It is human nature to have fear, and it is very common for women to experience fear around birth. After all what you see on tv is always quite dramatic and creates a sense of fear, so no wonder women have fear around birth.
Fear is normal, in fact it is healthy to have some fear in situations in life.
Fear during labour and birth can have a negative impact on our birth experience, women who are fearful or scared are more likely to have interventions and longer and more painful labours.
I have always believed that fear is caused by the unknown. So prior preparation and knowledge is power. If you know what is happening and what to expect nothing will really take you by surprise and less Likely to feel scared or anxious.
There are so many tools, techniques and resources available to birthing women now to help you feel calm, safe and undisturbed during labour.
A popular and also one of my most useful tools in my labour was hypnobirthing breathing techniques. By learning to calm your nerves system this encourages your body to relax and creates a state of calm. When your body is in a state of calm you can think clearer, and your body produces feel good hormones.
Choosing your support team wisely can also have a large impact on how you feel and respond mentally and physically during labour and birth. If you have somebody in your birthing space who may be anxious or feel unprepared and uneducated their energy in your birth space may not be a positive one and could have a negative impact on your birth experience. It is important to have people with you who will advocate for what you want and need, support and comfort you.
Having a birth plan in place before your birth is also important, being descriptive about how you want your environment to look and feel. Who you want in the room, how many people you want in the room to start with, what interventions you do or don’t want, if you want them offered to you. It is YOUR birth, and YOU have the right to have it however you wish. This will ensure that anyone who enters your birthing space will know exactly what you want and what to and what not to do.
It can also be useful to have some natural pain-relieving techniques too, these can be different laboring positions, pressure points performed by your partner, a birth comb, headphones for meditations and guided breathing, essential oils, and that’s just to name a few.
Whatever you want your birth to look like it is possible, after all we are built to birth, we can do this.
Hi, my name is Emily Wagner, and I am a Birth Doula, training with the Doula Training Academy.
I am based in the Somerset Region, Queensland.
If you would like to talk more about your birth, feel free to contact me.
Business Name:
Rebirthing With Emily
Email:
[email protected]
Website:
http://www.rebirthingwithemily.com.au/