The journey to parenthood is an exciting time, but many parents have questions and need help to prepare for the arrival of their little one. Welcoming a new life into the world is probably one of the most life-changing events you would ever experience. Here are a few simple yet helpful tips to smoothly navigate this beautiful transition to parenthood and have a positive birthing experience.
Empower Yourself
Knowledge is vital for making informed decisions during pregnancy and childbirth. While the internet is a vast resource, try not to scare yourself by going down a google rabbit hole. Childbirth is a magical experience, but it can also be messy, complicated and emotional. Surrounding yourself with people you trust in a place you feel comfortable is important to having a positive birthing experience.
Join a Childbirth Class:
Try taking a childbirth class led by a registered labor nurse or certified childbirth educator with your partner. You will learn basics like how to prepare your body for labor, helpful exercises, how to work through contractions, when to get to the hospital or birthing center, interventions you may see during labor, pain management options and episiotomy probabilities. It is a great way for you and your partner to get ready together.
Take a Breastfeeding Class:
Breastfeeding is natural but not always easy. It’s a combination of learned and instinctual behaviors for both mother and baby. If you plan to breastfeed and you haven’t breastfed before, it is helpful to take breastfeeding classes for a more positive breastfeeding experience.
Topics covered in a breastfeeding class would include benefits of breastfeeding, how breastfeeding works (let-down reflex and hormones), kinds of milk and how it changes, establishing milk supply, baby’s hunger cues and how to know your baby is getting enough, proper latching techniques and breastfeeding positions, bottle feeding while breastfeeding and reducing the chance of nipple/flow preference, how to prevent and help sore nipples, clogged ducts and engorgement, tips for successful breastfeeding, supplies for breastfeeding, information on local resources like lactation specialist, clinics and support groups.
Take a Parenting Class:
Parenting classes can be helpful in understanding the different stages your baby’s growth. So you feel better prepared and more confident for your transition to parenthood. It would also teach you things like cord care, how to keep your baby safe, how to dress your baby and change their diapers, how to tell if your baby is having a medical emergency and what to do. These classes also offer the chance to connect with other parents experiencing the same thing as you. While learning new parenting strategies is important, sometimes you just need the listening ear of someone who knows what you are going through.
Prepare Your Mind For a Positive Birthing Experience
Labor stories vary, and focusing on the positive ones can be uplifting. Try not to listen to horror stories about labor as these are really unhelpful if you’re already feeling nervous. This can be hard, especially if you’ve had a bad experience yourself. Try to remember that for every bad experience, there is a mom out there with a positive story to tell. It is really helpful to have a positive outlook. Practice self-care, take time to do activities you enjoy every day. Starting stress relieving habits like practicing mindfulness and meditation help to maintain a positive, calm mindset.
Prepare Your Body For a Positive Birthing Experience
Labor often requires stamina and strength, so it’s important to prepare your body for it. Regular exercise throughout pregnancy is recommended to ease aches and pains and prepare your body for labor. Do your Kegels to strengthen pelvic floor muscles which may make pushing more efficient and prevent poor bladder control and hemorrhoids.
A pregnancy yoga class can be really helpful to get your baby in a good position for birth, increase the strength, flexibility and endurance of muscles needed for childbirth, teach you positions to help you through labor and provide some relaxation and breathing techniques to help you work through contract during labor. If you don’t have the time or money to join a class, just going for walks and at-home exercises will be beneficial during labor.
Prepare Your Home
Getting your home ready and transforming it into a baby-ready sanctuary is an important step in preparing for labor and having a positive birthing experience. Preparing your home would involve setting up your nursery and baby-proofing it. Setting up your nursery can be a big upfront cost. Some ways you can create a cozy nest for your baby without breaking the bank include looking for supplies early in your pregnancy and buying when items are on sale, setting up a baby registry and sharing what you need with friends and family, or organising a baby shower.
Finalise Your Birth Plan
Think of this more like a guiding document because childbirth does not always go the way you envision. It is hard to predict how fast you will labor or how the contractions will affect you. So your plan may change once labor begins. Share your birth preferences with your healthcare provider but stay open to changes for a safe and healthy delivery.
Some of what a birth plan may address include where you would like to have your baby, it could be a hospital’s birthing room, a separate birthing centre or your own home. Who would you like to assist with your delivery, do you want a midwife-led care or a physician-led care. Would you like to have a vaginal delivery or a caesarean section.
Who do you want as your labor support people, your partner, a friend, family or doula. Do you want to be able to move around and try different birthing positions, what pain management options would you like to have, who would you like to cut the umbilical cord. How would you want you and your baby to spend the first few hours after birth.
Creating a birth plan empowers you to become informed of all your options during labor. It is a two-way communication between you and your healthcare team.
Pack Your Hospital Bag
Packing your hospital delivery bag in advance can help reduce last minute stress. You would need supplies for both you and your baby at the hospital. Things you would need include a printed copy of your birth plan, loose comfortable clothes like a nightgown or night dress for labor and feeding, if you are having a caesarean section, the hospital would provide a hospital gown. You also need change of clothes, slippers, nursing bras, breast pads, underwear, maternity sanitary pads or postpartum underwear, socks. A cosmetic bag with gentle soap, lotion, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, hairbrush, hair ties and Chapstick.
Don’t forget to carry with you, healthy snacks, a water bottle, any medications you take and your phone and charger. Things the baby would need include receiving blankets and swaddles, sleepers and hats, diapers and wipes, baby’s going home outfit and ensure your car seat is set up.
In Conclusion, How to Have a Positive Birthing Experience
Pregnancy is a time of transition and change, so embrace this wild, wonderful ride. Although pregnancy can be unpredictable sometimes. Being well-prepared allows you focus on the excitement and joy of meeting your new baby. Each experience is unique so equip yourself with the right knowledge, prepare mentally and physically and create a supportive environment for your new arrival but remember, flexibility is key to a positive birthing experience and transitioning into parenthood.
