The Magic of Positive Birth Affirmations
MARCH 20, 2021 BY JULIANA PARKER, RN
If you have ever had a baby without medication, then you know that there is a lot of truth that childbirth without medication is about 90% mental strength.
Yet, despite how challenging unmedicated contractions can be, few expectant mothers actually spend any time mentally preparing for their labor and birth.
Instead, they choose to focus on the unpleasant childbirth stories provided by their friends, family or basically any woman who decides sharing their awful birth experience with an expectant mom is a good idea.
If you want to have a baby without medication or even advance as far as possible in your labor without medication, you will need to prepare for how to manage the discomfort of contractions. And these are not period cramps. You will need to spend some time developing how you will make birth a positive experience and what to do if you start to struggle.
Do not consider the opinions expressed here as medical advice (click to read more)
IN THIS ARTICLE, YOU WILL FIND:
- How Do You Prepare for Discomfort?
- A Message for your Support Team
- Build a Mental Picture
- Focus on What you Can Control
- How to Maintain Mental Strength During Contractions
- Examples of Positive Birth Affirmations
- Now what?
- Learn More from an Expert
- Take a Peek
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR DISCOMFORT?
If you have trained for an uncomfortable physical event, such as a marathon, you may already know how to prepare your mind to a certain extent. When you train for long-distance races you learn how to push yourself. As a result, your training forces you to mentally overcome challenges, especially when your training didn’t go as planned.
Understand that an unmedicated labor requires your full mental commitment. Therefore using positive birth affirmations is a good first step in preparing for labor.
Post your affirmations in places you will see them often – your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, car, closet door, etc.
Contractions can be challenging so mentally rehearsing is a good trick. Think about what you may say to yourself when physically or mentally depleted. What is your usual thought pattern in these types of situations and how do you overcome them? What words or actions can be used by your support person to inspire you to continue? Choose positive birth affirmations that resonate and offer you inspiration and strength.
A MESSAGE FOR YOUR SUPPORT TEAM
Make sure you are encouraging. You are essentially a running coach. As her coach, if she were running uphill in the last leg of the race, what would you say to her to keep her going? Ask her what she would like you to do or say if she begins to waiver? Discuss using code words to communicate specific desires. Having a plan is important.
Sit and discuss your plan thoroughly. Then practice your plan over and over until it becomes natural. By preparing together, you are preparing her (and you) for success.
BUILD A MENTAL PICTURE
I encourage expectant mothers to try to build a strong and positive self-image that you can use when things may not be going as planned.
Psychological skills such as meditation and visualization while focusing on positive birth affirmations should be a key part of your preparation.
Positive affirmations can be extremely useful. Make sure your affirmations affirm where you want to be. For example, instead of saying “I will relax my muscles with each contraction” try using “My muscles relax with each contraction.” Then meditate and visualize yourself in a contraction with relaxed muscles.
FOCUS ON WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL
During your labor, when things become challenging, try to focus on what you CAN control rather than what you can’t control. Focus on your music, your rhythm or sway, your breathing techniques and your rest in between.
In a blog post by Omar Itani, “Always Focus on What’s Within Your Control,” neuropsychologist Dr. Shannon Irvine is quoted, “Thought fires before emotion, then your brain connects…”
If you focus on negative thoughts, such as, “this isn’t going as I expected it to” or “I can’t do this”, it’s logical that your emotions will feel negative. But if you keep your focus on what you can control, “My breathing will remain steady during this contraction” or “You can do anything for a minute”, your thoughts will remain positive and so will your emotions.
Your positive thoughts lead to positive emotions which can energize you!
HOW TO MAINTAIN MENTAL STRENGTH DURING CONTRACTIONS
Even though you may have prepped and planned, you should know that things rarely go as expected. You may find challenges physically or mentally or both.
In fact, the days before your labor even begins may present increased anxiety. There’s a lot to worry about (too many unanswered questions can create uncertainty):
- When will labor start?
- Will I make it to my due date?
- Will I need to be induced?
- What if my baby is pre-term?
Here are some of the mental strategies I recommend to keep anxiety from taking over during pregnancy (and labor):
FOCUS ON THE MOMENT
Try to stay in the present. Do not think about when things will start or how long labor will last. Condense your thoughts to the moment you’re in right now.
During labor, keep your goals narrow and short and say to yourself, ‘I will get through the next five minutes.’ The focus of your goal can then shift and you can establish a good rhythm.
Use your positive birth affirmation as a mantra and incorporate a rhythm. “My body relaxes with each contraction” while swaying back and forth. Practice this daily and remember to use it in labor.
USE POSITIVE THINKING
Try to remain positive throughout your entire pregnancy. Remaining calm and trusting your body may help minimize discomfort during labor, but anxiety too often begins in your pregnancy. Doubts and negative thinking can really affect your psyche, so refer to your affirmations often.
PREPARE A PLAN
During the course of your pregnancy, there may be times that you begin to doubt your intentions, your goals, your strength and ultimately, your mental fortitude.
If this happens during labor, you will want to have a plan, so prepare a strategy to cope. When you hit a bump (and you will), be prepared for that bump. What is it going to take to get you over the bump? What phrases, events or people inspire you? Discuss this with your support person and have them prepare a folder of phrases you can hang on the wall, pictures of people who inspire you or events that motivate you.
If you hold powerful beliefs, then it’s likely to be helpful.
REMIND YOURSELF OF THE “WHY”
Another strategy you can try as part of your mental preparation for labor and delivery is remembering the why. Write your thoughts about childbirth goals down. Why did you decide to forego pain medication temporarily or completely?
Focus on the reason why you made your choices and why it’s important to you. Draw on this when you need. It can supply you with very powerful emotions, so make sure your support person understands your “why” and has it in their back pocket to strengthen you.
EXAMPLES OF POSITIVE BIRTH AFFIRMATIONS
Finding the affirmations that work best for you are important. You may want to practice a few different affirmations and see which ones allow you to really visualize your big day. Here are a few examples to get you started:
NOW WHAT?
By the end of this week:
1. Begin practicing affirmations with meditation and visualization. Try just 5-10 minutes per day.
2. Find time to sit with your labor support person and write out a plan for different scenarios.
These steps can transform your entire birthing experience.
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