Bright lights....
A sea of strangers' faces....
Eyes on your exposed body....
Needles sticking out just about everywhere....
How can one relax? How can one fully enjoy this experience? How can one focus on birthing a baby? Close your eyes and picture a room like this....would you be able to feel calm? Safe? At ease? Focused? These harsh environmental factors will 9 times out of 10 put you on edge. Anxiety will start to rise, your body will soon start to tense up. When you are tense, so is your cervix. This is why us birth workers do everything in our power to make sure you are able to relax. Unfortunately, these are usually the conditions most standardized medical facilities have you in. Nurses and doctors need light to see, they need you on your back to check you, they need to communicate with one another to be able to decide what to do with you next. It's truly not their fault....it's the way the medical system works. But we can change that!
Now close your eyes and picture a room like this.....
Dim lights...
Your favorite music...
Candles...
Comforting aromatherapy...
Christmas lights...
Limited disruptions...
No loud nurses...
No unwanted visitors...
People you trust supporting you...
Can you see the difference? In a room like this, can you see how you could tune into your body and focus on yourself and your baby? When mammals go into labor in the wild, they typically seclude themselves. They find a cozy nook with dim lighting and no distractions. This is what is the ideal birthing space for humans looks like too.
Setting the mood for your birth space can make you feel safe, which will allow you feel more in control of you and your baby's birth experience.
Here are some of the most common things you can do:
Draw the shades. This allows you to dim the lights and give you privacy.
Turn on some of your favorite music. This helps you get your head in the game.
Cover all the clocks. This lets you focus on you and not how fast you're progressing.
Hang up some affirmations. This helps you reassure yourself because remember...MIND OVER BODY.
Turn on a diffuser or have roll ons near by. Aromatherapy has many medicinal benefits.
Ask the nurses and providers to be respectful of your space. Nothing spoils the mood like a nurse walking in screaming "when was the last time you peed?!" in the middle of your pressure wave.
Put the phone down. You do not owe anyone any answers until you're ready.
These are simple changes. Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, this is your birth. Not theirs. Birth is a beautiful experience, so make your environment beautiful and watch the rest unfold.