5 Greatest Things to Know for Childbirth

I know you are trying to learn all there is about birth. You may be feeling the growing pressure to know all the things. Maybe you feel that if you just know enough, your birth will be in your hands. Birth is as unpredictable as life gets. I often see my clients spinning in a fury to just know enough.

This does not mean you should just give up and not prepare at all. To be awake and engaged in the preparation while still realistic in expectation, it’s important to remember one guiding idea: You can influence birth but you cannot control it. Good preparation adheres to this So what can you do to prepare for birth? What will influence it?

Choose wisely your birth locale and care provider. I often am amazed when I hear clients speak dismissively about their choice on doctor or midwife they are working with: “It’s who I’ve always seen for care” or “I don’t like my doctor but it’s too much work to change providers. I’ll just hire a doula”. The provider you work with is one of the most influential factors in how your birth unfolds. As a doula, I do see the many ways that a scenario is handled based on the provider’s approach to childbirth. In some hospitals the mother is not allowed to consume anything but ice chips through the entire labor. At others, they bring her a tray of food at mealtimes as long as labor is low-risk. Another example is how rupture of membranes is managed. Some providers will have the mother come to the hospital immediately to being Pitocin. Some providers will have her stay at home for a few hours to see if her labor will begin on its own. Some providers are more patient while some are more managerial in their style. Some consult with the mother for non-emergent medical decisions while others are directive. Some providers more more cautious and conservative than others. There are great questions you can run by your doctor or midwife to help determine if they area a good fit for you and what you are wanting from your birth. Hire a doula! There is so much research that reveals the long list of benefits to working with one, no matter your plans for birth. When choosing a doula, seek one who has a good personality fit for yourself and your partner. You will be with them for many hours! Their role is strictly to provide emotional, physical and basic informational support.
Strive for health: The pregnant body undergoes a million little changes as it adapts and grows this new life. What you put into it and how you move it absolutely influences your birth. Research is constantly undercovering the value in good food and how that can affect the course of the pregnancy and the health of the baby. Things like eating fruit, getting enough Folate, consuming adequate Vitamin C, avoiding artificial sweeteners. In general the best approach to healthy eating during pregnancy is to consume a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat diary and lean meats and selected fish. How you move your body also influences your birth. There is enough research to suggest that 20-30 minutes of moderate physical activity a day can improve outcomes for women. A mix of strength-training and aerobic activity is suggested. For help and guidance with physical activity and a program that is good for you – let’s chat. Physical exercise is recommended on an individual basis, greatly determined by each woman’s habits before pregnancy. I’ve had clients that began a mild exercises routine for the first time during pregnancy and I have had clients who continued Crossfit until they went into labor. An exercising pregnant woman has babies of slightly lower birth weight and slightly higher APGAR scores at 1 minute. Moderate physical exercise can keep pregnancy weight down and decrease the incidence of gestational diabetes. Being physically fit helps to prevent pre-term labor. There is also some evidence to show that exercise in pregnancy can help lower depression during pregnancy. An hour of exercise three times a week can shorten the first stage of labor by an average of two hours! This is usually the longest stage of labor. Regular exercise can reduce our chance of giving birth by Cesarean. Even just walking alone improves many outcomes!
Learn about Fetal/Maternal positioning: Your doctor or midwife will definitely be paying attention to whether or not your baby is head-down or breech. However, once the baby is head down, there are more subtle things to be aware of. The way the baby is facing in the mother’s body can alter the labor. The baby’s presentation can affect the length and intensity of labor. If the baby’s head is coming through the birth canal in a manner that fits poorly, the labor can be long with slow dilation. Sometimes the baby will not fit properly even after many hours. There are some thing you can do now in pregnancy to create space and balance in the body for the baby to rotate and fit well. Let’s chat!
Practice dealing with discomfort: No matter what your plans are for pain medication, birthing a baby has uncomfortable moments. Early labor contractions, the sensations of pushing or even recovery from a vaginal or surgical birth: there will be something to cope with! A parent preparing for labor can begin to practice being uncomfortable.
Learn some stuff: Read some good books. Take a good birth class. Find some interesting message boards – look for groups with your own paradigm. From the place of solid preparation (while also holding in your hand the truth that you can’t control birth), you can relax into allowing your birth to unfold as it will. You have done the best any parent can do.