Is a Birth Plan Just Busywork? (Spoiler: It’s Not.)
When you prepare for birth, writing a birth plan, and taking our childbirth education course can feel like just one more thing on your schedule. However, research shows these are more than “nice extras”, they significantly affect your birth outcomes and how you feel afterward. That’s why at The Elgin Doula, we include a Lamaze‑certified childbirth education course in every Birth Doula Package, and intentionally spend prenatal time crafting your birth plan together.
What the Research Shows
Childbirth Education + Birth Plans and Vaginal Births
A study titled “Childbirth Education Class and Birth Plans Are Associated with a Vaginal Delivery” (Afshar et al., 2017) looked at over 14,600 singleton births. The researchers found that women who did a childbirth education (CBE) class and created a birth plan had higher odds of having a vaginal delivery. PubMed
Recent Evidence on Satisfaction, Preparedness, and Outcomes
Another study (PMC10117766) provides further support: when parents feel more prepared, educated, and involved in planning, they report higher satisfaction with their birth experience. It reinforces that it's not only what happens in birth but how you feel about it—that sense of agency and having had access to all of your options really matters.
(Note: The full text of this second study had some access issues, but its findings are consistent with the broader literature on childbirth prep, shared decision‑making, and perceived control.)
Because Of That Evidence We Offer Both!
Lamaze‑Certified Childbirth Education Course
All of our client get access to our Lamaze‑certified childbirth education class. It covers:
The physiology of labor
What a hospital vs. non‐hospital birth might look like
Pain coping tools (breathing, movement, positioning)
What interventions might be suggested (why, when, what your rights are)
We want you to know all of our options to make sure you understand what you are being offered, equipped for unpredictability, and able to articulate your preferences clearly.
Writing Your Birth Plan Together at Prenatal Visits
We also send you sample birth plans and set aside dedicated time at your in‑person prenatal visit to answer questions about your birth plan. This isn’t just filling out a form—it’s exploring:
What’s most important to you (intervention preferences, environment, support people)
How to communicate your preferences with your medical team
What flexibility you might need if labor doesn’t go exactly to plan
Because, when you have a written birth plan that you believe in, it helps:
Your care providers understand your goals
You feel more in control
Decision‑making in labor is clearer
You’re more likely to feel satisfied with the entire experience, regardless of the outcome
How This Helps You
Putting together all this research and practice, here are ways childbirth education + birth planning help you:
Increased likelihood of vaginal birth, especially if you’re hoping for minimal intervention.
Greater confidence in your care choices and your ability to cope with labor.
Reduced fear and uncertainty, because you understand what might happen and why.
Stronger satisfaction with the birth experience, even if things shift—because you had a voice in what was supposed to happen and why.
Final Thoughts
We want to support you in every way possible to have a birth you feel proud of, aligned with, and heard through. By embedding childbirth education and birth planning into our care, our doulas ensures you are not just a passenger but an active, informed participant.
If you’d like to see how our Lamaze‑certified course could help with your birth, and help building your birth plan, we’d love to meet with you! Book a consultation, meet our team, or explore our Birth Doula Package to learn more.
