Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to BirthPlan.net ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website birthplan.net (the "Site") and use our birth planning tools and services.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the Site or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

We collect information you voluntarily provide when using our birth planning tools, including but not limited to:

• Birth Plan Information: Preferences and choices you make when using our Birth Plan Generator, including labor preferences, pain management choices, and delivery preferences
• Personal Information: Name, due date, healthcare provider information (if provided)
• Contact Information: Email address (if you subscribe to our newsletter or contact us)
• Health-Related Information: Pregnancy-related information you choose to share when using our calculators and tools

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage, including:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type, browser version, operating system
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on pages, unique device identifiers
• Location Information: General location information based on IP address (country, state/region)
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity and store certain information

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third-party services such as:

• Google Analytics for website usage analytics
• Google AdSense for advertising purposes
• Social media platforms if you choose to share our content

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect in the following ways:

3.1 To Provide and Improve Our Services

• Generate personalized birth plans based on your preferences
• Save your progress in our tools using browser local storage
• Provide pregnancy calculators and tracking tools
• Improve our tools and services based on usage patterns

3.2 To Communicate with You

• Send newsletters if you've subscribed
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Send administrative information about changes to our services

3.3 For Analytics and Improvement

• Analyze usage trends and preferences
• Improve website functionality and user experience
• Develop new features and tools
• Monitor and analyze the effectiveness of our content

3.4 For Marketing and Advertising

• Display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense
• Analyze the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns
• Send promotional communications (only with your consent)

3.5 For Legal and Safety Purposes

• Comply with legal obligations
• Protect our rights and property
• Prevent fraud and enhance security
• Enforce our terms of service

4. How We Store and Protect Your Information

4.1 Data Storage

Most of the data you enter into our tools (birth plan preferences, checklist items, calculator data) is stored locally in your browser using localStorage technology. This means:

• Your data remains on your device
• We do not have access to this locally stored information
• You can clear this data at any time by clearing your browser's local storage
• The data persists only on the specific browser and device you use

4.2 Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information, including:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Secure hosting infrastructure

4.3 Data Retention

We retain your information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Specifically:

• Local storage data: Retained indefinitely on your device until you clear it
• Newsletter subscriptions: Until you unsubscribe
• Contact form submissions: Up to 2 years for customer service purposes
• Analytics data: According to Google Analytics retention policies

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic site functionality
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site (Google Analytics)
• Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense to display relevant ads
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences

5.2 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Please note that removing or blocking cookies may impact your user experience and some features may not function properly.

5.3 Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers incorporate a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature. Because there is not yet an industry standard for DNT signals, our Site does not currently respond to DNT signals.

6. Third-Party Services and Links

6.1 Google Services

We use various Google services that may collect information:

• Google Analytics: For website traffic analysis. Google Privacy Policy
• Google AdSense: For displaying advertisements. Google Ads Privacy
• Google Fonts: For typography. Google Fonts Privacy

6.2 External Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

7. Your Privacy Rights

7.1 Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request access to your personal information
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Portability: Request a copy of your information in a portable format
• Opt-out: Opt-out of marketing communications
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing
• Objection: Object to our processing of your information

7.2 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law.

8. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

8.1 Right to Know

You have the right to request that we disclose:

• The categories of personal information we collect
• The sources of personal information
• Our business purposes for collecting information
• The categories of third parties with whom we share information
• The specific pieces of personal information we have about you

8.2 Right to Delete

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.

8.3 Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.

8.4 Sale of Personal Information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

9. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

9.1 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your information based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: You have given consent for processing
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate interests
• Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary for compliance with law

9.2 International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the EEA. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for such transfers.

9.3 Data Protection Officer

For GDPR-related inquiries, please contact us using the information in the "Contact Us" section.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not provide any information on this Site.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe we might have information from or about a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

11. Special Categories of Information

Our birth planning tools may collect health-related information that you voluntarily provide. This information is considered sensitive personal data. We process this information only:

• With your explicit consent
• To provide the services you requested
• In accordance with applicable health data protection laws

We do not share health-related information with third parties except as necessary to provide our services or as required by law.

12. Marketing Communications

12.1 Newsletter Subscription

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we will use your email address to send you pregnancy and birth-related information, tips, and updates. You can unsubscribe at any time by:

• Clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any email
• Contacting us directly

12.2 Push Notifications

We do not currently send push notifications. If we implement this feature in the future, we will request your explicit consent.

13. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will:

• Notify affected users within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach (where feasible)
• Provide information about the nature of the breach
• Describe the measures taken to address the breach
• Provide recommendations for protecting your information

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Posting a notice on our homepage
• Sending an email notification if we have your email address

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

15. Contact Us

If you have questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

When contacting us about privacy matters, please include:

• Your name and contact information
• A description of your privacy concern or request
• Any relevant details to help us address your inquiry

16. Accessibility

We are committed to ensuring this Privacy Policy is accessible to individuals with disabilities. If you need this policy in an alternative format, please contact us using the information above.

17. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the United States and the state in which we operate, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from this policy shall be resolved in accordance with our Terms of Service.