Birth Plan and Preferences: C-sectionUK Research Results
51% of the 269 women who responded to C-sectionUK's survey told us they were asked about their birth plan or preferences ahead of their c-section birth. While this is encouraging, it means that nearly half of women, 49%, were not. Keep reading for our reflection on the results.
Our monthly research initiative for C-section parents
Each month, C-sectionUK is asking our committed community of over 50,000 women about their experiences, in response to research often focusing on generalised birth experience or vaginal birth experience. Together, with the women in our C-sectionUK community, we’re committing in 2026 to researching key areas of this journey to understand what is happening in real terms for women.
We’re shining a light on the areas that are in need of improvement, and we’re hopeful that our professional colleagues in the birth space will benefit from these conversations to guide their teaching and policy development and care.
Each month on our C-sectionUK Instagram page we post a poll with a C-section birth research topic. Each poll has a yes/no answer format, which offers a clear definitive percentage for each answer.
Poll Results
269 women responded to our poll via a yes/no format to the question: “Were you asked about your birth plan or preferences for your C-section birth?”
▶ 51% answered Yes
▶ 49% answered No
The near even split in these results is striking. The fact that almost half of women report not being asked about their C-section birth plan or preferences points to a significant and ongoing gap in personalised care for women birthing via C-section.
So what does the research say?
Birth plans are recognised as an important tool for communication between women and their care teams. They offer women the opportunity to express their preferences, ask questions, and feel an active participant in their birth experience rather than a passive recipient of care. For women birthing via C-section - whether planned or unplanned - having preferences acknowledged, and where possible honoured, has been shown to support positive birth experiences and postnatal wellbeing.
NICE guidelines emphasise the importance of individualised care and shared decision making throughout the maternity journey. This includes discussing and documenting women's preferences ahead of birth. When this does not happen, women can be left feeling unheard, unprepared, and unsupported, with consequences that can extend well into the postpartum period.
This article does not have capacity to explore the full complexity of why so many women are still not being asked about their birth plans, but what it does highlight is that this is a very real and ongoing problem in 2026. This data should act as a springboard into key conversations around advocacy and personalised care for women birthing having a Caesarean birth.
CSUK Community Voices
Here’s what some of our C-sectionUK community had to say.
User @aurelie.corrie
"I wasn't even asked, even though I didn't plan a c-section. And now I feel like an idiot for not remembering to share our birth plan when I finally got into a labour room, six hours after being locked in a triage room because there was no labour room available. It makes me so angry that the midwives didn't even ask if we had one. They might be overworked and understaffed, but they forget that mums in labour are exhausted and don't think straight, and partners are worried. They are meant to be the professionals. They are meant to be the ones supporting us through all of this."
User @harriotcooke
"I was asked whether or not I wanted delayed cord clamping, but I wish I'd advocated for music and lower lights - I just didn't think of it in an emergency situation."
User @emsthatgirl
"I wish I'd been pushed for longer skin to skin. Others I know got to see or have video and photos of their baby coming out. It broke my heart a little when I heard, as I would have loved that memento of how she truly came into the world."
Conclusion
Our findings this month show that asking women about their birth plan and preferences for their C-section birth is still something we need to loudly advocate for. Whether you are preparing for your C-section or reflecting on your experience, it is clear that women need to be listened to more. These are not nice-to-haves, they are vital and integral wishes for their baby and their birth, a time they will never get back again.
If you would like support advocating for your wishes for your birth, the C-sectionUK Birth Plan Template and birth planning sessions are a great place to start. You do not have to navigate this alone.
Next month (April)’s poll:
Next month we will be posting our third research poll in this series and we would love for our community to vote and share their experience with us to help shape our articles. April’s research poll will cover the question: “Did a health care professional ask about your C-section scar at the 6-8 week check?”
Have your say in next month’s poll! Head over to our Instagram or Facebook and let us know your thoughts on our research polls.
Your voice counts and helps other parents feel supported.
Every C-section voice matters.
