Writing Newborn Care Preferences Into Your Birth Plan

Key takeaways: A short, clear list of newborn preferences helps your care team support you. Common items include skin-to-skin, delayed cord clamping, feeding plans, delayed bath, rooming-in, and questions about routine treatments. Stay flexible; your baby’s health comes first.

Many birth plans focus on labor. But the first hours of your baby’s life involve decisions too. Writing down your newborn care preferences can help you think them through and share them with your team.

Keep It Short

One page or less is best. Use bullet points. Bring a few copies and talk through them with your provider at a prenatal visit, and with your nurse when you arrive.

Preferences to Consider

Right after birth:

• Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth, if you and your baby are stable.
• Delayed cord clamping. ACOG recommends waiting at least 30 to 60 seconds for vigorous term and preterm babies.
• Skin-to-skin in the operating room or recovery room after a cesarean, if possible.
• Who will cut the cord, if you have a preference.
• Partner skin-to-skin if the birthing parent can’t hold the baby.

Feeding:

• Your feeding plan: breastfeeding, formula, or both.
• First feed within the first hour if possible.
• Lactation consultant visit.
• If you plan to breastfeed, whether you’d like to discuss options before any supplementation, such as your own expressed colostrum or donor milk.

Routine care:

• Delaying the first bath. The WHO recommends waiting at least 24 hours when possible.
• Doing weight and measurements after the first feed.
• Rooming-in so your baby stays with you.
• Questions about the vitamin K shot, eye ointment, and hepatitis B vaccine. Ask when they’ll be given and whether they can be done during skin-to-skin.
• Pain relief for heel sticks and shots, such as breastfeeding or skin-to-skin during procedures.

Other:

• Circumcision decision, if you have a boy.
• Pacifier preferences.
• Religious or cultural traditions.
• Your pediatrician’s name.

Talk About “What If”

Things don’t always go as planned. Ask your provider:

• What happens if my baby needs extra help breathing?
• If my baby goes to the NICU, can I visit right away? Can I pump or provide milk?
• How will you decide if my baby needs formula?

Stay Flexible

A birth plan is a list of preferences, not a contract. Your care team may need to change course for safety. Ask them to explain what’s happening and why.

The Bottom Line

A short list of newborn preferences helps you prepare and communicate. Focus on what matters most to you, discuss it ahead of time, and stay open to changes.

Want more support for your baby’s first year? My book, From First Breath to First Birthday, is available on Amazon.

Related Articles

• The Golden Hour: Why the First Hour After Birth Matters
• Your Newborn’s First 24 Hours: What Happens in the Hospital, Hour by Hour

Sources

1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee Opinion No. 814: Delayed umbilical cord clamping after birth. Obstet Gynecol. 2020;136(6):e100-e106.
2. World Health Organization. WHO Recommendations on Maternal and Newborn Care for a Positive Postnatal Experience. Geneva: WHO; 2022.
3. Feldman-Winter L, Goldsmith JP; Committee on Fetus and Newborn; Task Force on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Safe sleep and skin-to-skin care in the neonatal period for healthy term newborns. Pediatrics. 2016;138(3):e20161889.
4. Meek JY, Noble L; Section on Breastfeeding. Policy statement: breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics. 2022;150(1):e2022057988.

This article is for general education and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice. Always talk with your baby’s health care provider or your own provider about your specific situation. If you think your baby or you may have a medical emergency, call 911.