I get asked this question quite a bit, how did I prepare myself for my natural labour. Everyone’s pregnancy journey and labour is such a sacred experience and completely individualized to each mama. For me, I knew I wanted to have a natural labour- no drugs or pain relief. I wanted to allow my body to do what it was designed to do, and I wanted to fully embrace and feel all that it meant to be a woman. I have always been extremely active- I used to be a personal trainer, so exercise has always been a part of me. To be totally honest, I treated my labour as if I was training for a marathon, from the start of finding out I was pregnant I began to prepare for the big race ahead.
Here are my hot tips:
Get Aligned with Optimal Maternal Positioning
Optimal Maternal Positioning exercises are designed to help align and maintain equilibrium within your pregnant body. My husband and I did these every day from pretty much the start of finding out we were pregnant; it took about 30 minutes to complete, and we did them each night. Trust me when I say some nights, we really didn’t want to do them, but I do feel they helped tremendously! Our doula taught us how to do these exercises and even helped us do them during labour. You can find the exact protocol we did here Optimal Maternal Positioning
Stay Active
Walking and Pilates were my go-to exercises during pregnancy, I walked A LOT and went to Pilates about 3 times a week.
Unwind with Relaxing Baths
I took a bath every night with Epsom salts and essential oils, for me this was my special time to relax and connect with baby. I would close my eyes, rub my hands over my belly and would tune in to my body and baby-it was my favourite way to unwind.
Embrace the Nesting Phase
The need to nest totally hits you at a certain point in your pregnancy and all I can say is enjoy this part! I loved getting the house organized as well as the baby room. I had the baby room set up quite early and it was such a peaceful place, I spent a lot of time in here before Louie’s arrival-taking naps and reading books.
Find your Zen with Hypnobirthing
I did the hypnobirthing course from Hypnobirthing Australia and really enjoyed it. I used the guided meditations regularly throughout my pregnancy and even used them during my labour (I will share a blog about my actual labour). Some of it was a bit cheesy but I fully embraced it and I feel that it allowed me to go into my labour completely calm and not afraid at all.
See if a Doula is Right for You
Since we lived in Australia and didn’t have any family that could come and be with us, I wanted to hire a female support system and we decided to get a doula to be present during our birth. We found Amanda Bernstein from Essential Me, based in Sydney and couldn’t recommend her enough! It was such an amazing investment because I couldn’t have done it without her, and she was amazing for my husband as she could help guide him on what to do for me. When we got to the hospital I was so ready to have an epidural because I didn’t think I could endure the pain any longer but she just kept supporting and encouraging me as she knew it was my goal to do it naturally. She will forever be apart of our birth story.
Set a Birth Intention
This one is important for me, most people call them birth plans, but I like to call them birth intentions because let’s face it, at the end of the day we don’t have full control over our birth. I think it is best to go in with intentions but to also know that these things can change and to be okay with that, at the end of the day the most important thing is a healthy baby and mama! I had typed up an in-depth birth intention, so I also used this Visual Birth Template to attach as a quick reference. I printed out several copies so everyone present could have one.
Perineal Massage…oh yeah!
This one may be a bit TMI, but I started doing this at 35 weeks. I wanted to purchase an EPI-NO trainer, but it was expensive, so I just bought a …. wait for it…anal pump to use. Yes, an anal pump-same concept as the EPI-NO but a fraction of the cost! I would do it every night in the shower for about 2-3 cycles of 5 minutes. It was slightly painful at the start, but it really helped me prep for my labour and I didn’t have any tearing! Here is some information on the benefits of perineal massage and a how-to.
Save Your Colostrum by Harvesting
I started harvesting colostrum at around 37 weeks. You start producing colostrum prior to birth- it’s an absolute powerhouse of antibodies and is jam-packed with stem cells-it is quite literally liquid gold. I did this three times a day, morning, afternoon and night into one syringe and then would freeze it. Some days I produced a lot and other days not so much, some days one boob also produced more than the other. My intention of doing this was just in case I was unable to breastfeed so that my baby would still be able to get all the nutrient benefits of the colostrum. Fortunately, I was able to breastfeed, but I used my frozen supply of colostrum any time Louie seemed irritated, I would thaw it and put it directly into his mouth and I really do feel it helped calm his tummy when he was uncomfortable. I didn’t let any of it go to waste-also handy to give your baby if sick. Here is a great reference on how to express.
Activate Labour with Acupuncture
I started acupuncture at 36 weeks to help prepare my body for labour. I really didn’t want to go too far past my due date as I didn’t want to get induced, so I was happy to get the ball rolling. I had 3 sessions, which took me to 39 weeks and Louie arrived three days before his due date!
Relax with a Mamma Massage
I treated myself to a couple of pregnancy massages and highly recommend them, this is a time for you to really amp up your self care and there is no better way than a nice relaxing massage.
