Preparing for Childbirth
In our society, giving birth is often thought of as this horrific medical event in which the birthing person is consumed by fast labor, extensive pain, and pushing a baby out within minutes of the labor starting while lying on their backs. I became a doula not only to teach about physiological birth, but to change the narrative in our culture. By changing the narrative, I mean expressing the normalcy of birth, decreasing fear, and making sure birthing people know their options when it comes to their birth experience.
Remember that birth can be unpredictable, but there are many things we can do to prepare ourselves for this momentous and transformative event. I want to focus on my top 6 ways here:
Hire a birth doula. This is not a biased opinion! A doula is a birth partner and professional who supports birthing people and their loved ones emotionally, physically, and informationally during labor. They also help you advocate for your wishes and create a peaceful, calm atmosphere. Studies show that having a doula present at your birth can decrease labor time, decrease the experience of pain, increase positive experiences, decrease the chance of interventions and cesarean birth, and provides a boost of oxytocin- a feel good hormone that plays a huge role in birth. Doulas will also help you learn about your options which can be very empowering!
Take a childbirth education course of some kind. This doesn’t have to be anything extensive, just a chance for you to learn about what your labor could look like and prepare yourself mentally. This is also helpful for partners because they are on the outside looking in, and oftentimes do not know what is going on. There are a lot of childbirth education options, and it’s important to find one that resonates with you! While taking a class is important to prepare, I want to urge you to listen to your instincts during your pregnancy and when you are birthing this baby. Your body knows what to do, and it’s important to listen to it.
Practice paying attention to your breath. This is a really big one! Breath can be your best friend or worst enemy in the birth room. Think about when we are in an intense or stressful situation- we tend to tense everything and either hold our breath or have very shallow breathing. This is because of the sympathetic nervous system, or fight or flight system in our bodies. Since birth is normal and productive, we want to be as relaxed as possible in order to bring our babies into the world. Using breath can be an amazing tool to do this- relaxing your throat and entire body can allow the body to trust and open to the journey. Try practicing long inhales and exhales at home either alone or with your partner. A little bit every day can make a huge difference!
Nutrition and exercise are extremely important for preparing the physical body and mental body. Getting appropriate nutrients and enough calories to support your changing body is essential for mental wellbeing and strength during pregnancy and birth. To read more about proper nutrition during pregnancy, head over to Katie Braswell’s Blog (Origin Member). Getting movement every day (even if it’s just stretching or a walk) can be so helpful in keeping the body healthy and strong for labor. It also increases endorphins, the body’s natural pain reliever.
Taking care of your body. Do ALL the self care you can! Chiropractic work, acupuncture, prenatal massage, pelvic floor pt, reflexology, and seeing a certified herbalist can be excellent therapeutic and beneficial options that calm the nervous system, align the pelvis/uterus, and create balance in the body and mind. Another great option is to talk to a therapist or counselor during pregnancy- they really help organize and validate all the thoughts and emotions you may be having. There are so many different ways to create peace and alignment- find the ones that work best for you! Check out Origin’s practitioner list to find someone near you.
The last tip for preparing for birth is to surround yourself with positivity! This is easier said than done because everyone has their opinions about birth, and everyone wants to share their horror stories. It is ok and welcomed to have boundaries with the people in your life and strangers when they start to project their thoughts and experiences onto you. There are some amazing books out there that focus on positive birth stories, as well as social media accounts. These can help bring more peace and confidence into your world.
