The 5 Principles of a Blissful Birth
Giving birth is beautiful. The result of your nine-month journey has come down to this: Getting to meet your child, and being gifted life’s greatest present: motherhood.
With that being said, birthing a baby can be stressful to your mind and body. However, there are practices you can learn to better improve your mental state and overcome your birthing fears, both physically and emotionally.
Here are some blissful birth principles to consider adding to your birth plan.
The birth environment should be quiet and private, with the lighting dim, very little conversation, and no expectations that the woman should have to be rational. “Under such conditions a woman will intuitively choose the movements, sounds, breathing and body positions that will birth her baby most easily”, shares Dr. Sarah Buckley, author of Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering. “This is her genetic and hormonal blueprint”.
Here are the five principles of a blissful birth—all easy-to-embrace tactics that will maximize your birthing experience.
Relaxation
The tension, or relaxation, in your facial muscles has a direct correlation to your pelvic region. Throughout your labor, periodically place your awareness on softening the muscles in your face and allowing your lower jaw to droop down- this will cause your pelvic region to gently relax and open. If you need extra inspiration, ask your partner for a juicy kiss.
Breathing
Your breath is the surest path to serenity and pain relief (for both you and baby) throughout childbirth. With each contraction, focus on slowly and fully inflating your abdomen with oxygen and exhaling to the same slow and full count. In between contractions, practice intentional and gentle breathing.
Affirmations
The words you play in your mind create your reality. Select two to three positive birthing affirmations, write them down, and speak them out loud daily. On the day of your baby’s birth, post them somewhere visible and ask your birthing companion to recite them to you on a regular basis.
Sample blissful birth affirmations:
“My baby safely, gently, and easily moves through and out the birth path.”
“All forces are aligned to create my happy and healthy birthing experience.”
Visualization
Much like the words you play in your mind, the images you see in your mind also serve to create your reality. Seek out positive birth videos, time lapse videos of flowers effortlessly unfolding (just like your body will do during birth), and any other images that fill you with hope and courage for the journey of your baby’s birth.
Hypnosis
The focused state of relaxation achieved through hypnosis can reprogram your mind, replacing the negative with positive. Our culture is flush with negative birthing beliefs that many women are bombarded with from a young age. Learning to access your subconscious mind through hypnosis can allow you to wash away the fear surrounding childbirth and in its place, leave a deep knowing that you can, and will, have a beautiful and healthy birthing experience.