Preparing for a Natural Birth

There is really no way to make childbirth painless. Many women throughout history have had painless births, but there is no way to guarantee a birth without pain. Even with today's technology, birth comes with pain most of the time. Epidurals can make the pain more comfortable, but they don't always work and do come with risks. The best thing to do is hope for the best and learn methods of controlling and coping with your pain. There are many natural ways to lessen pain. Being prepared can help you deal gracefully with whatever you experience during your birth.

When preparing for a natural birth, the first thing you need to do is begin reading. You should read anything you can about birth. In the beginning you'll want to educate yourself about the physiology of labor, complications that occur, and common hospital interventions and their risks. As you move closer to your due date, you should focus more on the positive aspects of birth. Read birth stories, and read books about natural birth to learn what to expect and how to cope with whatever comes your way. You should read a little everyday throughout your pregnancy.

Connect with a support group of friends who are educated about birth and who have experienced natural childbirth. They can teach you so much. Learn from them, and lean on them. They can tell you what to expect and give you pointers on dealing with labor. There are many forums on the internet dedicated to natural childbirth.

Surround yourself with positive messages about birth. Try to avoid people who are skeptical of your plans or who criticize your choice. Don't let people discourage you or tell you birth horror stories. Try to avoid seeing birth in a negative light. If you expect it to be terrible, it will be.

Think about what you want your birth to be like. Make a birth plan, detailing what you'd like to be able to do in labor and in what situations you might accept pain relief or intervention. Gather whatever supplies you may like to have handy: music, lotion, a birthing ball, etc. Talk to your provider about natural pain relief methods and your plan to avoid pain medication.

Spend time alone with yourself. Now is the time to really reconnect with yourself and get to know yourself. If you know who you are, you can truly feel confident. Pamper yourself. Focus on building up your self-worth. You can do this. Take time to relax, to meditate, to breathe. Learn to trust your instinct, because it will help you know what to do to relieve your pain.

Spend time in nature. Reconnect with Mother Earth. Think about how perfectly everything in the world comes together. Remember that you are a part of it. You were designed to give birth just like every other animal. The circle of life goes on even without human intervention helping it in nature. You are normal, and so is birth.

Watch natural birth. If you have a friend having a homebirth, witness it if she'll allow it. There are many videos out there of birth. There are shows on TV that sometimes feature natural childbirth, and there are a lot of movies online featuring homebirths. This will show you that it can be done. Watch what the mothers do. They can help teach you how to cope. Even watching animals in the wild give birth on TV can be good for you.

Challenge yourself. Labor and birth will certainly challenge you, so be prepared. Do your kegels, though that's hardly a challenge. Try something new that you've never done. Try to improve at someone you have never excelled at. Take up a new hobby, or get involved in a new sport. Set goals and try to reach them. Practice making a plan and following through, keeping your word to yourself and to others.

Be healthy. Keep yourself in good shape by exercising and eating well. Women that are physically fit and well-nourished often have easier labors. Hunger increases pain, and not being in shape will increase your chances of overexerting yourself.

Relax. Stress can make pain worse. Try to go into labor relaxed. Then you just have to focus on staying relaxed. Also, be active. This makes your labor go by much faster!

There is much you can do to prepare yourself for natural childbirth. Your labor is much more likely to go smoothly if you are ready. Learn as much as you can, particularly about pain relief techniques. Surround yourself with positive energy, and stay relaxed. A woman who is in good health and has high self-esteem has a much higher chance of successfully birthing naturally. You have set your goal: to have a natural childbirth. Now work towards it, and follow through!