Practical Birth Preparation

“Nothing has more power over

the body than the beliefs of the mind”

Deepak Chopra

Perspectives on birth

Perspectives of birth

Historically Beliefs

Knowledge

Fear in modern birthing • A long history of fear building up over generations

• Media portrayal of birth

• Women wanting to tell you their horror stories

• Litigation – looking for blame

• No other “natural” cycle has so much intervention

• All women treated as high risk until proven otherwise

• Routine procedures – scans, urine tests, blood tests

Focus is all on what to do when things go wrong

Pain cycle

Fear

Reduction of oxytocin

Adrenaline

Tension

Pain

Anticipation

Break the cycle 1. Reconnect with your natural, mammalian birthing

instinct

2. Trust that your body is perfectly designed to birth your baby

3. Reduce any unnecessary adrenaline

4. Prepare yourself mentally to hand control over to your birthing body

5. Practice how to relax, breathe and let go of fear

Calm relaxed birth

Calm mind

Deep breathing

Increase in oxytocin

Relaxation Manageable sensations

Confidence and trust

What are the key signs that labour is imminent?

Physiology of birth • The baby becomes engaged (drops down a little lower)

• You experience an increase in vaginal mucus

• You may release the mucus plug from the cervix

• You may get a runny tummy

• Your blood pressure may go up a bit

• Your waters may break

• An increase in “practice contractions” (Braxton Hicks)

Birth Line

Physiology of birth • No one knows what actually triggers birth

• You and your baby release an intricate cocktail of hormones

• Oxytocin – “love” hormone produced in pulses

• Each pulse or “contraction” is the long muscles of the uterus reaching down to open the circular muscles (cervix)

• The round sphincter like muscles of the cervix soften and flatten

• The pressure of the baby’s head helps the round muscles to open and sends messages for more oxytocin

Hormones • Oxytocin

• The love hormone

• Interwoven throughout entire maternal journey

• Receptors all over the body

• Release is slowed down when adrenaline or artificial drugs are present

• Endorphins

• Relaxin

• Prostaglandin

Power of the uterus

Sphincter Law

• Circular muscles holding something in, then letting it go

• Work best in an atmosphere of intimacy, calm, privacy

• Cannot be “ordered” to open at will or told what to do

• Involuntarily close if scared, embarrassed, self-conscious

• Relaxation of mouth and jaw relaxes sphincter muscles

• Laughter, humming, “Horse breathing” relaxes sphincter muscles

What happens when the cervix is open wide enough for your baby to pass through?

• Your birth canal is open enough for your baby's head to pass (10 cm)

• Often a pause between full dilation and ejection reflex

• A natural reflex like sneezing or coughing

• Your body will push your baby out

• Focus on breathing your baby out while your body pushes your baby out

Why is the initial post birth period so important? • Critical period of attachment

• Highest flow of oxytocin in your body

• Endorphins in the baby

• Your uterus contracts down

• Your placenta releases

Avoid artificial hormones and drugs • Induction is often “routine” rather than medically

necessary

• There is no set protocol – all hospitals are different

• Have a scan to check the level of amniotic fluid. This is a clear indication of health of placenta

• When truly needed induction can save lives

REMEMBER If you do need to be induced, your

Natal Hypnotherapy techniques will be even more important

Natural ways to encourage the onset of labour • The best option is “patience”

• Walking, walking, walking

• Nipple stimulation

• Making love

• Sweeping the membranes

• Evening primrose oil

• Caulophyllum –(a homeopathic remedy)

Lunch

Emotional Map of Birth

Excitement Serious Self-

Doubt

Birth clips

Phase 1 - Excitement • Set the atmosphere. She will not need you to talk her

through contractions in the early stage

• Call friends

• Have a good meal - you will need the energy as well as her

• Make a video diary

• Most importantly encourage her to stay at home - the chances are that the sooner she goes to hospital the longer it will be before the baby is born

Phase 2 - Serious • Use 3 2 1 relax

• Count her through contractions 1 to 10 then start again

• Use some of the affirmations, triggers and suggestions you have planned

• Refer to the comfort measures using massage, birth ball, oils, etc.

