Episode 39: Birth Plan vs. Birth Preferences

As birth professionals, we are often mindful of the power of the language we use. Words have power, and at times the language used surrounding pregnancy and birth can have an unintended impact.

As experienced doulas, we have developed our own approach to helping clients explore their options and preferences for birth. The language we use in our approach to this process is birth preferences.

For some clients, having a plan shapes their experience into one that they will pass or fail. When the birth goes according to plan, they feel that they have succeeded. Yet when the experience doesn’t play out as they had hoped or intended, they can feel as if they have failed.

The exploration of birth preferences is an educational tool for the client. For the doula, it is an informational tool. Working through a client’s birth preferences is also a tool for discussion to open a conversation between the client and their provider.

The most significant benefit of a discussion-based tool for exploring birth options and preferences is that it allows for nuance, unlike a birth plan where clients check off boxes on a list. The exploration of birth preferences provides the opportunity for discussion of each option and the related choices that may present themselves as a result.

Join us as we discuss our own individual approaches to birth planning with our clients. Explore how we navigate exploring birth preferences with clients who have a rigid approach to birth. Learn about the tools we use with our clients as we help them explore their birth options.