It always breaks my heart when I hear of women going into birth with no preparation. This day will stay with you and your birth partner for the rest of your life for so many reasons...
You'll remember how you were made to feel, you remember whether you were in control or not, you'll remember how your body was - relaxed and strong or tense and exhausted.
What so many people don't realise is that you can prepare for this day in so many ways that will benefit you mentally, physically and emotionally. And the same goes for the birth partner too.
I came across some content recently and it hit the nail on the head; Birth Prep like your wedding day. And it's so blimmin true.
Many of us (although not all), will spend months and months preparing for our wedding day, spending thousands of pounds on one day. And that's fine, it's a day that brings a lot of happiness, but so is your birth.
Doing a Hypnobithing course is just a couple of hundred pounds on one day, that can transform your birth experience into a HUGELY positive one.
So here's some ways to take control and Birth Prep like your wedding day:
1) Do your research - read birth stories, speak to local mums, talk to your community midwives and go online to research your options.
2) Be inspired - follow positive birth related accounts on social media, watch positive birth videos, read positive birth stories - the more you expose yourself to positive birth experiences, the more you normalise this. And then your subconscious will learn birth can be a normal natural event - there's something to be said in "the law of attraction".
3) Practise Relaxation Techniques - the best way to do this, and to receive a well-rounded education, is to attend a Hypnobirthing course with an instructor. Reading a book just won't cut it...you can read a book on how to swim or you can jump in the water. The same goes for hypnobirthing, you can read a book or do a course!
4) Choose your support team - who do you want around you? Midwives, birth partners, doctors? Perhaps you want a certain team. And who is welcome to visit you and who is not. Yes, you can be a diva and say you don't want certain people in the room - this is your moment.
5) Know your choices - Read up on your choices, your options and be informed. Knowledge is power. Read up on birthing, or better do a course. By being informed and exercising your choice you can make informed decisions in the birthing room which means you are in control. When a couple looks back and feels in control then that's when they feel they had a positive experience. This could mean handing yourselves over to the medical team, so long as you were informed, made that decision yourself, then you made the right choice for you.
6) Have a good Birth Plan - Birth plans are not just what you want to happen in birth. It's how you want to birth. Do you want to be at home or in hospital? How do you want to administer vitamin K? What drugs are a definite no no? What positions do you prefer? How do you want to deliver in third stage labour? Is the golden hour important to you? All of this (and more!) needs to be in your Birth Plan.
On my course we cover all of the above and more to get you ready for the big day. Check out this quote:
"Whenever and however you give birth, your experience will impact your emotions, your mind, your body, and your spirit for the rest of your life."
Ina May Gaskin
Be ready for it! Join my Hypnobirthing Course today. For more information on all my upcoming courses, click here.
To get started on all that Relaxation how about downloading your FREE Relaxation MP3 to enjoy at home. All you have to do is sign up to The Birth Easy Club and you'll be the first to receive offers, news and all things bump and baby related.
I've got you!
Georgia x
Some other posts you might like:
There's that famous quote by Marie Mongan - one of the most prolific hypnobirthing instructors out there...
"When you change the way you perceive birth, the way you birth will change."
Damn right!
Growing up we're fed the dream to fall in love, marry and have kids, cheers Disney! That's kind of what I had in mind, but there was one stumbling block.
It seems like never before, has motherhood and pregnancy, been so intense and overwhelming.
There's no doubt that when a baby is born, a mother is born too. After labouring your baby (yes - it's labour!) you then have to nurse baby day and night, nurture them, change them, be at their beck and call.