THE TOP 30 ELEMENTS OF A BIRTHING PLAN
INTRODUCTION
Element #1: Name of mother to be and partner Element #2: Due date Element #3: Name of health care provider: Doula, midwife, doctor etc Element #4: Health conditions like allergies, high blood pressure, diabetes, blood type if you know it Element #5: Particular conditions: religious beliefs, the partner cannot attend, phobias, a trauma in the past etc Element #6: Emergency contact. 
DURING LABOUR:
Element #7:Preferences for fetal monitoring Element #8: Preferences for artificial rupture of membranes Element #9: Preferences as to who will attend (family, medical students, Doula, etc Element #10: Preferences for eating, drinking, ice chips, etc Element #11: Preferences for clothing: hospital gown or own clothes 
Element #12: Preferences towards pain management: massages, baths, walking, hypnosis, epidural, pain killers etc Element #13: Preferences for picture taking Element #14: Preferences towards routine procedures: shaving? enemas? Element #15: Preferences towards routine i.v. Element #16: Preferences towards induction and possibility to go beyond due date Element #17: Preferences to follow or not Freedman’s curve- i.e. let labour progress if mother and baby are fine even if labour is slow, the possibility to go back home if false labour or latent phase 
DURING THE BIRTH
Element #18: Preferences for pushing position and birthing position Element #19: Preferences towards routine episiotomy vs perineal massages Element #20: Preferences towards using mirror to see the baby’s head during pushing or touch it. Element #21: Possibility for mother and partner to grab the baby once the shoulders are out Element #22: Preferences if the pushing is prolonged beyond average 
AFTER THE BIRTH
Element #23: Preferences towards cord clamping delays. stem cells collection/ donation Element #24: Preferences towards who will cut the cord Element #25: Preferences towards doing skin to skin with baby Element #26: Preferences towards breastfeeding or not Element #27: Preferences towards rooming-in with baby and partner Element #28: Preferences towards routine baby care/ tests/ procedures 
IN CASE OF COMPLICATION/ CESAREAN
Element #29:Preferences of anaesthesia Element #30: Preferences in decision making/ communication For a FREE birthing plan template, a fun webinar and a surprise, go here: https://hypno-baby.com/landing-page-3/ Nathalie Fiset, M.D., C.H.
