Childbirth education and birth plans.

Childbirth education is considered a key component to prenatal care, although many women do not receive any formalized preparation. There are multiple models of childbirth education for both within health care settings, including Centering Pregnancy, and external programs, such as Lamaze and Bradley. As a component of childbirth preparation, a birth plan can be a medium to improve patient-provider communication regarding a desired labor and birth experience and improve satisfaction with care.