How To Prepare For Birth:
How To Prepare For Birth: 10 Tips From A Doula, By Olivyah Bowens.
If you are in your third trimester and are nervous about labor and delivery, Olivyah Bowens a certified doula provides ten tips on how to prepare for the birth of your little one.
So you’re pregnant. You’ve bought the crib, planned the baby shower, and picked the perfect name for your new addition, but are you ready for birth? Many women will go through the life-changing experience of birthing a baby but few will be equipped with the knowledge and wisdom to make that experience enjoyable. Yes, enjoyable! After two natural births of my own I can promise you that these 10 tips will make childbirth so much better:
Labor Support
1 Get a doula! The most successful people in this world have one thing in common, they all had mentors. Mentors are great because they can help you avoid mistakes, and give you knowledge that you may have otherwise learned the hard way. Consider a doula your birth mentor! Not only can they answer your questions about childbirth but they will also support you through your entire labor. Studies show that continuous labor support from a doula lowers the possibility of getting a c-section, decreases requests for pain medication, and can shorten labor.
2 Educate yourself! You wouldn’t attempt to go on a road trip if you didn’t know how to drive. Don’t allow yourself to go into childbirth without first learning about it. You’ve got nine months to immerse yourself in all things birth. Even if you are unable to get a doula you can sign up for a childbirth class and read a few books! One of my favorites is “Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth”.
3 Stretch! Today most people are sitting too much and this is not good for the muscles that are used in giving birth. Tight and weak muscles in the pelvis and abdomen can make giving birth more difficult. Try stretching your hips and hamstrings every day and make squatting your best friend. (squatting is especially useful in the pushing stage because it opens up the inlet of the pelvis to allow the baby’s head to more easily pass through.)
Tone the Uterus
4 Add RRLT + Dates to your diet! Now this one is fairly easy. Drinking Red Raspberry Leaf Tea helps tone the uterus (make it stronger) and can help to shorten labor. While dates have been shown to raise the production of oxytocin in the body which is the main hormone responsible for having a spontaneous vaginal delivery. Red Raspberry Leaf Tea should be consumed only after the first trimester as it can cause mild uterine contractions. Dates can be consumed at 36 weeks.
5 Affirmations! Many women have a pre-existing fear of the pain of childbirth. This can increase stress levels and produce more cortisol in the body. Cortisol is not good for laboring women because it can impede the very important production of oxytocin. Re-wiring the way you think about birth can reduce stress and help your body to release the hormones necessary for a less difficult birth. Some women have such positive outlooks on childbirth that they actually have an orgasmic birth. Don’t believe me? Google it!
6 Visualization! Along with affirmations creating a mental picture of what you want your birth experience to look like is a great way of calming those anxieties about birth. I envisioned having quick labor throughout my pregnancy and let’s just say I barely made it into the hospital before the baby came out.
Keep your mouth open
7 Practice opening your mouth! There is a connection between the muscles in the vagina and the muscles in the mouth. Women who keep their mouth open and relaxed during the pushing stage have less tendency to tear. The best time to practice this is, you guessed it when you’re taking a number two!
8 Create a Birth Plan! Do you want continuous fetal monitoring? Should Pitocin be administered in the case of a stalled labor? Would you like delay cord clamping? These are just a few of the questions you have to be prepared to answer during or after birth. Of course, labor is not the best time to be thinking about these things so do yourself a huge favor and answer these questions before going into labor.
Creating a birth plan helps your doctor or midwife know what you want in your birth without having to actually communicate it in the middle of having contractions! It also helps to keep you and whoever will be with you during birth to be on the same page.
9 No negativity. As your belly begins to grow more and more you will probably encounter other moms who are ready to tell you their very traumatic birthing story. Although this can be healing for them it is not at all helpful to an expectant mother. Learn to walk away from scary birth stories and not engage in conversations about traumatic birth experiences. Stay positive!
10 Accept the challenge! Every woman’s labor and delivery is unique but most of us can agree that it is a challenge. Accept the fact that labor can be a challenging process but with the right information and sufficient preparation, you can have an awesome experience.
Happy birthing!
ALSO SEE: HOW BREASTFEEDING BENEFITS YOU AND YOUR BABY
About the Author of How To Prepare For Birth:
Olivyah Bowens is a doula and mother of two from Baltimore, Maryland. She completed her degree in Dance and English while pregnant with her daughter Ozara and recently finished her doula training in Washington D.C while pregnant with her new baby girl Oniyah. Olivyah not only has a passion for natural birth and breastfeeding but is equally passionate about nutrition. As a health enthusiast, she promotes a holistic approach to well-being through her Youtube channel and Instagram page @herholisticpath. She aspires to one day become a midwife and open her own birthing center while continuing to spread knowledge about holistic well being.
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