My Top 5 Tips To Help Prepare for Birth
If you’re pregnant or planning to be, then now is the time to get prepared! During contractions is not the time to stop and think about what to do and how to do it, you need to work it out beforehand.
Yes, birth is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared for it. So here are my top 5 tips.
Learn how to work with your body
Learning how to trust your body, your baby and your intuition is crucial when it comes to childbirth. Working with your body instead of against it is going to make everything so much smoother.
Childbirth is like a dance, between your mind and your body. If your mind is scared, fearful and full of nerves, then your body is going to trip over its feet, stumble and mess up the steps. Contrastingly, If your mind is clear, prepared, and ready to rock n roll, then your body is going to follow suit and do some kick ass air guitar moves! (Yeah… okay idk about rock n roll but look you get my drift).
Ultimately, working with your body decreases the pain you can feel during a contraction rather than if you tensed up and tried to fight it. If a contraction comes and you brace yourself, tense up and don’t follow the flow of your body’s movements, it’s going to be so much more painful then if you allow your body to work with the contraction and let it take over your body to do what it’s intended purpose is to do (help dilate the cervix and push baby down).
2. Prepare to free birth
No matter how you plan to birth!! This is important. This isn’t because I think everyone should birth at home or we should boycott the maternity system, but because birth is unpredictable, so we need to be prepared for it! You can plan to have an elective C section, or to be induced and have an epidural, if that’s your plan great, awesome, love it. But girl, you still need to prepare to free birth. Now hear me out
You can schedule your C section or induction for 39 weeks, you’ve got it booked it, you’re excited. Whoops it’s 37 weeks you just got home from a walk and feel a bit niggly but put it down to being sore and tired. You go for a shower and suddenly you’re panting and feeling lots of pressure and you think you’re having contractions so you ring your partner and tell him to hurry up to take you to the hospital.
He’s 20 minutes away so you jump back in the shower cause that felt nice and you figure you’ll just wait til he’s home and then head up to hospital, it’s all very unexpected. Whoop, suddenly you’re in the shower bearing down anddddd yep, there it is, baby. Hello little one, you came bloody fast! You’re in so much shock, you don’t know what to do. You’re partner walks in and hears you in the shower and when he walks in and sees the blood he shits himself, the baby’s not crying, youre wide eyed in shock and are slightly frozen. It’s all a bit much, an ambulance is called and it’s the longest few minutes before baby finally has a little cry and all is good.
My god, scary! You had no idea what to do, dad was shitting himself, what a crazy mess! Imagine if you were prepared for that and had you learnt about it you would know how to deal with it and what to expect or any red flags to look out for. Could make everything A LOT calmer!
Same scenario if baby’s born in the car on the way to the hospital, or suddenly your streets on lock down and you can’t leave because there’s a killer on the loose (I mean, I hope not but you never know). If you were prepared, knew what to expect, that situation could actually be an empowering, uplifting one rather than scared, worried and stressed.
An independent childbirth class is great to take, not just the ones offered at hospital. Or do your own research. Some important things to note are:
It’s normal for baby not to take a breath straight away, they may need a minute or two (they’ve just been through a lot, give them a chance!) just chat with them, place them on your chest to help them regulate and give them a gentle rub if needed. Talk to them, say hello and introduce yourself!!!
Once baby’s born, just check the cord isn’t wrapped around the baby’s neck or body. If it is, that’s perfectly okay and no cause for alarm, just simply unwrap it.
You may keep contracting once baby is born, this helps your placenta to detach from your uterine wall and you may feel another urge to push. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours! The cord can stay intact and there is no rush to cut it.
Keep baby on your chest as that is the safest place for them to be. Your body heat will help them regulate their temperature, listening to your heart will help them regulate theirs and they will eventually find your breast and have a feed. Placing a towel or blanket over the top of you both will help keep baby warm. There’s no need to place a hat or beanie on baby.
Do a class to learn about red flags to keep an eye on.
3. Listen to your intuition
Let that be the driver throughout your whole pregnancy and birth. If something does not feel right, then it’s probably not. Your intuition is a powerful tool and the best one you’ve got, tune into it. You can learn all about how best to labour and what to do, where to be and what position to be in, but when it comes down to it, the best thing to do, where to be and what position to be in is the one that feels good and the one your body intuitively does.
4. Make sure your birth team are all on the same page.
Before you go into labour, make sure that whoever you invite to be there is going to do exactly what you want. It’s about you, if you’re planning on inviting your mother to be there, but she has birth fears she hasn’t addressed, then she could ultimately be a distraction as she is scared and worried and not supporting you in the best way. This could stall your labour.
Same thing if your husband is not prepared and thinks birth is just like in the movies (on your back, in bed, purple pushing etc) then he too could not know how to best support you. Making sure everyone knows your wants, needs, preferences and wishes will help them with how best to support you. Don’t assume that people know. Have the conversations, discuss your birth plan/map, tell them what their individual roles are, how to advocate for you if needed, and how you need to be supported. Make sure everyone is on the same page.
5. Get educated
You’ll never regret learning too much. No matter what your ideal birth looks like, an epidural, a C section, a natural physiological birth, learn about it ALL.
Birth is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared for it. You don’t know what you don’t know, so do everything in your power to know what you can. Don’t leave it up to your care provider. Educate yourself, inform yourself.
These are just a few of my top tips when it comes to how best to prepare for birth. I think it’s super important to not go in blindly and to make sure you know all of your wants and needs. It’s not about having a structured plan, its about being prepared and educated for all avenues, while still having your preferences known.
My name is Tasmyn and if you need help to release any fear or tension you may feel about birth, then I am here to help. I’m a pregnancy & birth doula in Two Rocks and service the northern suburbs of Perth.
Whether it’s your first babe or fifth, I’m here to help you gain the confidence you need to birth simply, on your own terms, in your own way, where and how you feel comfortable. I aim to encourage you, remind you of your strength and welcome you into learning all about the magnificence that is birth. I can teach you how to love and appreciate your birthing body, by learning how to trust and work with it during labour and birth. You can find me on instagram as @tasmyn.thesimpledoula or click HERE to head to my website.
Lots of love, Tasmyn xx