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I was told to keep it short and to the point. 1 page max.

I used a template, I think from Baby Center? In the end, I never printed it because my midwife told me is wasn't really necessary. She and I discussed what I wanted and she wrote notes in my file.

ETA: I used one like this. I checked the boxes for what I wanted and it generated it for me. http://www.childbirth.org/interactive/ibirthplan.html

I kept mine to one page and it was a flowdiagram (I used MS Visio). It was visual and there was the "happy path" (vaginal, non-med, unaugmented) as well as paths that lead to epidural and labor augmentation based on need/situation at time.

We made a birth plan in our childbirth class. The hospital provided a template for us to use.

I also made a more specific one through a template via babycenter.

Both plans were for a vaginal birth. When I scheduled my c-section I changed my plans & went through them with my OB beforehand!

I made mine based on a bunch of others I read that were similar to mine. We just worded it in such a way that the doctors and nurses knew I respected their expertise. I think we even titled it 'birth preferences', since we knew things could go in a different direction. Definitely keep it to 1 page with bullet points. Show it to your OB or midwife in advance because some of the things you mention might already be standard practice at your hospital, so you can omit them.
And lastly, write it so that in the event of a c-section, your preferences for that are listed too. My preferences for a c-section were that I not be separated from the baby unless medically necessary, that DH accompany baby for all tests, and that I still get immediate skin to skin instead of being sent to a recovery room. Since I got darn close to needing a C, I was happy I included it!

@MrsTiz: Oh man mine was a two sided page and I was the bossy FTM. lol! While everything didn't go exactly as planned (which I knew was a strong possiblity) I think DH got more use out of it than I did. We had like 5 copies with us and everything.

Fact: I also had a flow chart. Hand to God I made a flow chart. I'm an over planner and it was calming for me to do silly things like that.

Short and specific is what my midwife specified. She said that she was more than happy to read a narrative, 5 page long document - but that it would be 20 minutes less she had to spend by my bedside. So I made sure to keep mine short and bullet points. Next time, I won't even bother. My progressive hospital already did all the things I wanted anyway.

Honestly, the only thing that it was really good for was that ensuring that if she'd turned out to be a boy, that no one would even say the word 'circumcision' around her.

I was thinking of starting thread on birth plans this morning too. I thought I'd have more to write after our childbirth class this weekend, but I'm still drawing a blank. My midwife/ob office gives you a template and it's worded kind of funny. It's all fill in the blanks, like "Unless medically necessary I'd like to avoid ____" or "In the even of a c-section I'd like ________ extra support person."

I basically want to stick with their standard procedures (i.e. no episiotomy unless necessary, skin to skin immediately after, etc) and I want to eventually get an epidural. Not sure I even need a birth plan!

I love this one. It's quick and direct and has pictures, which makes it easier for everyone, so there's not a ton to read. This is just an example I found on line

@junebugmama: That's really cool. I like the visual!~

I just made sure my husband knew that I was open to anything but we needed to question EVERYTHING. What is this medication, why am I getting it, what are the side effects, what are the other options, does this procedure have to be done now, can I refuse this procedure, can I talk to a doctor about this procedure, etc.

Maybe make a list like that for your husband as well so he can advocate on your behalf if you aren't able to.

I copied mine from Missy's from The Bumps Along the Way YouTube channel. It's one page, has a short intro and YES and NO columns. Super simple. I'll edit this post and link the video when I can. I'm on my phone. The link to her birth plan template is in the description.

ETA: here's the link to the vid in case anyone is interested.

I made a one-page, bulleted plan with the most important things in bold. My doctor looked it over and made some suggestions first, then I printed out several. She kept one, had one sent to the hospital for my file, I gave one to my doula, husband had one...

I was a little concerned that no one would take my birth plan seriously and that I'd be viewed as "that first time mom". But that wasn't my experience at all! All of my L&D nurses were always up-to-speed on my wants, and I never had any issues. I'm really glad I wrote one up!

I stuck to a one-page format for brevity's sake, but when I went for my hospital tour, the tour guide suggested to provide one but "keep it down to a few pages". Ha. So my hospital was very accustomed to birth plans. Maybe yours is, too?