A Winnipeg Doula's Top 3 Tips for a Smooth Birth
It’s no secret that we all want our births to be magical, after all, it’s the day you first lay eyes on your new babe! It really is a day that you truly won’t ever forget, so hopefully your memories will be filled with love and positivity.
From a Winnipeg doula who has been attending births for over 12 years, here are three of my best tips to help you have a smooth birth.
Do your research!
This is going to look very different for everyone, depending on what your starting knowledge is, what your preferred birth looks like, and what your pregnancy and medical history are.
But the important thing to remember is that regardless of what your birth plans are; from homebirth, hospital with an epidural or a planned cesarean, feeling confident in what is going on and about the choices you make is a sure-fire way to ensure a smooth feeling birth.
It’s simple really— if you know and understand what is coming up, if the things that happen in your birth are expected and understood, then your body and your brain are able to focus on the tasks ahead and not on gearing up your fight or flight response! This might mean taking a really great birth prep class, or filling your bookshelf with pregnancy and birth books, or chatting with friends and birth professionals who have gone through the type of birth you are anticipating. Wherever you get your knowledge— make sure you’ve had a chance to fully explore the options open to you and ask all the questions you need!
Surround Yourself With Great Support
This sounds a little bit like a “Duh” moment, but sometimes it’s not as easy as it seems. For a smooth birth, you want to make sure that everyone on your birth team is on the same page- your partner, your medical care provider and your doula. While here in Winnipeg we often don’t feel like we have a lot of options for care provider, you CAN and should feel free to seek out a different provider if after several visits you feel you are not being heard or respected, or like your provider is not open to providing information to you.
Another aspect that birthers often don’t think about are the “other” sources of information. Are the people surrounding you giving you positive and empowering birth stories and information, or do you feel like everyday is a new chapter in “Listen to this crazy and scary birth I heard about”? You should feel empowered to stop people and say “You know, this isn’t really helpful to me, let’s talk about something more uplifting.” Friends and family who answer your questions with honesty and compassion are always welcome. Those who prefer the scare factor and make you more overwhelmed or nervous should be gently quieted.
Understand Early VS Active Labour
This is perhaps one of the biggest mistakes that I see families making. It’s exciting to think that it’s go time. That means its real, and babe will be here soon. But what happens when you start your own mental clock and then… babe isn’t here soon?
It is very normal to have an early labour stage (manageable contractions, less than 5cms dilation, typically more than 5 mins apart) that lasts for many many hours or even days. If you set yourself up with the expectations that this will last days, you’re a lot more prepare to handle it and to cope with the rushes than if you sound the alarm bells and start practicing your labour coping like babe is going to be here any minute.
How do you combat this? Know that early labour is normal, it is good, and it is long (normally). Don’t succumb to pressure to speed everything up- instead take this time to take care of your body and your mind. Appreciate the fact that you have time to eat, to take a nap maybe, to enjoy a long bubble bath or a an emotional netflix binge session while curled up on the couch with snacks. This time should be about preserving energy and increasing oxytocin— not gearing up for a sprint!
If you settle in for the long term goals, and let your body move through early labour into active at it’s own pace- if you don’t get caught up in trying to push things faster or put all your focus onto each contraction, then you are much more likely to have the physical AND mental stamina once things pick up and you are faced with an active labour phase that really needs your attention.
So, those are your Winnipeg Doula three easy action tips for a smooth birth. And it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t suggest that number 4 should be hiring an awesome Doula and Birth Photographer to continue giving you tips like this along your whole journey ;) If you’re ready, hit that contact button up there and reach out today! Or keep looking around and shoot me a message with any questions!