It may sound obvious, but using useful and specific breathing techinques during labour & birth is the most important thing. If you were to get one thing ‘down pat’ for the day, breathing is that one thing.
Labour and birth don’t always go as expected and it’s very useful to try not to be married to any one way of doing things. That said, writing a birth preferences/birth plan is also important as it gets you thinking about what you may like in any given situation.
You don’t have to write a birth plan, but many people choose to. You can follow a template such as the NHS one which is available online, or create your own. Your midwife may give you one or a template may be in your handheld notes.
I can remember my ‘due date’ getting closer and anxious thoughts creeping in. It was good to have things I could do to stop these in their tracks. Below are some ideas to help to nip those thoughts in the bud before they start to feel overwhelming…
Schedule it in. Literally set aside time. For example; on a Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday…
Hypnobirthing and pain during labour…
The above words are not usually something you see as often, though of course not always, hypnobirthing instructors like to talk of pressure rather than pain.
If you’re pregnant there’s a good chance you will have heard friends or colleagues talk about the benefits of hypnobirthing. Thanks to a lot of positive media attention it has grown massively in popularity.
I of course am shouting ‘YES!’ to this question, and I’ll end this blog with my ‘why’… If you can attend classes but are ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ about them, then here are some factors to consider…
‘What the heck have my 5 Senses got to do with my hospital bag?’ I hear you say! Read on to find out 🙂 …
Even if you’re not planning a hospital birth, you may need to go in unexpectedly, so it’s a good idea to have a bag packed by the time you are about 36 weeks pregnant…