5 Top Tips For A Positive Birth
Are there really things that you can do to stack the odds in your favour for a great birth experience? Irrespective of the type of birth that you have?
Absolutely yes!
And here they are:
Learn how to relax your body.
I kid you not… learning how to truly relax your body and your mind will be one of the most important skills that you will have during labour. Instead of wasting both energy and time gritting your teeth, balling your fists and fighting every surge (contraction, wave, rush... you choose!) invest some time in learning how to just release and relax.
Soften your jaw so that you may release the muscles of the pelvic floor (floppy face equals floppy fanny!), let your shoulders drop down to their natural position, open and relax your hands and your feet and let unnecessary tension fall from your body. Your uterus (a HUGE bunch of muscles) will be working hard and knows exactly what it needs to do, so don’t waste all of your energy elsewhere. Just let the sensations roll across your body, be aware of them, feel them.. But don’t fear them. Teach your mind to go where you need it to. A beach? A sunset? A glorious park? A cooling snowy scene? You have a choice over where to place your mind. The birth room or somewhere else? Somewhere calming and safe, or maybe somewhere that reflects the intensity of the sensations of birth but in a setting that works for you.
Learn a great breathing technique.
At Better Birth Stories we teach our Basic Breath Technique. It is the exact same breath that I teach to people with anxiety or depression, who have suffered trauma or who are terrified of public speaking. Its aim is to bring oxygen into the body and brain and release it softly and slowly.
By doing this we tell the mind very clearly that there is no need for panic or worry, no need for anxiety or to run away. The body is given the message, ‘we are okay… we are okay’.
You can learn this breathing technique on our Online Hypnobirthing Course or at our In-person Hypnobirthing Courses. You can also visit our YouTube Channel at Better Birth Stories to watch both our Basic Breath and a breathing technique for Up and Down Breathing. A quality Hypnobirthing course is worth its weight in gold for excellent birth preparation, so do go and check it out!
Have a home birth if you can and are low risk.
It has been evidentially proven that a home birth with an experienced midwifery team comes with less risks than a hospital birth for the birthing mother and is just as safe for the baby. This is wonderful news! No more wondering when to transfer, no more trying to find a parking space or hoping the cab will arrive on time, no more unnecessary interventions to speed labour along to free up the room for the next woman and no more yo-yo-ing for mothers that arrive at hospital earlier than the hospital would like.
Instead, when you feel that labour is building and you want some further support your midwife will just come to you. And most importantly? You will know her already!
You can have entonox (gas & air) if you wish, a birth pool, labour in the shower or anywhere in your home and you don’t even have to worry about childcare should you have older children. You remain in your safe space. After the birth your birth team will clear up for you and you and your baby will be tucked up in bed with a nice cup of tea and a slice of toast.
And if you do decide or need to transfer in? Your lovely, familiar midwife will travel in with you. Perfect.
Read all about due dates and induction of labour from reliable sources.
Induction of labour has grown to epidemic proportions over the last 10-20 years. It is true that some women and babies may be poorly and this will be the right choice for them and of course any woman that wishes an induction should be able to receive one.
However, we know from many, many studies that induction of labour leads to many other interventions including assisted birth (forceps/ventouse) and caesarean section. It requires increased monitoring which limits movements in birth and comes with a higher number of complications. Due to how it works it can make labour more painful for mum also resulting in higher use of epidural analgesia. It was also cited in the recent Okenden Review.
Induction of labour starts with the seemingly innocuous ‘stretch & sweep’ and moves through a variety of interventions to synthetic oxytocin via a drip. It really isn’t a benign intervention and can have huge ramifications for the type of birth that you will have.
So, read up on what it is, why it happens and what your options are. I highly recommend the following books: ‘In Your Own Time’ - Dr Sara Wickham, ‘Why Induction Matters’ - Rachel Reed & ‘The AIMS Guide to Induction of Labour’ - AIMS (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services)
Ensure that your birth partner knows what is going to happen during birth and how to support you.
Who you choose to support you during your birth is entirely up to you. They do need to be well equipped to support you throughout though.
Your birth partner needs to understand physiological birth, what this looks and sounds like and how to support and protect it. They also need to understand what types of complications may occur and again how to keep you feeling safe and supported throughout the entire process.
How? Absolutely ensure that your birth partner, whoever you choose, joins you on your antenatal / hypnobirthing classes. There they will learn all about the process of labour and birth, how the birth landscape works, how important the birth environment is for the birthing mother and baby and what they can do to keep everything on track. They also need to work with you on the creation of your birth plan.
A birth partner with knowledge, skills and purpose will be the key to your best birth team and your positive birth experience, so get them skilled up and by your side.
So 5 Top Tips for a Better Birth Story. Start working on them today and let me know how you get on. x
Want to prepare for your birth with us? We teach hypnobirthing in three wonderful ways:
Our in-person hypnobirthing classes held in London