At the core, birth plans are a way to look “at your expectations, your fears, your needs, and your coping strategies,” Rubin says. And while “birth” is in the name, expecting parents should use them ...

If a baby is in your future, you’ve likely been planning ahead — stocking up on diapers, newborn clothes and blankets, as well as considering how you’ll name your little one. “But before the baby is ...

Three weeks and counting to our due date! For some reason, though, I feel like we will be parents sooner than July 31. Wishful thinking or intuition, no idea. But I think this means I had better get ...

Even under the best of circumstances, planning for birth requires parents to make many decisions: about where to have their baby, which providers to entrust with their care during and after pregnancy, ...

The birth plan. It’s simple enough in theory: A birth plan is essentially a means by which you can outline your wants and desires for your labor and birth experience. But do a quick Google search and ...

For expectant parents, navigating pregnancy, delivery and postpartum can raise a range of emotions. There are so many things to think about and prepare for, and knowing where to start can feel ...

Professor of Midwifery and Higher Degree Director, Western Sydney University While childbirth is often a joyful event, it rarely unfolds exactly how we think it will. This causes disappointment or ...

You’ve heard of a “birth plan,” right? That document you and your partner draw up for the labor and delivery staff, telling them how you’d like the birth of your child to go down? It’s become easy to ...