Final answer:
A birth plan may include the presence of companions, preferences for clothing, care and handling of the newborn, and medical interventions. The date of delivery is usually not included as it is not something that can be planned.
Step-by-step explanation:
A birth plan may include a variety of personal preferences and instructions that the expectant parent wants to be followed during labor and delivery. Some common items that might be included in a birth plan are:
- Presence of companions: who the person giving birth wants to have by their side during the process, such as a partner, family members, friends, or a doula.
- Clothing to be worn: options for what the person in labor prefers to wear, whether that be hospital-provided gowns or their own choice of comfortable attire.
- Care and handling of the newborn: instructions on how the baby should be cared for immediately after birth, including issues like skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding initiation, and whether to delay cord clamping.
- Medical interventions: preferences regarding pain management, use of medications like pitocin for inducing labor, and choices about episiotomy or cesarean sections.
The date of delivery is generally not included in a birth plan since it's not something that can be planned or controlled. A birth plan is created to communicate with healthcare providers about the preferences for the birthing experience.