Your Birth Plan: A Step by Step Guide to Creating and Writing Your Birth Plan Paperback – August 28, 2016

My partner and I are expecting our first child next year, and we really had no idea where to start when it comes to labor and delivery. We've just had so many questions over these last few months, and truth be told I'm pretty scared just thinking about my pending first delivery. I want to know as much as possible about my different birthing options, some great resources, what to expect in each of the different situations, and some guidance on how to map the whole thing out for myself, my partner and my baby. I was recommended this book through my prenatal yoga class, and I am so, so relieved that I have found it so early in my pregnancy. This book has become sanctuary, my guidance, and my reassurance that I am going to get through this just fine - with a plan, with information, and with support. To my delight I found out that the author of Your Birth Plan also has a podcast series on pregnancy topics called Pregnancy Podcast, as well as a 40 week pregnancy information series... Bonus! I was so happy to hear about the podcast series too, Vanessa is super soothing to listen to and provides so much useful information, but in a really easy way to take in and enjoy. I am so grateful for this book and podcast series, I cannot recommend it enough.

Amazing resource for expecting moms AND dads! This book walks through every last aspect of your birth plan, and delves deep into things you won't find in other resources. Vanessa is clearly invested and passionate about helping new parents create a smooth birth experience. Creating a birth plan can be very overwhelming, and knowledge is power - by understanding every last stage and angle of birth, you are empowered to make the right decisions for you & your baby. This book is especially helpful in tandem with Vanessa's totally free podcast episodes that explore various stages of pregnancy, both pre and post-partem. Highly recommend for anyone looking to take control of their birth experience!

This book is great IF you don’t research anything on your own or read other pregnancy books ahead of time. There was nothing in the book that I hadn’t already learned from pregnancy apps and the “What to Expect When Expecting” book. I also didn’t like how every chapter seemed unfinished-each chapter would refer you to a podcast episodes for more information on the subject.

I found this book to be very helpful when writing my own birth plan. I found it more helpful in writing a birth plan for myself rather than in how to communicate that plan with my medical team, however.I had read a lot of the information in it in other places which made it not strictly necessary, but having it all presented in one page (or for moms-to-be who aren't reading a million books) is very helpful! Overall, I found that she presented the right amount of information to get the gist of the nature of each procedure/option, but definitely left it open for people to do more research if they chose.It would've been nice if she presented different ways of writing our birth plan (I am more partial to bullet points) rather than a letter. She also emphasized the importance of a one-page plan, but if you're trying to have a birth with a provider that isn't as supportive of your choices that go against their policies, either some advice on how to pare down or advice on communicate that plan would be useful.

I highly recommend this book to educate and prepare yourself for the birth experience that you wish to create. Vanessa covers almost every scenario that you may come across, no matter where you plan on delivering. Easy to read, non biased, and super informative. I also highly recommend listening to her podcast, "The Pregnancy Podcast."

Although I had already researched having a baby, I bought this book and learned new insights, Now I have an awesome birth plan! I reccomend it to anyone expecting a baby.

Such an incredible and credible resource! Thanks Vanessa for making this available. Pregnancy Podcast is also a staple in my upcoming pregnancy prep:)

Reviews all things birth and explains all the decisions we can make regarding our baby’s birth. Fabulous resource to help make informed decisions. So glad I found Vanessa and her pregnancy podcast! Thanks Vanessa!

I have been listening to Vanessa's podcast since the day I have found out I'm pregnant. I have learned about this book through her podcast, I can not recommend enough how helpful her podcast and this book have been in the preparation of this scary day. I recommend it to all first time moms!