s your due date gets closer, creating a baby care plan may help you feel more at ease about your newborn's care during her first hours and days in the world.

If you'd like, you can create a simple one-page document stating your wishes, just as you did with your birth plan. Make extra copies — one to keep on hand and others for the doctor, midwife, nurses, and other caretakers.

Here are some examples of what you may want to request in your plan:

• Immediately after birth, I want to have my baby put on my chest or stomach.
• I want to breastfeed exclusively (no bottles or pacifiers). Or: I want my baby to be formula fed.
• I want my baby to sleep in my room with me during my stay in the hospital.
   
  Don't underestimate how tired you might be after delivery. The idea of having your baby with you at all times may sound nice now, but you might surprise yourself with how easy it is to say "Can the baby stay in the nursery tonight?"
• I would like a parent or caretaker to be with the baby at all times.
• I would like all physical exams and tests to take place in my room. If they have to be in another room, I’d like at least one parent to be present at all times.
• If we have a boy, we would like him to be circumcised (or not circumcised) before leaving the hospital.
• I would like the baby’s cord to be cut by my partner.
• We are planning on banking our baby's cord blood.

Sometime during your second or third trimester, tour your hospital or birthing center and check to see if the newborn care policies can accommodate your wishes. Also, be sure to review your baby care plan with your health practitioner.

Remember that even the best laid plans may need to change depending on your birth experience — be flexible and realistic, trusting that your doctor, nurse, or midwife will make the best (and safest) choices for you and your child.