Preparing for Birth - Preparing For Birth Manual
Here are some top tips to help when preparing for birth during the later stages of your pregnancy:
β’ Give yourself plenty of time to prepare mentally, emotionally and physically.
β’ Slow down and tune in regularly - listen to your body and your baby.
β’ Understand the physical mechanics of birth.
β’ Understand the effects of fear and anxiety on the body, and the importance of staying calm and trusting the body to get on with it β Foetal Ejection Reflex.
β’ Practice breathing techniques that aid birthing and positive affirmations that resonate.
β’ Allow yourself time to work through and process any fears or uncertainties, before the birth.
β’ Familiarise yourself with all the pain relief options β both natural and medical, so that if you need to make choices during birth you are fully informed.
β’ Pregnancy can feel like a long, uncomfortable and nerve-wracking journey at times. But during those final weeks women can appear to turn a corner. They begin to feel βreadyβ. You may find yourself thinking or saying βI just want this baby out!β This reflects changes in hormones, and signifies a readiness to give birth.
β’ Let go during the birth; if there are any leftover fears, anger, or stress, let them be released. Often such a release needs to happen to enable the woman to re-birth herself as βmotherβ and relax, allowing the baby to be born.
Remember, you are giving birth; bringing your baby into the world, giving life to your child... WOW! This is a momentous and wonderful occasion... ENJOY THE RIDE!