Birthing Bliss: Apprehensive You to Empowered You!

As we celebrate the International mind-body wellness day on 3rd January, lets not forget the importance of body and mind wellness for moms during pregnancy. From adjusting to the pregnancy body to having plethora of conception symptoms and inwardly dreading on the childbirth pain, it takes a huge toll on pregnant mothers. Here are some of the ways to dissect the fear and channelise its resultant emotions to a better outlet.

Childbirth synonymous to pain?

Pregnancy is a beautiful delight in everyone’s lives. Everyone in the family is happy and elated by the joy of this wonderful news. But beneath the happy occasion, for a woman, there lies the two big feelings fear and apprehension of oncoming pain of childbirth. These feelings start around 2nd trimester and peaks on the third trimester. We all have heard about delivery pain from our mothers and aunts. With less awareness and advancement, they had less or no access to pain management techniques and other resources needed to relax women in labor. The women folks in our families who have had at least more than 5 children had a seemingly same mental response of fear and anxiety in every pregnancy. Even the movies portrayed pregnant women as screaming on top of their voices and making the entire village shudder – all these provides fuel for the already raging anxiety levels in expecting mothers to skyrocket even more.

Positive Birth Program: Defying the conventions

Positive birth program is a form of childbirth education that looks at birthing process with positive lens. It emphasizes on relaxation methods like breathing techniques, self-hypnosis, positive affirmations and visualization to invoke a feeling of control over their bodies and minds while they are in labor. These collective components of positive birth aim to help pregnant women ease into the birthing process and be more comfortable by reducing the tension and fear in them.

Second Trimester – The Golden Period in pregnancy

You can start practicing positive birth exercises from your second trimester. Second trimester, also called as a golden period in pregnancy, is the period when your body gets acclimatized with the baby growing inside your tummy and you are at your active best. Your physical health and emotional health are receptive to the activities you perform and you can guide them to positivity.

Rewiring your subconscious: Clinging on to the positive side of labor

Breathing techniques - Inhale positivity and exhale negativity. Breathing techniques like pranayam helps you to process your emotions and make you more responsive to them. Join Best Prenatal classes from Momly.

Positive affirmations - Using kind words and being compassionate to yourself builds a natural support shield which will protect you in the time of labor. “I am safe, I am protected, and I receive joy and peace” - say these words to yourself every morning, the period when you have easy access to your subconscious and have a power over it.

Visualisation - Imagine a beautiful reality in your mind. Nurture thoughts of ease and comfort during labor in your mind every day of all of your trimesters so that in time it becomes your reality.

Meditative art patterns - Art patterns like mandala, zen patterns or just doodles in your journal can connect you to the present and relax the tension in your body.

Rehearsing for the Main day - Play different scenarios in your mind. Write plan B and so on in your hospital diary so that you have options planned and you are mentally prepared for the main day. Have your support system ready and hospital checklist prepared.

Celebrating your milestones - Every pregnancy challenge is an opportunity to grow and when you tackle it, do not refrain from celebrating it. Every single milestone and doctor visit need a celebration. It can be as small as a victory dance or a mental affirmation or a cup of coffee with your partner. Celebrating can have a positive impact in your brain and shifts your perspective from negative to positive in a matter of seconds.

Childbirth classes - Childbirth classes are must if you are planning on a healthy and well-informed pregnancy. The classes include a comprehensive study of everything that comes under pregnancy and postpartum. It summons courage and strength in you and sets you up for the labor day.

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