BREATHING- Mastering a simple breathing technique for birth is an absolute game changer. Try inhaling deeply through your nose for a count of four, feeling your chest expand before exhaling slowly through your mouth for a count of eight, feeling all tension release throughout your body. Repeat four times and the surge (contraction) will have passed.
Hypnobirthing tactics to help you
ENVIRONMENT - never underestimate the impact of the environment on your birth and the hormones you produce. Seek to create an environment conducive to birth. Use your five senses as a checklist and ensure each one of your senses is met with something that aids your relaxation. For example, you might want to use battery operated tealights, a room spray or prepare a playlist of your favourite music.
BIRTH PARTNER - having someone by your side and on your side in birth who can coach you through the surges, advocate for you when necessary and protect your space enables you to fully relax. Take some time to outline your birth preferences in advance and share them with your partner.
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT - work on building positive associations with birth ahead of the big day. Do this by reading positive birth stories, watching positive birth videos, listening to positive affirmations and following positive birth photography accounts on social media. Using positive affirmations regularly has been proven to change the way your brain process information. By doing so, you will soon feel more confident and excited for birth!
BE INFORMED - ensure you’re fully informed about all of your options - if you don’t know your options, you don’t have any! Use this simple framework to help you navigate your birth: B.R.A.I.N. Establish what the BENEFITS are of any proposed action, what the RISKS are, what the ALTERNATIVES are, check with your INSTINCT and ask what will happen if you do NOTHING i.e. take some time to make the right choice for you. And remember any decision in birth - no matter how big or small - is *always* yours to make.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT- The more you practice the relaxation techniques in pregnancy the more effective they will be in labour and the easier and more comfortable your birth will be. Here at The Positive Birth Company we are home to the world's most affordable and accessible online hypnobirthing program - the Digital Pack. By completing our popular online course you will be equipped with all the knowledge and tools you need to navigate your birth feeling calm, relaxed and confident. You'll also find a handy practice schedule included!
DOWNLOAD A SURGE MONTORING APP – These apps can be really helpful to assit you through surges. One particular app, Freya, will coach you through each surge with a simple breathing technique and visualisation. It will also let you know when your labour is established and when it might be a good time to contact your midwife. An app makes it easy for you to keep track of your surges and you can visit the log at any point to see how frequently your surges are coming and how long they are lasting.
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