My Birth Plan UK — Free NHS Birth Plan Builder

Step 1 of 6

About you & your pregnancy

This information will appear at the top of your birth plan so your midwife has everything to hand.

🏥 NHS note This birth plan is designed for NHS hospital, midwife-led unit, and home births in England & Wales. NNUH and other trusts welcome written birth preferences — take several printed copies on the day.

🔒 Your privacy Everything you type stays in your browser. We don't store, save, or see any of your answers — nothing is sent to a server. Once you close this page, it's gone, so download or print your plan before you leave.

ℹ️ Please note My Birth Plan UK is a free, independent tool to help you organise your thoughts and preferences ahead of appointments with your midwife or obstetrician. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by the NHS or any NHS trust. It is not medical advice, and it does not replace discussions with your maternity team, who know your individual circumstances. Reviewed by practising midwives for clarity and relevance, but always confirm anything clinical with your own care team.

Your name *

Expected due date

NHS number (optional)

Hospital / Trust

Named midwife (if known)

Any medical information the team must know

Allergies, conditions, medications, previous surgeries, blood type, GBS status, etc.

Previous birth experiences (if any)

Any trauma, difficult experiences, or things that helped last time

What matters most to you in this birth?

Your overall hopes — how do you want to feel?

Your preferred language

If English is not your first language or you need an interpreter

Step 2 of 6

Birth partner & support team

Let your midwife know who's with you and how your partner would like to support you.

👤 Primary birth partner

Name

Relationship

Mobile number

Additional support person (optional)

A second birthing partner, doula, family member, etc.

Birth partner preferences

How your partner would like to support you

Your partner's role during labour

Select all that apply

Hands-on physical support

Verbal encouragement & affirmations

Music / atmosphere manager

Advocate with staff on my behalf

Taking photos / video

Cutting the cord

Announcing the baby's sex

Catching baby (if possible)

Skin-to-skin if I cannot

Anything specific you want your partner to advocate for?

If your partner needs to leave the room

E.g. during an emergency, if baby needs to go to NICU

Photography / video preferences

Photos & video welcome

Photos only

No photos please

After birth only

Step 3 of 6

Plan A — Your ideal birth

This is your preferred plan if labour progresses naturally without complications.

Preferred place of birth

Hospital labour ward

Midwife-led unit

Home birth

Students present in the room

NNUH and many NHS trusts are teaching hospitals

Happy with students present

No students please

Midwifery students only

🕯️ Labour environment & atmosphere

Atmosphere preferences

Low lighting

My own music playlist

Minimal noise & conversation

Aromatherapy (MLU/home only)

Keep the room warm

Familiar clothing / own nightwear

Birth ball available

Calm and unhurried pace

Water birth preference

Water birth if possible

Pool for pain relief, land birth

Land birth preferred

No preference

💊 Pain relief

Pain relief preferences

Breathing techniques / hypnobirthing

TENS machine

Water / pool

Gas & air (Entonox)

Pethidine / diamorphine

Epidural (open to it if needed)

Warm perineal compresses

Massage from birth partner

Should staff offer pain relief?

Yes, offer proactively

I'll ask when ready

Ask my partner first

🔍 Monitoring & examinations

Vaginal examinations

As clinically needed

Limited & ask each time

Explain before each exam

Fetal monitoring

Intermittent (sonicaid) if low risk

Wireless CTG if needed (to mobilise)

Whatever is recommended

🌿 Pushing & birth

Pushing preferences

Follow my body's natural urges

Coached pushing if needed

Upright / active positions

Avoid lying on my back (supine)

All-fours / hands and knees

Side-lying position

Squat bar / birth stool

Use of mirror to see baby

Crowning & delivery preferences

Slow, gentle crowning (breathe baby out)

Warm perineal compresses

Partner to catch baby

I'd like to lift baby to my chest myself

Partner announces the sex

Midwife announces the sex

Episiotomy

Only if medically necessary

Consent in advance if needed

🌱 Third stage & cord

Delivery of placenta (third stage)

Physiological (natural)

Managed (injection)

Midwife's recommendation

Optimal cord clamping (OCC)

Current NICE guidance recommends waiting at least 1 minute

Wait until cord stops pulsing

At least 1–2 minutes

As clinically indicated

Who cuts the cord?

