Birth Plan

Norton Healthcare wants your birthing experience to be special and as stress-free as possible. Because each woman’s needs are different, it’s important to discuss your labor and delivery preferences with your health care provider well before your due date. This will help to ensure you understand all your options and that your birth plan is known ahead of time.

The goal of a birth plan is not to decide precisely how labor and delivery will happen. Childbirth involves many variables, meaning it is impossible to predict every detail. However, a birth plan will serve as a guide throughout the process.

What to Consider

You can fill out a Norton Women’s Care birth plan, or consider these topics when devising your birth plan:

Labor and Delivery

Who do you want present in the room?
What level of mobility do you desire during labor?
Do you want fetal monitoring?
Is there a birthing position you prefer?
What are your feelings about episiotomy?
Would you like a mirror present so you can see the baby crown?

Pain Management

Do you want to try to give birth naturally?
Would you like to use IV medication, an epidural or nitrous oxide for pain relief?
Are you interested in the use of a labor tub?

Following Delivery

Who do you want to cut the umbilical cord?
Are you planning to store cord blood?
Do you want immediate skin-to-skin contact with baby?

Postpartum Care of Baby

Are you planning to breastfeed?

What to Expect from Norton Women’s Care

More mothers in Louisville and Southern Indiana choose to deliver their babies at Norton Hospital or Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital than with any other hospital system in the area.

We deliver more than 8,000 babies a year. We’re close to you with more than 90 providers at more than 25 locations around Louisville and Southern Indiana. Choosing Norton Women’s Care gives you many options for how delivery day could go — all with the confidence of knowing that our obstetrics and pediatric specialists are there to help. With Norton Women’s Care, you’ll find:

The birth experience you want: You can choose natural childbirth, a midwife, labor tub, nitrous oxide and other birthing options. We’ll recommend a C-section (cesarean section) or induced labor only if it’s medically necessary.
Preparation: Our specialists offer the support you need, including free Lamaze and other childbirth classes, new parent classes, breastfeeding support, child safety classes and more.
Confidence and quality in care: Norton Women’s Care has been recognized as High Performing — the highest rating available — for maternity care with fewer complications and C-sections, plus breastfeeding support and other benefits.
We offer the highest-level (Level IV) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in Louisville and Southern Indiana at Norton Children’s Hospital, and a sophisticated Level III NICU at Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital.
Around-the-clock OB/GYN care is available at Norton Hospital and Norton Women’s & Children’s Hospital emergency departments.
Our board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialists can help guide you through a high-risk pregnancy, from treating preexisting diabetes in the pregnant patient to a fetal echocardiogram to diagnose a congenital heart condition before a baby is born.
Medicare, Medicaid and most major commercial insurance plans are accepted.
Convenient access to your medical record: Communicate with your health care provider, get lab results, renew prescriptions and more through your free Norton MyChart account.