This
week, organiser of the recent Irish Positive Birth Conference - midwife, mum and
founder of the GentleBirth programme, Tracy Donegan, shares her Top Ten Tips
for a positive birth with our Baby Room readers.
1. Choose
your place of birth carefully
Not
all hospitals are the same. What type of
care does yours provide? Is it evidence based? Is there a Midwife Led Unit on site or a
Homebirth scheme? Would you prefer to birth at home with a Self Employed
Community Midwife? Or would you prefer to choose a private home birth care
provider?
If
you are unhappy with the care you receive, you can opt to change hospitals or
request a new care provider.
2. Move
your body in pregnancy and in labour.
Exercise
in pregnancy helps improve focus and build endurance, reduces the risk of
complications, helps to prepare for labour, benefits baby and gets those feel
good, happy hormones flowing.
3. Take
an independent antenatal class
Taking
an antenatal class outside of the hospital environment will often provide
evidence based research, which might not be in line with your hospitals
policies and procedures. You are gaining
independent, impartial, positive feedback, which you can compare with the
information given during your hospital class.
4. Hire
a Doula
A
Doula gives support, help, and
advice during pregnancy, birth and postnatally. Having a Doula present at birth
shortens labour, lessens the need for pain relief, reduces caesareans and
instrumental deliveries and results in less likelihood of postnatal depression
and a higher incidence of breastfeeding.
Mothers are also less likely to rate their birth experience negatively.
A Doula also provides support in the home in early labour and in the days after
birth.
5. Avoid
the negative Nellies
Sometimes
people feel the need to share their negative birth stories. We need to tune these out and surround
ourselves with positive birth images and stories. Find your tribe - supportive, encouraging
people who realise that you are vulnerable in pregnancy and do everything in
their power to lift you up, increase self-belief and keep you focused on having
a positive birth. Find like-minded groups, both in person and online.
6. Partner
Preparation
Your focus on your baby’s birth day is you and baby. Your partner’s role is everything else! They
can negotiate with the hospital staff, facilitate on your behalf and use the
comfort strategies they have learned to help decrease anxiety.
7. Written Birth Preferences
Write down your birth preferences – what would you like,
dislike? View it as a communication tool, helping you focus on the kind of
birth you would like to achieve. It’s
about personal choice and it helps inform your midwife of your wishes ahead of
time.
8. Labour in Water
Warm
water immersion shortens labour, reduces pain and allows for greater freedom of
movement.
9. Build
Your Labour Toolkit
Make use of a birthing ball or a CUB to help with upright
positioning. A tens machine, acupressure, music and mental strategies can all
be useful forms of natural pain relief. Know what pain relief is available to
you and how each one might affect you and baby.
10. Focus On What Can Go Right
Your
mindset heading into birth is hugely important.
Train your brain in pregnancy to prepare for a calm, positive birth,
whatever direction that birth takes.
GentleBirth
is a birth preparation programme, which combines brain science, birth science
and technology to empower positive birth.
Our first weekend workshop takes place at The Baby Room on 22nd
and 23rd October.
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