Birth & Beginnings: childbirth conversations

Hello mothers and mothers-to-be! This blog focuses on pregnancy, childbirth, children, and parenting. Along with providing helpful information and resources, it is also a place to discuss choices and trends in these areas. The blog will inform and encourage mothers as we share and learn from each other. It is not a place to say that one opinion is better than another; instead it is a forum for camaraderie and for sharing personal experiences. So feel free to read, respond, and absorb information on a daily basis as together we traverse this world of motherhood.


Laura Tolman, CCE, LSP

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Laura Tolman is a local certified childbirth educator and labor support professional. She also works as a postpartum doula. She and her husband are long time Alaskans and are the parents and forming relationships with families while learning about other cultures. In her free time Laura enjoys writing freelance articles, poetry, and the performing arts. Her favorite pastime is being with family and coaxing uproarious laughter out of her young son.

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Hello Baby, Goodbye Pregnancy - 9/2/2008 11:31 pm

Pre-natal Exercise - 8/22/2008 10:35 pm

No Fear - 8/17/2008 12:02 am

Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD) - 8/14/2008 10:20 pm

Connect With Moms - 8/7/2008 10:40 pm

The Chronic Whiner - 8/6/2008 10:55 pm

Last month of pregnancy - 8/1/2008 10:41 pm

Baby’s sleeping arrangements - 7/21/2008 11:02 pm

How many children? - 7/16/2008 11:38 pm

Go For the Full 40 - 7/11/2008 11:41 pm

Dream of Numbers - 7/7/2008 11:23 pm

Happy 4th of July - 7/4/2008 9:18 pm

Dealing with an Unexpected Birth Outcome - 7/1/2008 10:02 am

Another Breastfeeding Benefit - 6/25/2008 10:16 pm

Affirmations and Birth - 6/22/2008 10:53 pm

Inductions and the Bishop Score - 6/14/2008 5:03 pm

Pelvic Floor Muscle Myth - 6/8/2008 12:01 am

Mom, the Ultimate Multi-tasker - 6/3/2008 10:00 pm

Mommy and Baby Separation - 5/29/2008 10:00 pm

Open Blog - 5/18/2008 4:30 pm

How long to exclusively breastfeed? - 5/15/2008 4:56 pm

The “Business of Being Born” Review - 5/13/2008 8:32 am

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Affirmations and Birth

Posted by mamas

Posted: June 22, 2008 - 10:53 pm

Birth affirmations are a wonderful tool for the pregnant or laboring woman to use. There is a definite connection between mind and body and it is good to invest time in positive thought processing prior to the birth. Whether you read the affirmations to yourself, speak them aloud, or listen to them being read to you; they will directly affect your frame of mind.

What exactly is an affirmation? Often referred to as a mantra, affirmations are usually a few words or phrases that take on a positive tone. They are meant to encourage and direct. These serve as reminders to not be afraid, to let go and relax, to focus on a goal, and to stay strong all through pregnancy and labor.

Some women write their own affirmations out on note cards and begin to read them during their pregnancy and then take them with them to the birth. Others rely on a spouse, doula, or friend to speak affirmations to them while they are in labor. There are women who want scriptures or inspirational poems read to them. Then there are some who just want to repeat one statement over and over to themselves.

The benefit of speaking, hearing, reading, or seeing these words is that your body will begin to believe them and respond accordingly. For instance, the phrase “my body knows how to birth my baby” sets your mind and body up for success by giving you confidence and reducing fear. It reiterates to you that birth is normal and that you don’t have to make it happen.

It has been studied that moms who are calm and focused on thinking about opening, dilating, and relaxing, will make faster progress in labor than moms who are anxious, fearful, or negative. Affirmations are just one way of keeping oneself in the frame of mind that produces progressive responses from your body and baby.

Some affirmations may sound odd such as “breathe in peace, exhale tension”, but when it comes to laboring…the words take on a whole new meaning and can be very helpful. However, it is good to find affirmations that sit right with your unique personality. Using someone else’s words may not be right for you. In the play “Birth” one of the characters uses the phrase “my body rocks!” because it encapsulated what she believed about her body. The idea is that you find a solid thought that works for you.

Just because you utilize affirmations, doesn’t mean that everything will be perfect during birth. But it does increase the likelihood that you will have a better birthing experience. Remember that your mind is directly affecting your body, your baby, and your birth. For this reason, it is important to use whatever method works to help keep you positive.

Did you have a favorite birth affirmation? Did you find it useful to use affirmations during pregnancy or birth? Please share your stories.


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  2     June 25, 2008 - 10:49pm | zoya

Birth Affirmations

The use of affirmations makes SO MUCH SENSE in labor and delivery. I did a hypnobirthing home program before my first baby, and it included a CD of affirmations. I listened to these affirmations every few days-it took about 20 minutes. The CD included affirmations such as "My body knows what to do." "My baby is made for my body."

There were about 30+ affirmations. Before labor, I picked my top 10 favorites and had my girlfriends take turns reading them to me during labor. When a contraction began I would begin my breathing, close my eyes perhaps and my friend would repeat an affirmation 2 or 3 times until the contraction passed. My favorite ones included, "Every contraction brings Nora closer to you." and "Breath down to your baby." It sounds cheesy, until you've gone through labor. Something about the power of the breath, focus and breathing 'down' to my baby really helped empower me and helped me take it one contraction at a time.

With the labor, I was induced with 3 doses of cervix softener and then full on pitocin, but I chose to do it without pain medications and the affirmations worked. Mind over matter. If you understand what the contractions are doing and the purpose of the pain, its all manageable. It is when people get freaked out, start breathing shallow and hyperventilating in anticipation of the contractions that things can go down hill. The affirmations are a way of positively helping the contractions pass and give your mind something to focus on.

Also, between contractions I had my friend read phrases like, "Go to a peaceful place." "Let your mind relax, let your body relax."

Affirmations are a wonderful addition to any labor and delivery plan.

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  1     June 25, 2008 - 10:38am | Beth_451

Mantras

I would also be interested in learning what worked for other women. I recently read a story that made me smile from "Birthing From Within." A woman decided that her mantra would be: I will labor only as long as it takes to make, bake, cool, and ice a chocolate cake. She figured that would take about six hours or so which she thought was reasonable. She planned on a home birth, so she actually asked a friend to come over and bake a cake from scratch while she was in labor! About an hour after her first contractions, her friend came over and started baking a cake (with the help of the woman's little daughter). Then when the cake was completely cooled and iced, her friend announced, "It's done!" The laboring woman was chagrined that she was still in labor, but 20 minutes later, her son was born! I thought that was a great story.

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  June 25, 2008 - 10:09pm | mamas

Story

LOL....what a great story! I love hearing individual women's stories. Also mental imagry has worked wonders for lots of women. Such as waves flowing into a cavern (contractions) or a flower opening (dilation).

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