One
of the most challenging and fulfilling experiences in life is giving
birth. It is a test of will and strength that is like no other. But
just like any races or workout you begin, you do not want to go into
in unprepared, mentally and physically. Below are several ways you
can begin to prepare your body and mind for labor.
Mentally: By
far, labor is a mental game. Being prepared and understanding what
each stage of labor is going to bring will allow your mind and body
to stay in the game far longer. You can prepare mentally by:
Visualization:
Visualizing your birth experience and how you want to handle each
change is a
great
way to plan. Walk yourself through how you feel early/latent labor
going, where do you
plan
on laboring at, is there music, etc. Do this for each stage. Writing
it down can often help
you
affirm your plan. Make it positive, but also visualize how you would
handle unexpected
circumstances.
Prayer/Meditation:
Using prayer and meditation to release your positive energy and
thoughts to
direct
your birth. Ask your religious Deity for support during labor. Turn
to Scripture or Religious
text
to prepare you.
Don't get hung up on the “What ifs?”:
Every birth experience from mother to mother and even
baby
to baby is going to be different. Don't get hung up worrying about
what could have or
should
have happened. You might be planning and preparing for a homebirth,
but a natural
hospital
birth can be just as fulfilling if you allow yourself the chance to
enjoy it. Life changes
constantly,
be prepared to roll with them.
Let
go of your fears: It's a little know, not talked about in the OB
office fact that fear can slow
or
even stall your progress. Let go of fears and trust in your innate
ability to birth your baby and you will be able to handle any
obstacle that arises.
Focus
on Baby: The ultimate goal here is a happy, healthy baby.
Remembering that your are
working
for the baby and not the method in which you get there will take a
lot of stress off.
Yes,
every woman wants her ideal birth, and there is nothing wrong with
working towards that,
but
do not become so hung up on the birth experience that you forget the
reason you are
birthing.
Physically:
Just
like preparing for a race, you want to train your body. You do not
want to get the point of pushing and not have the stamina to
continue. Because birth is a race of it's own kind, you want to
prepare your body in accordance. Below are a few ways to prepare your
body physically.
Gentle
Exercise: I am not advocating you going out and doing some high
end workout routine or
beginning
a couch to 5k training, but you do want to gently exercise your body.
Great ways to
do
this are yoga and walking. The point of gentle exercise is to not
wear yourself out, but to
increase
your stamina so that you can go further and longer when birth begins.
Hydration:
Often women are so tired of running to the restroom at the end of
labor you'll find
them
drinking less and less. This is the exact opposite of what you want
to do. Being hydrated
has
profound benefits on your birth experience. You will find that
contractions can feel stronger
when
you are dehydrated or your other muscles will cramp up. Since most
hospitals do not allow
you
to drink, you want to be well hydrated going in.
Breathing:
This is very important to a runner, a dancer and even a birthing
mother. Your
breathe
is a very powerful and controlling action. During labor, you have the
ability to breathe
yourself
through the contractions, even when you think you aren't able. Start
learning coping
breathes
now so that when labor comes, you are prepared with the ones you want
to try.
Stretching:
Stretching your muscles daily will help prevent cramps and tightening
during labor.
The
looser and more relaxed you can be during labor the easier it will be
for you to handle
the
contractions.
Kegel
Exercises: Kegel exercises are used to strengthen the pelvic
muscles to aide in a better
birth.
These should be performed daily to increase their effectiveness. They
should be done 30
times
a day and held for 30 seconds. To do them you flex your muscles like
you would stop your
urine.
Perineum
Massage: Massaging of the perineum during pregnancy works to
increase the elasticity
to
prevent tears or the need of an episiotomy during delivery. While
this can be done on your
own,
it is much easier and effective if you have your partner do it for
you.
**This is actually a document I wrote for my childbirth education classes. Please ask permission before reprinting.**
Hugs & Coffee,
-The Anti-Mainstream Mom
Sources
Beier,
Catherine. (2013, April 5). You
want a natural vaginal birth, but have you prepared for it?.
Retrieved
from
www.givingbirthnaturally.com
McBride,
Tocarra. (2011, July 4). Natural
way to prepare your body for the birth of a baby. Retrieved
from www.livestrong.com
