A birth plan template that actually works in the delivery room

What a Birth Plan Template Should Include

A birth plan is a communication tool — not a contract, not a wish list. It tells your care team what you prefer when things go as expected, and what you want to be asked about when they don't.

A useful birth plan template covers five categories:

• Labor preferences — who's in the room, movement during labor, monitoring, induction preferences
• Pain management — epidural timing, alternative comfort measures, your stance on being offered pain medication
• Delivery preferences — positions, who cuts the cord, skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping
• Postpartum care — breastfeeding support, placenta delivery, who you want in recovery
• Newborn care — circumcision, vaccinations, feeding preferences, rooming-in

The best templates don't just list checkboxes. They help you think through why you prefer something, and give you the language to communicate it clearly.

How to Use This Template in 5 Steps

1. Download the free template. Enter your email below. It arrives as a structured document you can fill out or recreate in the free app.
2. Review each section with your partner. Go through labor preferences, pain management, delivery, postpartum care, and newborn care. Talk through each section with your partner or support person so you're aligned before the big day.
3. Fill in your preferences. Mark what matters most to you. You don't need to answer every item — focus on the preferences that reflect what you actually want, not what you think you should want.
4. Bring it to your next appointment. Share your draft with your OB or midwife. Ask them to flag anything that might not be possible at your specific hospital or birth center.
5. Pack it in your hospital bag. Print a few copies. Give one to your partner, one to your doula, and keep one in your hospital bag. When you're in labor, you won't be searching for it.

Why This Template Is Different

Most free birth plan templates you find online are generic checklists — they ask if you want an epidural or not, if you want music or not, and leave it at that.

This template was built by Shelbi Kohler, a certified birth doula who has sat in delivery rooms across Texas. It's organized around the decisions that actually come up when you're in labor — the ones your care team needs to see at a glance, not the ones that look nice on a Pinterest board.

It's structured so a nurse can read it in 30 seconds. That matters. When you're 6 centimeters dilated and your nurse is covering for someone else's shift, your birth plan needs to speak for you immediately.

And if your birth plan needs to account for a specific situation — like being induced — the template still works. See how to fill it out for an induction. For surgical deliveries, see what to include if you end up needing a C-section.

Building Your Birth Plan for Your Hospital

Birth plans work best when they're tailored to your actual care setting. Our city pages include local hospital details, doula costs, and what Medicaid covers in your area:

• Dallas hospitals and doula costs
• Houston hospitals and doula costs
• Austin hospitals and doula costs
• San Antonio hospitals and doula costs
• Fort Worth hospitals and doula costs
• El Paso hospitals and doula costs

See all 20 Texas cities →

Free Birth Plan Mini-Course

Want to understand why each section matters before you fill it out? The free birth plan mini-course walks through every category of your birth plan with short videos — labor preferences, newborn care, postpartum, and more.

Enroll in the birth plan course

Common Questions