Plano de parto: uma estratégia de empoderamento feminino

Abstract

REZENDE, M.E.F. Birth Plan: A Strategy for Female Empowerment. 2025. 41p. Undergraduate Thesis – Nursing Course, School of Social Sciences and Health, Pontifical Catholic University of Goiás – Goiânia, Goiás, 2025.

INTRODUCTION: Pregnancy and childbirth are unique moments in a woman's life, and how she prepares for this moment can directly influence her experience and empowerment. The birth plan (PP) is an essential tool to promote the autonomy and protagonism of pregnant women during the birthing process. This instrument allows women to express their expectations, preferences, and decisions clearly, contributing to humanized, safe, and respectful care. However, pregnant women still face challenges in the practice of developing and implementing a birth plan. OBJECTIVE: To describe how the literature addresses the importance of the birth plan and its contribution to female empowerment, as well as to identify the limiting factors in pregnant women's access to information about this tool during prenatal care. METHODOLOGY: This is an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach, of the literature review type, carried out in the databases Google Scholar, Virtual Health Library (VHL), Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) and Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS). Articles published between 2018 and 2025, in Portuguese and English, freely available and addressing the proposed theme were included. RESULTS: The analysis of the 15 selected articles showed that the birth plan is recognized as an effective communication tool between the pregnant woman and the health team, promoting greater autonomy, safety and maternal satisfaction. Among the main importances of the birth plan for strengthening the autonomy and empowerment of the pregnant woman are: greater decision-making power, choices regarding situations involving her body and childbirth, and the role of protagonist as the central subject of the birthing process. However, the analysis of the articles showed that although the birth plan is recognized, its implementation still presents limiting factors such as: lack of guidance and knowledge of the health team about the importance of the birth plan, excessive focus on technical procedures, little active listening, lack of communication, lack of knowledge of pregnant women about the birth plan, fear, anxiety, insecurity and lack of family support are factors that hinder the elaboration of the birth plan. DISCUSSION: The literature reinforces the importance of the role of obstetric nursing in the elaboration and guidance of the birth plan, highlighting that the nurse is fundamental in promoting dialogue and valuing the choices of pregnant women. CONCLUSION: The birth plan is an important tool for strengthening female autonomy, contributing to the humanization of childbirth and respect for the decisions of pregnant women. Therefore, the importance of investing in public policies that strengthen the elaboration and implementation of the birth plan, as well as educational actions involving pregnant women and professionals showing what a birth plan is and its importance, is emphasized.

Keywords: birth plan, empowerment, obstetric violence, and humanized childbirth.