Whether you will decide to put down on paper your wishes for the birth of your child or not is your individual choice. Some call it writing a 'Birth Plan'. I encourage you to forget about the word 'Plan'. Birth is truly unpredictable and putting together a 'plan' can be very disappointing. Instead, I suggest to use the word 'wishes' or 'preferences' or 'vision'. You can imagine and ask for all the things that you wish to take or not to take place during your labor, birth and early postpartum for as long as you and your baby are doing well. If any intervention becomes necessary, you still have right to take an informed decision about it, but you should not be too attached to any 'plan'. In my view, there is a lot of you can plan ahead of time for your birth to best prepare for what you wish for. This includes: educating yourself, carefully choosing your place of birth, choosing a care provider you trust, getting a doula, attending childbirth classes, taking care of yourself through exercise, good nutrition and emotional, mental, spiritual well-being, etc. The day of your birth, be educated, have support and know how to surrender. You do not know where this river will take you.
Below you will find some tools to create your birth wishes.
The reaction of your care provider to it will tell you a bit as well. Normally, they should be very supportive of it, happy to read it and to respect it as much as they can. Some care providers have some reserves toward 'Birth Plans' due to lack of flexibility of parents. Let them know clearly that these are your 'wishes' and that you are aware that some of those things may change.
Actually, for hospital births, very often at least a few things among your birth wishes may not happen. That's a reality of NYC hospitals. Be prepared for that. Be flexible.
Birth Preferences template - if you choose to use this one, you may just cross out things / reword / add - whatever you wish
Birth Preferences example with long phrases - these are beautifully written wishes; this is great as it's much more personal, although it's probably good for you two, to revisit with your care providers during prenatal visits and to share with your doula; it may be good though to have something easier to read for nurses, less patient doctors or other hospital staff that may become part of your birth team
Birth Preferences Online Tool - here is another tool that can help you to put birth wishes together; I think that this one may be good for you to think about all various options, but again it may be a little bit too long to read for doctors and nurses
Visual Birth Preferences - a very simple visual tool; sometimes it's much more welcome by the hospital staff (nurses, resident doctors) as they're not always open to read or even recall all the things on written birth wishes. Here is the link to all the icons.
And here is a sample of Home Birth Preferences for those planning a home birth. It can serve you as an example in creating your own birth vision.
Last but not least, here is a Plan C template. Part of it is already included in the very first template here but this is more thorough. It may be a good exercise for those planning for a home birth or birthing center, as statistically the chances of a c-section are much lower, often is also a thought of it put far aside, if not totally buried.
Make this your very own set of wishes! Things that are truly important to you.
And please let me know if you have any questions.