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Aberdeen Centre for Women's Health Research

Plan-A Decision Aid - DRAFT

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Plan-A Decision Aid - DRAFT

Image of the Plan A logo - a pregnant lady

Your Choice.

[Picture of a pregnant women (top half of an animated women) with thought bubble saying 'Should I plan vaginal or caesarean birth?]

You have a right to choose to plan a vaginal or caesarean birth in the UK.

Your midwife or doctor have a duty to support you to choose.

This decision aid could help you understand your options. Things may change during your pregnancy and birth can be unpredictable. You can take your time to learn about birth and what might happen. Your midwife or doctor will discuss your birth plan with you.

You can come back to this decision aid at any time.

We hope you and your care tram will find this decision aid useful. It does not cover conditions or complications during pregnancy that may affect birth, but your midwife or doctor will address these with you.

You have a right to choose - Why am I being offered this choice?

Since a UK Supreme court ruling in 2015 ('Montgomery versus Lanarkshire Health Board') healthcare providers (midwives and doctors) are expected to explain all of the significant risks of the reasonable treatment options available to you. This includes the risks of doing nothing. Your midwife or doctor should ensure that the risks which you think are significant are explained to you.

Since 2021 national antenatal care guidance [hyperlink to NICE] has recommended that all pregnant women receive information about planning vaginal and caesarean birth to help them to plan their birth.

How will you decide?

Choosing between planning a vaginal or caesarean birth often involves weighing up what matters most to you.

Click on topics below to read about what matters to you.

When using this decision aid, you can take notes for yourself on what is important to you so that you can discuss these with your midwife or doctor. You could also discuss things with your partner (if you have one), family members or friends, other birth supporters or support organisations.

Your health and wellbeing in the short & long-term, including future pregnancies
Your baby's health and wellbeing
How you and your family, friends and community feel about birth itself
What to expect when giving birth and the post-birth period
Experiences of planning how to give birth, including stories from others

Project Partners

University of Aberdeen logo NHS Grampian logo University of Cardiff logo National Institute for Health Research logo NUI Galway logo

How was this decision aid developed?
This decision aid was developed by a team of researchers during 2024.The lead researcher is an obstetrician (Dr Mairead Black) and the research team included three midwives (Professor Declan Devane, Mrs Gillian Taylor and Dr Shawn Walker), an obstetrician (Dr Tara Fairley), two research fellows (Dr Aniebiet Ekong, Dr Avril Nicol), a philosophy and ethics expert (Professor Vikki Entwistle), health services research experts (Professor Louise Locock, Dr Denitza Williams, Professor Bhattacharya) and a diverse public panel of experts (Ms Mo Ade, Mrs Pauline McDonagh-Hull, Ms Lilla Ward, Mrs Natalie Whyte, Mrs Ivett Hidvegi, Ms Natalie Saldias and representatives of both NCT and AIMS charities).
The development process followed best practice guidance. Systematic reviews of published literature were used to understand how decisions are made about planning how to give birth, and to identify studies comparing outcomes of a plan for vaginal birth with a plan for caesarean birth. Interviews with women and health professionals were also used to explore how decisions are made, what support is required and what a decision aid should contain. A consensus process was followed, using a survey and two half-day meetings, to agree on what outcomes of childbirth (and other key pieces of information) should be included in the decision aid. A draft decision aid was developed and tested with a public panel (part of the research team) and in workshops with XX members of the public and NHS health professionals.