Birth Plan: What to Include, a Template, and How to Discuss It with the Maternity Unit

A birth plan is a sheet, just one, on which you write how you would like your labour to go. Who will be at your side, what you want for pain, what matters to you in the first minutes with baby. Nothing complicated, and yet many women reach the maternity unit without ever having said all this out loud.

In Morocco, not every maternity unit is used to them. That is exactly a reason to prepare yours carefully and discuss it beforehand. Here is what goes into it, a template ready to copy, and the best way to approach your gynaecologist and the maternity unit.

What is a birth plan for?

To think through your wishes, then make them known. Quebec's Mieux vivre guide describes it as a tool to clarify what you want and what frightens you, to talk with your partner and loved ones, and to let the team know your values. The UK's NHS presents it as a way of telling the midwife and doctors what you would like during labour.

In France, the Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) puts women's preferences at the centre of normal birth. It accepts a birth plan if it is compatible with safety, hygiene and the establishment's protocols. That is the key: a useful plan is one that has been discussed, not imposed.

It also helps against anxiety. Putting words on your wishes often means putting words on your fears. If apprehension takes up a lot of space, our article on fear of childbirth can help.

The sections to fill in

Mieux vivre and the NHS suggest fairly similar sections. Combining them gives seven parts:

For pain, first find out what your maternity unit offers, notably on the epidural and its conditions. For medical procedures, our article on episiotomy and tears helps you ask the right questions. And if you want to breastfeed, read our guide to getting breastfeeding started in advance.

A simple template to copy

Here is a one-page outline, to adapt in your own words. Keep sentences short, in the first person.

Birth plan of: ... Due date: ... Gynaecologist: ... Maternity unit: ...

About me. I mostly speak ... I am very anxious about needles / blood / ... My first birth went like this: ...

My companion. I would like ... (my husband, my mother, my sister) to be present during labour and, if possible, at the birth. If I have a caesarean, I would like them to be able to stay near me or near baby.

Pain. I would / would not like an epidural. I would like to try first: walking, a warm shower, the ball, massage. I can change my mind at any time.

During labour. I would like to be able to move and choose my position. I would like each examination to be explained to me.

Medical procedures. If an induction, episiotomy, instruments or a caesarean become necessary, I would like it explained why beforehand, except in an emergency.

The birth. I would like skin-to-skin straight after birth, if baby and I are well, and for the first care to be done close to me.

Feeding baby. I wish to breastfeed and would like help with the first feed.

The unexpected. If baby has to go to the neonatal unit, I would like ... to go with them and to be kept informed.

What matters most to me: 1. ... 2. ... 3. ...

The last line is the most important. If the team only retains three things, these will be the ones.

Physiological birth, companion: what the recommendations say

Several common wishes rest on official recommendations. Since 2018, the World Health Organization recommends:

• a companion of the woman's choice throughout labour and birth;
• the freedom to move in early labour and to choose a position for the birth;
• involving the woman in decisions, so she keeps a sense of control.

The WHO also points out that the classic benchmark of one centimetre of dilation per hour does not apply to every woman, and that slower labour does not, by itself, justify routine intervention. The HAS, for its part, asks that women can change position regularly, and that low-risk women can drink clear fluids during the first phase of labour. The stages themselves are described in our article on vaginal birth.

The reality of Moroccan maternity units: talk before

Each establishment has its habits, and they differ a lot. Husband in the birth room, epidural at night, skin-to-skin during a caesarean, baby in the room: none of it can be guessed. The time to ask is the maternity visit, ideally in the second trimester. Our guide to choosing a maternity unit in Morocco lists the questions to ask.

Your gynaecologist is your first point of contact. In an opinion piece published by TelQuel in 2026, a Moroccan obstetrician-gynaecologist argues that antenatal preparation should be an integral part of pregnancy follow-up. The birth plan is a concrete tool for that. Bring it to a consultation around the 7th or 8th month and ask, point by point, what is possible where they deliver. If their answers leave you perplexed, there is still time to change gynaecologist.

Staying flexible on the day

A birth plan is not an exam to pass. Mieux vivre reminds us that a good plan is clear, brief and flexible, and that you can change your mind along the way. The NHS insists: a birth does not always go as planned, and things can change at the last minute.

You planned to give birth without an epidural and ask for one after six hours? That is your right. A caesarean becomes necessary? Your plan keeps its meaning: skin-to-skin, your husband's presence or explanations before each step can often be preserved. For what comes next, our article on the first days at the maternity unit tells you what to expect. And to practise breathing and positions, see our guide to antenatal preparation.