Birth partner

Midwife

No preference

👶 Newborn care

Immediately after birth

Immediate skin-to-skin with me

Delay newborn checks until after bonding

Keep baby on me while cord is clamped

Partner for skin-to-skin if I cannot

Do not wipe off vernix

No routine eye ointment (if no risk factors)

Vitamin K for baby

Recommended by NHS to prevent Vitamin K Deficiency Bleeding

Injection (recommended)

Oral drops

Discuss with midwife first

Decline

Feeding preferences

Breastfeed

Formula feed

Combination

Undecided

How you want information communicated to you

Explain everything in plain language

Ask consent before any hands-on contact

Communicate via my birth partner when I'm in active labour

Calm, quiet tone at all times

Give me time to process before answering

Share risks & alternatives for any intervention

Any other Plan A notes

Step 4 of 6

Plan B — If labour is induced

Induction is offered to roughly 1 in 3 NHS births. These preferences apply if your labour is induced or augmented.

ℹ️ About induction Induction often means longer labours, stronger contractions, and continuous fetal monitoring (CTG). Think about pain relief and communication preferences in advance — and remember the BRAIN tool: Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Intuition, Nothing.

Your top 3 priorities if induced

💉 Induction methods

Do you have any preferences or questions about the order of induction methods?

Membrane sweep first if possible

Pessary / Propess before balloon

Time between methods to rest & reassess

Discuss ARM (breaking waters) before proceeding

I'd like a full explanation of each method

Use BRAIN tool before any escalation

Any induction methods you would prefer to avoid?

💊 Pain relief in induction

Pain relief during induced labour

Induced contractions can be stronger — consider epidural availability

Gas & air (Entonox) first

Open to epidural if needed

Mobile epidural if available

TENS machine early on

Pethidine / diamorphine

Hypnobirthing / breathing

I'll ask when ready — don't offer

📋 Monitoring during induction

Continuous fetal monitoring preferences

CTG monitoring is usually required during induction

Wireless / telemetry CTG to allow movement

Explain all readings to us

Consent requested before every vaginal exam

Give me a moment to breathe before each exam

Birth partner present for all examinations

Pushing, birth, cord, and baby care preferences (Plan B)

If different to your Plan A above, note any changes here

Third stage in induction

A managed third stage (injection) is usually recommended with induction

Managed (as recommended)

Discuss with midwife

Any other Plan B notes

Step 5 of 6

Plan C — Caesarean birth

Around 1 in 4 NHS births are by caesarean. These preferences apply to both planned and unplanned C-sections.

💡 More choices than you might think Even in theatre, many preferences are possible: your own music, a gentle birth atmosphere, clear drape, skin-to-skin on the table, delayed cord clamping, and partner staying with baby. Don't leave this section blank.

Is this a planned caesarean?

Planned (elective) C-section

Unplanned / emergency only

Both scenarios

What would help you feel calm in theatre?

🎭 Theatre environment

Theatre atmosphere preferences

Our own music playlist

Calm staff presence — minimal noise

Team introductions at the start

Clear drape — to see baby born

Drape lowered at crowning moment

Running commentary as things happen

Minimal talking — just key updates

My partner to announce the sex

💉 Anaesthesia preferences

Anaesthesia

Spinal (standard)

Top-up of epidural

General anaesthetic if needed

Anaesthesia notes

Allergies, sensitivities, previous reactions, or if you'd like to meet the anaesthetist beforehand

If spinal doesn't work and general anaesthetic is needed

🤱 The birth moment

Birth moment preferences

Baby lifted slowly so I can see them born

Partner catches / lifts baby

Baby placed on my chest immediately

Maternal-assisted birth (I lift baby)

Slow, gentle delivery for baby's transition

Specific words / affirmations from team

Any words or affirmations you'd like to hear in theatre?

🌱 Cord & placenta

Delayed cord clamping at caesarean

This is possible at C-section — ask for it specifically

At least 1 minute

Until cord stops pulsing

Standard clamping

Placenta

See / acknowledge placenta

No preference

👶 Baby care in theatre

Immediately after caesarean birth

Immediate skin-to-skin in theatre

Partner skin-to-skin if I cannot

Delay routine checks for bonding

Baby to stay in theatre with us

Partner goes with baby if NICU needed

Do not separate me from baby without discussion

Microbiome seeding (vaginal swab) if possible

Feeding preferences (as per Plan A?)

Breastfeeding is often possible on the table or in recovery

Recovery preferences

Any other Plan C notes

Step 6 of 6

Review & download

Check everything looks right, then download your birth plan as a PDF to share with your midwife.

Ready to save your birth plan?

Print several copies to hand to each midwife — staff may change during labour.

💛

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