Preparing for birth: where to start
when it all feels overwhelming.
If the idea of giving birth is leaving you feeling overwhelmed or even totally panicked, then you’re in the right place. I’m going to help you start to break it down so that it feels like a much more manageable prospect.
Just take a minute before you read on and think about the sorts of things you might want for your birth.
You could even grab a pen and paper and write a few things down if you’d like to. There are no right or wrong answers, just whatever comes to mind!
Ok, now look at what you’ve written, and see if the first things that came to mind were actually things you DON’T want!
It’s so so easy to get caught up in the drama of the births you’ve seen on tv and the horror stories of your next door neighbour’s sister’s cousin, that your focus is completely on the negative. On all of the things you need to beware of and maybe you’ve even been losing sleep over it.
BUT if you flip the focus of your attention for a minute, all of these negatives you’re focusing on can start to show you the things that really matter to you about birth. It will be different for everyone, but once you start to narrow down what your priorities are, it will become a lot easier to start thinking about the ways in which you could achieve them.
Let’s use pain as an example, because it usually features for most people. So you want to be as comfortable as possible during birth, understandably. But there are so many different options to help you achieve this. For some, the idea of drugs is appealing, because you know they work, right? But do you know what’s actually involved in the process of an epidural? And do you know that it will make you completely numb from chest down, so you’ll be unable to move around? If not, it’s quite easy to find out more about them, and other drugs available to you, and read up about the pros and cons of each. That way you can decide ahead of time if it still feels right for you, and then you’re going into your birth fully informed, and the process won’t be as daunting because you’ll know exactly what to expect.
Or you might not be so keen on the idea of drugs, but aren’t sure where that leaves you. Water birth is an option that comes up a lot, but do you actually know anything about it? Do you know the criteria your place of birth will require you to meet to have a water birth? If not, you can ask your midwife, some trusts give monthly talks on water birth and how they facilitate it. This means you can ask questions and really think about whether or not it feels like the right choice for you.
This is just one example of the many choices you can make about your birth. If you know about them in advance. Some others you might want to consider are:
Where you’d like to give birth
Who you want with you during your birth and how you’d like them to support you
Your preferences for if a C-Section becomes a possibility
Your preferences about being induced and under what circumstances you’re happy to agree to an induction
So use those nerves you’re feeling, really look at what it is that’s worrying you, and be proactive. Do your research and find out about all the amazing options that are open to you for the birth of your baby. You deserve to have an amazing experience, and it’s completely possible.
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