Greetings!

Creating your Birth Environment

I hear all kinds of reasons for birthing at home: "Birth is not a medical event;" "There is no temptation of pain medication;" "I'm afraid of hospitals;" "It's one less trip to make." One woman recently explained it a little differently to me. She confessed that she tends to be a rule follower. She believes that in hospital she would be conscious of hospital policies and practices rather than tuning into her own needs. In short, she is concerned that she would be a compliant patient focussed on meeting the requirements of others, rather than an autonomous birthing woman, following the lead of her body.

She may also be aware that research supports her choice of birth place. A 2005 Canadian study found that for low-risk woman homebirth is just a safe as hospital birth for mothers and babies.  Perhaps more so if we consider that medical interventions such as augmentation of labour and episiotomies are more common in hospital and the risk of the mother or baby getting an infection is also higher.

Whether you plan to birth at home or hospital consider that you will likely be spending most of your labour, if not all, at home. Begin to think about the environment that will best support the opening of your body. Many mammals in labour (think of dogs and cats) seek a warm, dark, private place, a place of safety. Where might you find this in your home? For some woman it's the bathroom, already a private place. You might sit on the toilet, perhaps facing the tank and leaning into a pillow. Or relax in a bath or shower, the room softened by candlelight and perhaps scented with lavender, your Hypnosis CD or calming music playing in the background. Likely you'll move to other rooms as well but may want to create a similar mood there.

The physical environment will support your relaxation and focus. A positive emotional environment is also important. You may appreciate the gentle, encouraging reminders and touch of your partner and other support people. Make sure that everyone attending your birth trusts that birth is a normal life event. Birth is not a spectator sport, so invite only those who have a role, even if it's as photographer or caterer.

As you tune deeply into your body you become less and less aware of the outside environment. With your partner acting as liaison with hospital staff, or with your midwives, you can safely go deeper into relaxation, ignoring distractions. In this deeply relaxed state the location may be unimportant as you focus on drifting deeper into your birthing body, trusting that it will tell you when to let your support people know that you are ready to bring your baby into the world.

Have a safe, relaxed birth, wherever you are!

Jennifer

HypnoBirthing Childbirth Educator

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Research: It's OK to eat in labour
 
A randomized study of 2,426 birthing women in the UK, published in the May issue of the American journal Ob.Gyn News, found that there was no increase risk to women who ate in labour.

Vomiting was not more common among women who ate. The most feared complication of food intake during labor-pulmonary aspiration of gastric contents, especially while under general anesthesia-did not occur. The restriction of food intake dates from the 1940s when general anesthesia was more common if a Caesarean was required. Today epidural or spinal anesthesia is the common anesthetic for surgical birth.

The researchers found that eating increased women's satisfaction with their births. Not all women chose to eat and very few did so during second stage.

Many practitioners believe that nourishment and hydration are necessary for the labouring body to have the energy for labour. However, a very relaxed labouring woman may not require much nourishment, particularly in a short labour. Listen to your body.