Birth Plans: Birth Preferences or Labor Manifesto

A woman’s preferences for labor, childbirth, and postpartum can be communicated by means of a documented birth plan. Written birth plans have become an increasingly common component of antepartum preparation with the idea that planning provides an opportunity for education, empowerment, and developing confidence about labor [1,2]. This document, often created in childbirth education classes, aims to help women determine their birth values, become acquainted with available options for labor, and develop a list of criteria to facilitate a supportive birth environment [1,3].