consider a birth plan to be a useful tool in providing more effective communication between healthcare professionals and and the pregnant women in their care. mothers with birth plans and their babies have at least as good outcomes as those without a birth plan. there are no negative outcomes associated with the use of birth plans. these results serve to promote the use of birth plans and, in so doing, encourage a more active role of the pregnant women during the labor and birth process. this goal can be achieved by providing the pregnant women with more detailed and reliable information in order for her to be in a position to make an informed choice. A formal birth plan developed prior to labor is useful in outlining the women's expectations and helping her care providers do their best to meet them.