Labor is an incredible experience of surrendering with a potential of self- transcendence and connection with the sacredness of the miracle of life.
The more you prepare yourself before your labor the more in control of the situation you will be. A sense of security and safety play key role in supporting the birthing person through this powerful challenging experience.
If you google the word “labor,” one of the definitions you'll find is “to make a great effort.” I believe that this is an interesting notion, because what we give our energy to in life is so often directly tied to what we care about the most. In this instance the focus of our care is to approach ourselves on step closer in meeting our baby while stepping into this new chapter with reverence and peace.
The labor experience might trigger different emotions in expectant parents which might be influenced by how the media often portrays birth. The dramatic television portrayal of birth might create negative feelings of disconnection of this normal, sacred and physiological rite of passage in a woman’s life.
Ask yourself now: how do you imagine yourself during labor? Do you envision yourself in a challenging but peaceful and empowering state or are there any fears or worries that puts you in a state of ‘’fight or flight’’?
One of my favorite birth preparation activities is handling ice cubes. This is a safe way playfully to experiment with strong physical sensations.
Try to hold few ice cubes in your hands, close your eyes and breathe. For how long time can you hold them? the startling sensation of it cannot be denied, but oftentimes, it’s focusing on the sensation that makes it all feel even worse. Labor is very similar in that way. As the muscles of our uterus contract, we experience a number of sensations that may be new to us, but that doesn’t mean they are not ones we can’t overcome. With each breath and each thought, there is the possibility of intercepting the pain message and experience it more as a purposeful and challenging sensation rather than a painful experience. A number of techniques can help you achieve this, including visualizations as “opening” like a flower blossom, redirecting your focus may help as well, by counting, slow breathing, chanting, meditating and enlisting your birth partner or your Doula in coping techniques for comfort that you may have established during your birth plans. Movement and positioning in labor, including kneeling or squatting work magic, they promote comfort by stimulating the receptors in the brain that decrease pain perception.
Be an advocate for yourself in sharing during your prenatal visits with your doctor or midwife what you’d like to explore in order to feel as comfortable as possible.
It’s never too late to begin to plant the seeds that encourage a more peaceful and empowering labor experience. Try to remind yourself that labor is not continuous pain, the breaks that occur in between surges are like waves that you can ride. Like the ocean, there may be a few rough patches, but you will make it to shore. Remember that every part of your body and consciousness has supported you for this moment. You have carried life inside of you, which means there are no limits to what you are capable of overcoming.
Stand in your power as you welcome life to this world.