How to Trust Your Body in Birth.
Photo credit: Amy Swagman
Do you trust your body to birth your baby?
Knowing our bodies is key to trusting our bodies. When we fully know and trust ourselves, we are free to tap into our power center and can birth as nature intended—free from artificial stimulation and augmentation, free from narcotics and analgesics. Our inner strength guides us as we birth and we know how!
Unfortunately, most births do not unfold as nature intended. Why? The answer is F-E-A-R. Fear interferes with our ability to know and trust ourselves. A mother fears that she won’t be able to “handle the pain” or her “hips aren’t wide enough” or her “baby is too big.” Care providers and hospitals fear lawsuits, long births, the natural process.
The good news is that with awareness we can notice our fears, eliminate them, and learn to understand and trust our bodies.
Consider bring more trust and knowing to your being:
1. Notice your fears. Eliminate them.
With keen awareness, notice each thought that you have around birth. With keen awareness, notice the words that others speak that are fear based, and how they affect you. Choose healthy thoughts. Gently, without judging, guide yourself with a loving mantra “My body is perfectly designed to grow and birth a healthy baby.” Repeat often.
2. Choose care providers who are not guided by fear.
As you interview various care providers (midwives, obstetricians, family doctors) pay close attention to the responses that they give you to your questions. Are they fear based responses? Are their words manipulative? Do they let you make your own choices that feel right to you or do they seem to have a standard plan of care?
3. Unplug from artificial hormones.
If you are in a position to do so, stop using artificial hormones in birth control. This gives you an opportunity to really know your body and understand your own unique rhythm and body signals. Take a fertility awareness class and get comfortable becoming familiar with your body temperature, position of your cervix, your own discharge (mucous) and your body sensations.
4. Spend more time in Nature.
Our bodies come from Earth and will return to Earth. Spend time in nature and reconnect with your very first mother. She reminds us to be thankful for the beauty all around us, including our own bodies. Like spending time with a good friend, we can find rejuvenation, feelings of well-being, and appreciation for the beauty around us.
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Editor: Kate Bartolotta
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Yeah. Birth on Ele. Ele needs more birth posts! Thanks for this!