The couple’s expectations for the birth plan

Abstract

Background: The birth plan (BP) is a reflexive and decision-making process of the expectant couple, exposed in a written document, allowing a better communication with health professionals and the women’s autonomy. Objective: The present study, inserted in a larger investigation, aimed to describe the couple’s expectation about BP. Methodology: A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study. Participants were 10 couples who at-tended the Parenthood and Birth Preparation Program at a maternity in central Portugal. The data collection instrument was the semi-structured interview and data analysis performed using the Bardin content analysis method and the NVivo10 software. Results: Half of the participants did not know the concept of the Birth Plan, but recognize the impor-tance of discussing their preferences with a midwife for a positive childbirth experience. Conclusion: This study allows innovation and improvement in safe care for women/ couples, in order to respond to their expectations and needs.