Most women have some degree of fear around pushing a baby out! Not surprising when it's a pretty big unknown and there is a very high chance of pain involved!
Here are some simple ways that you can help clear your fears and take your power back.
Q. I’m terrified of tearing. Is there anything that I can do to help myself?
A. Absolutely. You can help yourself by preparing your perineal tissues before the birth by using a technique called perineal massage. By practicing this massage daily from 34 weeks onwards you will be able to stretch and soften the perineal tissues. The benefit of this is that area of your body will be better prepared for the pressure of your baby’s head and so the tissues will open and yield more easily when the time comes. This can greatly reduce or even prevent tearing.
Q. I’m afraid that I won’t be able to deal with the pain of natural childbirth. Besides having drugs, is there anything natural I can do to help myself?
A. Yes, there are a number or natural options that have been proven to help with the pain of childbirth and the best of all of these is your own mind. What I mean by that is your thoughts, beliefs and fears have a direct impact on how your brain perceives pain.
By releasing your fears and teaching your body to relax you can actively reduce or eliminate the pain of childbirth.
This can be achieved through yoga, breathing exercises, HypnoBirthing, waterbirth and having the right support. Research has shown that having a doula present can increase your chances of a natural delivery, reduce your need for drugs and encourage a much more positive birth experience.
Q. I have this weird fear that my body won't work properly. What can I do?
It is so very normal to have weird fears come up during pregnancy! I've heard all manner of weirdness in my 14 years of working with mums.
Firstly, your body is designed to work best when you are relaxed. The 2 key aspects of being able to relax deeply during birth are...
1 - clear your fear
and
2 - train your body to relax deeply with daily practice
For most mums, a full HypnoBirthing ante-natal class is more than enough to clear out fears and concerns and re-program the mind with fantastic new birth information. But for some, they'll need additional support if there is severe anxiety arising or they're experiencing strong symptoms like panic attacks.
I use 2 amazing techniques to help mums clear these deeper fears. The first is BodyTalk and the second is The Journey. Both of these work at a level far beyond the conscious mind and get to the root of the fear and then help clear it out of the nervous system and the body.
This type of clearing really opens the door for a much calmer, better birth experience.
Q. Help, my baby is breech! My Gynae wants to do a C-Section and I’m not sure I want that. Do I have other options?
A. In the almost 9 years I’ve been teaching relaxation for birth and HypnoBirthing I’ve only ever had one breech baby. What this boils down to is very simple physiology.
The baby’s head is the heaviest part so when the uterus is RELAXED, then the baby will naturally fall into what is called the vertex position ie head down.
The best thing you can do is get some help clearing your fears around birth and actively learn how to relax. When we are scared we tense up and that is when babies are unable to make their natural turn to the head down position.
Q. I’ve just been told my baby is too big and I might need a C-Section. Is this true?
A. I have to say that I always laugh out loud when I hear this! Why on earth would your body grow a set of lungs, a perfect reproductive system, eyeballs and a heart and then give you a baby that is too big to come out?
Bodies don’t get it wrong, human beings do. If your scan is so much as one millimetre out, this can give an inaccurate reading and lead to an unnecessary surgical procedure. Just think about how many of your friends have been told their babies are too big and have then gone on to deliver babies that sometimes up to 2lbs smaller than predicted.
Please trust your body, it is AMAZING!
Need help getting over a bad birth? Download this free 3 part audio training and help yourself feel better today.
