There are lots of ways to mentally prepare for labour and birth. In this blog I explore just one of these ways in detail – and I think it’s a really clever (and easy one!)

Visualisation!

On my hypnobirthing courses we look at a variety of ways to prepare mentally for birth, but I love this one because it’s basically daydreaming! I have always loved a good daydream (especially at school when I wasn’t supposed to be!) so the fact that this past-time is actually proven to be helpful is in my opinion just awesome!

If you’re thinking ‘yeah right, how is daydreaming going to make a difference’ then I think the best ‘evidence’ of it working actually comes from the sporting world, rather than the birth world. Not because it’s any more of less effective at helping you prepare for birth than for a marathon, but simply because sporty people tend to get famous for being incredible and people then ask them what they did! Women are incredible at giving birth (thousands daily, I believe!) but they rarely get on T.V. to talk about how they prepared!

So, bear with me while I chat about athletes for a minute… I promise it’s relevant!

Top athletes prepare mentally as well as physically

Any serious athlete knows that mental prep is essential. Professional clubs spend a lot of money on sports psychologists as well as coaches. It seems to be generally acknowledged that one without the other just isn’t going to cut it. David Beckham (and lots of others, but he’s the one whose name I know!) has spoken about how before a big game, he would visualise the whole thing. He saw himself in the tunnel, saw who was next to him, in front of him… He would imagine the noise, the smells, the atmosphere as he walked out onto the pitch… then he would play out every detail of the game in his mind. 

Why do athletes use visualisation as part of their prep?

Because they are nervous about this big event. They know that to perform well, they need to not be as nervous. Tense muscles don’t run as fast. Their body simply won’t perform well if they are tense.

Question: How do you not get nervous?

Answer: You trick your mind into thinking you do this all the time.

Yep. You have to trick your mind into thinking ‘ok, so this is very normal. I do this all the time. It always goes well and so I don’t feel stressed’.

Manage that, and your body is going to be performing at its best.

Here’s what’s clever about visualisation: your subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between things you’ve actually done before, and things you have just visualised before. So, visualising a big event over and over again, in lots of detail, helps because then when the big day comes, your subconscious mind is evaluating the situation and saying ‘yep, this is fine, it’s always ok when we do this’ rather than ‘OMG!!! This is so scary!!!’

How does visualisation help with labour and birth?

If you’re thinking ‘very interesting, but what’s this got to do with me birthing a baby?’ then here is why giving birth and playing in a world cup final are actually pretty similar (note, similar, not the same!)

The birth of your baby shares more similarities with a world cup final than you may realise…

– It will only happen once 

– It’s a physical challenge that requires your body to perform well, for a long time

– It is high stakes (it is very important to you and lots of other people that it goes well) 

So, it’s not surprising that so many of us struggle to relax when our contractions start – this is a big deal!

Visualising your positive birth will help your body to perform at its best

Visualising your birth over and over again, in lots of detail, always positive, will trick your mind into thinking it’s actually given birth lots of times before! So, when your contractions begin, instead of your mind thinking ‘OMG!!!’ and your body tensing up, and it all getting really hard, really fast, or potentially not really progressing like you want it to…you can remain calm, your body will stay relaxed and your body will work better for you.

This is because when you are relaxed during labour:

• Your body produces the hormones it needs to power your contractions (meaning labour cracks on and is over sooner!)
• Your body produces endorphins, which is a natural pain relief said to be 100x stronger than morphine (I’ve no idea how people know this! But having experienced both diamorphine during my first labour, and no drugs during my second labour, I have to say I agree! Way less painful the second time!)
• Your uterus muscles get more oxygen then if you were stressed (which reduces pain)
• You work with relaxed muscles rather than tense muscles (which reduces pain)
• Your pelvis is actually more flexible and so baby is less likely to get stuck! (The pelvis isn’t a rigid structure, it moves to make space for baby, but won’t move as much if you’re tense)

So to sum up, you’ll have a much easier time of it if you can relax!

How do I visualise positive birth when I’ve not really seen any?

Unlike the athletes visualising their run/game, you are less experienced in giving birth than they are at whatever it is they do! Birth has relatively recently left the community and is more common to take place in a hospital than at home, so very few of us actually see birth before we experience it for ourselves. A hundred years ago a women having her first baby would have grown up with her mum popping out to help neighbours who were in labour, possibly carrying towels and mopping brows for labouring sisters and cousins as she got older, and so by her turn she would have seen it, or at least grown up with it happening around her and being considered a normal event. Now, say ‘child birth’ and most people picture hospitals, doctors, medical equipment, women screaming and possibly being ‘saved’ by medicine.

So how do you start to visualise something you’ve not seen?

Enter… other people’s birth stories! One of the best ways you can prepare mentally for birth is by reading, watching and listening to as many positive birth stories as possible! Once you’re in the habit of doing this, you’ll notice you start to daydream about your own positive birth! This is amazing prep! This is visualisation! Visualise yourself giving birth, dealing with various potential scenarios, even problems, calmly. Create a vivid scene – who will be there? Where will you be?  Will it be quiet or chatty? Dimly lit with tea lights? What home comforts will you have with you? Start picturing it! And then on the day, your body will be more likely to react calmly and perform at its best for you! 

Top tip if you’re planning a hospital or birth centre birth…

Go and visit the birth centre and/or labour ward. This will help you to visualise it. Ask your midwife if they offer tours (lots do – some with free antenatal classes too!). If they don’t, ask them if you can make an appointment to look round, or if they have a virtual tour up on their website/socials, or at the very least any photos you can see. I would also always recommend visiting the birth centre and labour ward (even if you can’t get a tour or appointment) and park the car, walk into the building, follow the signs for the right place, get right up to the door of the ward and then mentally bank this to help with your visualisation. Like Beckham visualised the tunnel and walking onto the pitch, you can visualise your walk down the corridor. This will familiarise your subconscious with the place and make relaxation more achievable than if you see it for the first time when you arrive to have your baby. Practically, it also really helps you and your birth partner to have taken this journey before the day (hospitals are such big places that can feel overwhelming and easy to get lost in at the best of times!)

I hope you enjoyed that whistle-stop lesson on why positive birth stories are an excellent form of mental prep! If you haven’t already, then check out the MANY positive birth stories from my clients on my blog!

If you’d like to get fully prepared for birth, and make sure your birth partner is ready to be a birth room legend, the check out my hypnobirthing courses! I offer group courses, private courses, and even short courses for those low on time or who have done hypnobirthing before and simply need a refresher. I also offer hypnobirthing for caesarean courses!

Hypnobirthing is suitable for all – whether you’re low risk, high risk, having your first or your forth, twins, singletons… there is not a single situation in which hypnobirthing will not have a positive impact on your birth!

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