Whether it’s your first baby or your fifth, home birth or hospital, these must haves for birth come from my experience as a mom of 4.
As birth approaches, you may start to feel overwhelmed or scared about what the experience will be. Even my very last birth found me wondering what would happen. Would it be long and exhausting or short and intense?
With each birth, the things I’m going to share are the staples I had each and every birth and helped in every situation.
Birth Affirmations
Some of these affirmations I collected along the way as people shared things with me. Some of them I found from the Bible.
In my first pregnancy, an older woman I taught piano to told me to remember that no matter what happens during the labor, you will meet your baby at the end. That gave me peace and comfort many times during each of my four subsequent labors. So remember, when your contractions start and the day of labor and birth arrive, you can think about the fact that this is the day you have been waiting for–the day you will meet your little one face to face!
I also try to keep in mind that each contraction is like a wave. Ride the wave, Mama. Some of them will feel big and scary, some of them will feel manageable. Remember, your body was created to do this. You can do this, Mama!
By my third birth, I bought a recording of affirmations by Mama Natural and I found it so helpful too. During my third pregnancy, I had a lot of added stress due to a misdiagnosis of gestational diabetes. The recorded birth affirmations helped me keep my mind in a place of peace and surrender to God rather than a place of fear and tension.
Music
Music is the most powerful and grounding parts of each of my births. It has always been important to me, and in each birth it was a large part in keeping me calm and at peace. I had a playlist for each birth, so any time I hear some of the songs on it, I am reminded of that special time of surrender to the Lord I had during each and every birth.
I found headphones to be important in some of my labor, because it helped me enter into my own world. It’s important to be in your own headspace during birth. Sometimes I could do this with a regular speaker. During one of my births, however, I had a midwife telling me my timing wasn’t right. I needed to block out her voice and enter into my own bubble so that my labor could continue and progress the way my body intended.
If you need ideas for your birth playlist, check out the playlist I put together for you on Spotify.
Essential Oils and Diffuser
From my very first birth, essential oils were recommended to me for labor and birth. At the time, a diffuser for the oils wasn’t even on my radar. I was happy to buy what I needed to make the labor massage blend that my midwife recommended. As the years have gone by and I have picked up the use of essential oils for all the things, I have ended up becoming quite dependent on my diffuser. So, I would highly recommend using a diffuser during your labor and birth with some essential oils or blends that are beneficial during birth. Clary sage is one of the main oils, but make sure you speak with your doctor or midwife about which oils to use and when.
Diffusers are wonderful for mood lighting as well. Many hospitals won’t allow candles, understandably. This is where a diffuser really comes in handy and kills two birds with one stone.
Hydration
Labor is one of the most intense and taxing athletic events of your life. Your body will need nourishment and hydration. My favorite ways to hydrate during labor are coconut water and raspberry leaf tea with honey. I have even made the tea with honey into popsicles which were very refreshing and gave me the energy I needed when things got hard.
Snacks
Going along with hydration, snacks can give the boost of energy and nourishment that you may need during labor. If you’re going for a hospital birth, always check with hospital policy. I have found snacks to be very beneficial during labor. Light snacks like fruit and of course my favorite date bliss balls are amongst my favorites. For my last baby I also made a quiche which gave me the protein I needed to feel nourished and full. Make sure you save some for after the birth, too! You’ll definitely be hungry then.
Warm Water
During labor, using warm water can help sooth the aches and pains and slow things down just enough that you are able to catch your breath and keep going.
When my second baby was born, contractions were coming fast toward the end. Just as the intensity picked up and I thought I needed to push, the birth pool was ready. Getting into that pool was exactly what I needed. The warm water soothed my achy legs (I had been squatting), and my contractions paused just a tad. This was long enough to give me a bit of a “breather” so that I had the energy to keep going. He was born about half an hour later!
Keep in mind that getting into water can slow down labor, so getting in too early on could stop labor altogether. Make sure labor is well established first. And, of course, check with your midwife or doctor to make a sound medical decision for you and your baby.
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