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| Gabriel and I, still high on life after his birth |
As someone who has been around the baby block a few times, I get asked a lot about what I recommend pregnant ladies do to have a memorable, positive birth. I'm no expert, but I do come with experience from two very different births. Although I'm a convert and true believer in natural, drug-free birth (another post on this to follow), I also believe in a woman's right to choose. I also believe that no matter what kind of experience you think you might want for your own birth, educating yourself is essential.
So here goes...
The Top 5 Ways to Prepare for Labor
1. READ
With my first pregnancy, I didn't bother reading a whole lot about labor and delivery. I was more concerned with how I would to get my newborn to sleep through the night once he arrived (still looking for that answer, by the way). The second time around, I surrounded myself with books that delved deep into what labor actually entailed physically and emotionally, how to handle the intensity of contractions and the length of labor, and birth stories shared by other women. Here's some of what I read:
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| Birthing From Within |
2. WATCH
I don't mean watch the scary reality baby shows on cable where every birth winds up in a crisis situation. Those will just freak you out. I'm also not talking about the fluffy cable birth shows like TLC's A Baby Story either. Those glaze over what labor is really like. I challenge you (and your partner) to watch films of actual births, with the nitty gritty details included. If you've never seen a baby emerge from a woman's vagina, you need to. It's going to happen to you. The more you see, the less scary it becomes. If you take a childbirth class, you'll probably see at least one clip of a birth, but here are a few other good ones to check out (available through
netflix.com):
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| Orgasmic Birth |
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The Business of Being Born
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3. LISTEN
PregTASTIC pregnancy podcast is an amazing show all about pregnancy and childbirth. There have been some amazing guests showcased in the almost 200 episodes available, but my favorite part is the panel of pregnant ladies who share their own pregnancy and birth experiences with the world. The guests are great for educating yourself on everything from breastfeeding to gestational diabetes to vaccines, but the panelists are what personalize the show for me. Ok, I'm a self-declared PregTASTIC groupie, but I have no shame in that! Hearing the birth stories of so many women really helped me solidify what I wanted (and didn't want) my own birth to look like. It also reminds me that I'm not the only pregnant chick on the planet! You can download PregTASTIC from www.pregtastic.com, and it's also available on iTunes. The best part? It's FREE!
4. YOGA
Prenatal yoga was invaluable to me during my last pregnancy. I dedicated two hours a week in a studio that became time focused solely on my body, my baby, and my upcoming birth. It not only soothed my pregnancy aches and pains, but it made me stronger physically and mentally. It got me pysched up for the whole-being marathon that childbirth can be. I also made fast friends in my classes that I still cherish today. It was my yoga instructors voices that I heard in my head during transition (the hardest part of labor), reminding me to breathe.
I meet a lot of people that tell me they have a yoga DVD they do at home. I recommend that you make the investment and find a studio. The camaraderie and individual instruction make a huge difference.
5. EDUCATE
Ok, this sounds redundant. The first four recommendations were about educating yourself. I also recommend finding a childbirth educator that teaches a class tailored to the kind of birth you hope to experience or hiring a doula that can educate you before the birth and be with you throughout your labor. This doesn't mean just attend the one day class offered by your hospital. I've been to that class, and it doesn't really cover birth. I think it's a worthy class to attend, as it often includes caring for a newborn, infant CPR, and other essential things to know as a first-time parent. However, I really recommend attending something more in-depth. I knew I wanted a natural childbirth the second time around. Because of my husband's schedule, we weren't able to attend a formal class. Instead, I had a doula/certified childbirth educator come to our house one Saturday and give us a breakdown on how to succeed at natural childbirth. She was amazing, and because it was just the three of us, we were able to cover a lot of material in just a day.
So, take it or leave it, that's my two cents. I have a laundry list of other recommendations for reading material, etc., but this is enough to get most people started.
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