Birth plan – legal and medical aspects

Abstract

A birth plan is a document that defines the mother's preferences and expectations regarding childbirth and early puerperium. The purpose of the birth plan is to establish communication about the mother's birth wishes and to properly convey them to the health care providers. With the increasing computerization of society, the birth plan is currently the subject of heated debate. In the article, we present the historical view of the birth plan, as well as the current legislation regarding the birth plan, as we do not consider the legal awareness of obstetricians to be sufficient at the moment. The purpose of this article is to appeal to the professional public so that they have up-to-date information about the birth plan, especially in discussions with patients, but also during forensic procedures. The preservation of excellent perinatological results under our circumstances is only possible by providing professional, empathetic and very intimate health care in hospital institutions.