5 Keys for a Better Birth
One of the things as midwives we hear from so many moms is that they hope to have a fast and pain-free birth. While we cannot promise you either of those, what we can do is provide you with suggestions that you can do to help achieve a better birth.
1. Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. We all have the innate ability to practice mindfulness, but for many of us, it is something we have to learn to access. Some ways mindfulness helps during birth; changes your mindset, encourages contractions, helps you conserve energy, increases your pain threshold, and supports self-compassion.
Resources: Insight Timer, Calm app
2. Nutrition
Food, hydration, and supplements are all ways that we provide adequate nutrition for our bodies during pregnancy and is one of the most crucial aspects to provide a better birth. Nutrition is not just about getting in enough macros. It is about building the foundation needed to help moms recover from blood loss, energy loss, and the hormone dump that will occur during labor.
Resources: Real Food for Pregnancy, Real Food for Gestational Diabetes
Supplements: Vitamin D3 (4000 IU daily), Vitamin C (1000 mg daily), Magnesium glycerinate (600 mg daily), Calcium (1200 mg daily), Prenatal Vitamin, Folate (600 mcg), Fish oil (1-2 capsules daily), B12; if vegan (2.4 mcg), and Probiotics (daily).
3. Support
Support comes in many ways, but in the aspects of birth, we are talking about the people who are welcomed into your space during labor. We highly encourage every woman to have a doula, but we do require it for all women who are birthing for the first time or naturally for the first time. We also encourage those who will be your birth partner to read some encouraging books that will help them begin to see their role and how they can best support you doing labor.
Resources: The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin
Doulas: We have a list of exceptional doulas we will share with you.
4. Education
Even the most experienced of us need education. For many of us, it is just hearing what we already know to be true, while for others, it is learning something new for the first time. Childbirth classes are the best way to learn from someone who has been there, but also a fantastic way for you to share your experiences with others. Taking the time to become educated on what is best for you and, your pregnancy is one of the ways that we become empowered to stand firm during the stressful and hard times.
We offer monthly childbirth classes, coping skills, and a breastfeeding package.
Resources: Online Childbirth Classes, Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, The Birth Partner, Birthing from Within, The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Childbirth, Birth Without Fear, Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding, The Nursing Mother’s Companion
5. Exercise
Last but definitely not least is exercise. So many of us think of exercise as spending hours at the gym, working up a hard sweat. While sweating is good for us, we do not have to spend hours doing exercises to see the benefit during birth. Just a 30-minute brisk walk that gets your heart pumping and arms moving every day is the very best thing you can do.
We also recommend “Train For Birth” to prepare your body.
Chiropractic care is also a form of exercise that your pregnant body needs. While physical activity keeps your muscles and joints limber and in motion, chiropractic care keeps them where they belong, which is an issue that pregnant women deal with due to the extra relaxing hormones your body is making.
Resources: Spinning Babies Daily Essentials, The Three Sisters of Balance, Doorway Squats
Chiropractors: We have a list of exceptional chiropractors we will share with you.
