Pregnancy is a miraculous time in the life of every woman. For nine months, you have been growing, nourishing, and taking care of your unborn child as being part of your own body.
You have also been making every effort to connect both yourself and your soon-to-be-born baby with the support and harmony of your surroundings.
Yet, have you started preparing for the arrival of your child and the sacred pains of labour and delivery that you will have to face and endure?
The nine months of pregnancy will pass quickly, and soon you will feel the first contractions, signalling that your baby is ready to leave your body.
Are you all set for safely bringing him or her into the world? Have you prepared for the childbirth?
A Bit of History…
For countless generations, women of all cultures have been helped by midwives standing by them with all sorts of emotional, spiritual, and medicinal support throughout pregnancy and childbirth. The word “obstetrician” is actually derived from the Latin word “stare”, which means “to protect”, “to support”, or “to stand by”.
Modern obstetrics, although have far drifted from a natural, traditional aid in delivery, and turned into quite an invasive medical practice, nonetheless have made the process of labour and delivery a good deal less dangerous and painful for both the mother and her child.
However, even in our highly technological times, the miracle of childbirth remains as sacred and empowering in the life of every woman as it has always been for generations of women since the times immemorial.
To prepare for a successful and easy delivery, a special time is required for a**pregnant woman** to educate herself about what to expect. Some arrangements should be made for increased rest and care, special exercise, positive visualization, a regular dialogue with your unborn, and meditation.
Preparations for uncomplicated childbirth should begin months before the first pains of labour hit on. To avoid unnecessary stress and decrease your chances of delivery complications, follow these 10 tips for having a successful and easy childbirth…
Since the first day of your pregnancy, get engaged in regular exercise and meditation. A daily practice of strengthening your body, improving flexibility and circulation, learning how to breathe properly, how to contract and relax your muscles effectively, and how to calm your mind and eliminate stress is imperative in preparing yourself for the coming labour and delivery.
Consistent sessions of pregnancy yoga (read our article “Yoga for Pregnant Women”), daily walks in safe and unpolluted areas, quiet contemplation, light gardening, climbing stairs, and swimming are the most recommended activities to build necessary strength and relieve emotional and hormonal tensions, muscle pains, and stress.
To prevent premature childbirth, learn to ****rid yourself of****anxiety, ****emotional disturbances and fears. Blood vessels of the uterus are extremely sensitive to any stimulations of the sympathetic nervous system.
Stress-induced hormones can be involved in triggering early contractions, when the baby is not yet fully formed in your womb.
Therefore, learning relaxation techniques, practising regular meditation and positive thinking, and obtaining an encouraging support from your partner, friends, and social circle are crucial for preventing a miscarriage or premature birth.
To avoid breech presentation, in which the child is oriented feet first, instead of a headfirst position, learn to relieve the tension in the lower area of your body. Breech presentation occurs in about three percent of pregnant women, and this condition almost always requires caesarean section.
Women who experience elevated levels of stress, fear, and anxiety during pregnancy tend to be tight in the lower uterine segment. To prevent or correct breech presentation, you can try acupuncture, bio-energetic breathing, hypnosis, or relaxation techniques.
Getting plenty of essential fats and high-quality animal proteins is a factor that will encourage strong and effective labour, since important amino-acids build up muscle stores necessary for a successful delivery.
It is particularly important to ingest adequate amounts of amino-acid l-carnitine from grass-fed red meats and organs, such as beef heart. The need for l-carnitine is increased during the final trimester of pregnancy.
Plan to deliver your baby in a place where you feel safe, stress-free, well-supported, and secure.
While most modern hospitals can offer the highest level of medical support, some women will feel more comfortable giving birth in their familiar home environment, with a help of a skilful doctor or midwife.
Family-centered maternity care centers can provide both excellent medical aid and the comforts of home.
Consider hiring an experience, caring doula to “stand by” you during the hours of labour and delivery. The help of such person near you while giving birth cannot be overestimated. Studies show that having a “mothering’ doula in the delivery room greatly diminishes the risks of developing childbirth complications and having caesarean section.
To ease the childbirth, you need a lot of electrolytes and minerals found in a variety of natural foods and drinks. Magnesium, potassium, sulphur, chloride, and sodium are especially important to prevent excessive pain and fatigue during labour.
Important minerals can be derived from fresh meats, full-fat dairy products, dolomite powder, vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, freshly-squeezed juices, Celtic sea salt, and blackstrap molasses.
To restore energy reserves and the power of contractions during childbirth, it is recommended to take electrolytes in the form of trace mineral powder mixed in water or natural juice, as needed.
To prevent “sugar drops” during labour, consider sipping small amounts of freshly-squeezed fruit juice with a high potassium content, such as orange juice, enriched with amino acid l-glutamine.
Some obstetricians, such as Dr. Christiane Northrup in her best-selling book Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom, discourage women from applying to a help of epidural anaesthesia during labour and delivery.
Although this issue is controversial, the argument is that both the full-felt sensations and receptive mode are necessary for the most successful uterine functioning during childbirth.
Epidural anaesthesia can completely eliminate the pain of delivery, but it also can prolong labour and trigger some complications, such as maternal fever or the baby turning to a wrong position.
In addition, the use of anaesthesia can prevent the release of the “feel-good” neurotransmitter beta-endorphin, which is a natural anaesthetic produced by the woman’s body during and after the childbirth.
And, the most important piece of advice - learn to trust your body, which naturally and instinctively knows how to give birth!
Do you have tips of your own on how to make the delivery easier? Please do share, I’d love to hear from you…
