Surprising Birth Preparations That Could Make The Whole Process Easier
When you discovered you were pregnant, you were probably so elated that the technicalities of the journey ahead didn’t even cross your mind. But, then, when those happy hormones and excited flutters died down, you may have been hit by one overarching thought – how on earth am I going to give birth?
While birth is one of the most natural processes possible, around 62% of pregnant women still worry about it. This is largely because we view labor as something that happens to us, rather than something we actively participate in. And that thought facilitates an inevitable loss of control.
Luckily, things are changing, with birthing methods like hypnobirthing providing women far more control over what happens during the labor process. But did you know that you could also take steps during your pregnancy itself to ensure a happier, healthier labor journey? Keep on reading to find out what they are.
# 1 - Getting in the Right Space Headspace
Many pregnant women try not to think about labor at all before the process begins, but this can lead to unprepared mothers who enter an unfruitful panic phase as soon as labor starts.
To avoid that, it’s important to face labor head-on during your pregnancy, and to get yourself in the right headspace to shorten the process. Experts particularly talk about the need to help pregnant women understand the role of feel-good hormones like estrogen, and the need to take steps to increase those during even the early labor stages.
Hypnobirthing, which focuses on a natural, informed, and controlled birth approach, also highlights the need to practice things like breathing for pain relief in advance. These tools then make it far less likely that you’ll require interventions or experience distress when labor begins.
# 2 - Starting to Swim
It’s no secret that it’s important to find ways to exercise safely during pregnancy, but did you know that starting to prioritize low-impact exercises like swimming when you’re pregnant could actually shorten your labor?
This is largely because swimming helps to build stamina in core muscles that will play a key role during the birthing process. In keeping with those relaxing feel-good hormones, swimming can also be fantastic for easing anxiety and promoting mental wellbeing. All of which ensure that you’re in the best possible headspace for a speedy, stress-free labor.
# 3 - Visiting a Chiropractor
Your list of pregnancy health professionals is probably long, but you may not have included a chiropractor just yet. We’re here to tell you that you should change that, because visiting a prenatal chiropractor can prove key to everything from easing pregnancy aches to aligning your pelvic joints for easier contractions. Ongoing prenatal chiropractor visits can also increase the chances that your baby will be in an optimal position for pregnancy, thus reducing the risks of complications or a prolonged delivery.
That’s what we call a labor win-win, and it couldn’t be easier to achieve.
Labor is an undeniably daunting process, but taking these steps in the lead-up can make a huge difference to your experience.