follow-up doses involved.
The alternative some parents choose. Talk this one through with your provider.
We would like the eye ointment delayed until after the first hour of skin-to-skin, so that early eye contact and bonding are not affected.
We would like to discuss declining the eye ointment, and we would like to understand the reasoning for our situation.
The other direction, offered for balance. Bring this to your provider.
We would like our baby to receive the hepatitis B vaccine before we leave the hospital.
We would like to discuss delaying the hepatitis B vaccine to a later well visit, and we would like to understand the timing options.
The alternative direction. Both are choices parents make; discuss with your provider.
We would like to delay our baby's first bath for at least the first day, to protect skin-to-skin, temperature, and early feeding.
We plan to breastfeed and would appreciate support with an early first latch, and we would like formula offered only if it is medically needed or we ask for it.
We plan to formula feed, or to combine breast and bottle, and we would like support with feeding either way without pressure in one direction.
The feeding plan is yours to make. No choice here needs an apology.
If a cesarean becomes necessary
A good plan does not assume one path. If a cesarean becomes necessary, these clauses help the birth still feel like yours in the operating room.
If a cesarean becomes necessary, we would like my partner present with us throughout the surgery.
If a cesarean becomes necessary, we would like a gentle, family-centered approach if possible, including skin-to-skin contact in the operating room or recovery room as soon as we are alert and stable.
If a cesarean becomes necessary, we would still like delayed cord clamping if there is no true emergency, as the benefits are the same.
If a cesarean becomes necessary, we would like things explained to us as they happen, and we would like the drape lowered or a clear drape used at the moment of birth if that is available.
Notice that many of these decisions come in pairs. There is honest wording for waiting on pain relief and for asking for an epidural without delay. There is wording for the vitamin K shot and for the oral schedule, for the eye ointment and for discussing declining it, for breastfeeding and for formula. That is on purpose. On most of these choices, reasonable parents looking at the same information land in different places, and that is okay.
Use the version that fits your family. None of these paths needs an apology or a justification. What matters is that your plan reflects an informed choice you can stand behind, whichever way you lean.
Make it an informed choice, not a default. Your birth. Your body. Your baby. Your choice.
Skip the Copying: Build Your Full Plan Free
Instead of copying clauses one by one, let the builder do it for you. It walks through every decision on this page, shows you both sides of each, and exports a clean one-page PDF for your birth team. Free, no account needed, about five minutes.
Build My Free Birth PlanCommon questions
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Medical Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. We are not doctors. These are preference wordings, not recommendations about your care. A birth plan communicates your preferences but does not guarantee any outcome. Always discuss your specific situation with your healthcare provider before making decisions about your care.
Last reviewed July 23, 2026.