• Use mental distraction techniques, such as visualising her special place, holidays

• Suggest she go to the toilet at least once an hour

• Offer her drinks

• Encourage her to move around

What signs would you look for if you are planning to go to hospital? • Contractions are 60 - 90 seconds and coming every

3 to 4 minutes.

• Her face is flushed

• Shaking, vomiting, hiccups

• Another bloody show

• If she feels any rectal pressure or the urge to push, stay where you are and call an ambulance or the midwife

Phase 3 - Self Doubt • When contractions are much more intense

• “Don’t know if I can do this”

• Extra encouragement, praise and support: • “You are doing so well”

• “Your breathing is really effective”

• “The contractions are even more powerful now”,

• “You are almost there”

• Work with the medical team to support her

Practical comfort measures • Movement and positions

• Massage

• Opening the pelvis - sacral pressure / hip squeeze

• Shaking the apples

• Using the birthing ball

• Use of water

• Heat and cold

What is wrong with this picture?

Shaking the apples

Using a birthing ball before labour • Sitting on the ball raises your hips higher than your knees

• It encourages your baby to settle into the best position for birth

• The ball absorbs your weight and helps to prevent and relieve back strain

• Kneeling over the ball takes the weight off your back and is great practice for labour

• Sitting on the ball is ideal for practising your pelvic floor exercises

• Rolling with the ball encourages rhythmic movement and pelvic mobility

• Natural movements with the ball help to gently tone your internal and external pelvic muscles

Using a birthing ball during labour • It encourages a natural rotating of the pelvis, helping the baby

to descend

• It provides perineal support without a lot of pressure

• It helps keep the baby aligned in the pelvis

• The sitting position opens the pelvis, which helps the birthing process

• It allows the partner to provide massage or counter pressure to the back

• The mother can kneel and lean over the ball, encouraging pelvic motion

• Moving on the ball helps your breathing to flow more evenly

Guidelines for the birth partner

• Help her birth like a “mammal”

• Keep adrenaline out of the birthing room

• Silence during contractions

• Less is more

• Reduce all stimulation of the neocortex

safe quiet

private dark

warm

What stimulates the neocortex?

1. Asking a mother a question that requires thought

2. Being near her in a way that makes her feel self conscious

3. Subjecting her to bright light

4. Failing to protect her privacy

Working with the medical team

• Hospital staff are used to dealing with tense, scared and often medicated mothers

• Remain friendly, cordial and confident

• They are there to assist in an emergency

• If they are suggesting any intervention use gatekeeper question

Is my partner or baby in danger?

If no, then “please leave us for 30 minutes”

Remember to use your BRAINS

If the answer is yes or they persist

• B - What are the benefits?

How will this be helpful?

• R - What are the risks?

• A - What are the alternatives?

This may be routine treatment, but what other approaches are there?

• I - What does your instinct tell you?

• N - What happens if we do nothing?

Why must this be done now?

• S - Smile

What might happen if we wait another half an hour?

Exercise Partners

In what ways can you support your partner during the birth?

Mums

What would you like your partner to do to support you during the birth?

Birth preparation mind map • A way to capture your thoughts, feelings, ideas in a

simple format

• Focus on what you want - focus on the positive

• It is dynamic – keep adding to it

• Use it as the basis for your own birth script

• Put it up somewhere prominent as a reminder – even take it with you to the birth!

Birth preparation mind map

Your

outcome

Before the birth Excitement phase

Serious phase

Self doubt phase The birth

After the birth

confident

Stay at home

321 relax

massage

Baobab tree

Be instinctive

Voices calm me

energised

Birth project

Shaking the

apples

Welcome each

contraction

Accept feelings Breathing my

baby out Soften all

my muscles

3,2,1 relax

Good sleep

Practice hypnosis

Enjoy feeling confident

Looking forward to the birth

Feeling empowered

Bonding

Breastfeeding

Hypnosis session

Hopes and Fears Take down any which fit in the following categories:

• No longer worried about

• Feel could now deal / cope with / manage

• Realise that there is nothing you can do about it and so there is no point in worrying about it

Next steps

- Resource book

- Coupon code for four downloads 1. Pregnancy relaxation – 15 mins

2. Letting go of fear – 18 mins

3. Birth rehearsal 30 mins

4. Partners track 15 mins

Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.

The strain in pain

is mainly in the brain!

Nothing has more power over the body than the beliefs of the mind.