In the past year, my focus has increasingly evolved toward supporting mamas, partners and families in pregnancy, birth and postpartum. My writings also increasingly focus on connectedness, empowerment and self-nourishment for mamas.
My intention for this Prosperity Blog has been that all kinds of people may find inspiration and connection to inner prosperity. I will occasionally share some of my Mama Care writings, such as this one on trust. More of my Mama Care articles can be found on my website.
What can a pregnant mama do to set herself up for her best birth experience? She can take a great childbirth preparation class. She can invite her ideal support people to be at her birth. She can fill her consciousness with images and stories of beautiful births. One of the most fundamental – but sometimes overlooked – ways a mama can prepare is to acknowledge her doubts and fears, and cultivate trust in herself, her body and the birthing process.
Trust allows a woman to feel safe, which is integral for labor to progress naturally. Birth is a rite of passage that challenges us to step up our ability to trust. Before and during labor, fears and doubts can present themselves. They can be anything from fear of making too much noise, to fear of drugs, to wondering if her body can really do it. They may seem huge, small, serious or silly. These doubts and fears offer the opportunity to overcome them and trust ourselves and our bodies.
Recognizing and stepping past fears and doubts can be both challenging and rewarding. The process takes sensitivity, awareness and patience. Support from someone with these traits – your partner, a doula, or a trusted friend or family member – can help you in the journey.
As you make your own path toward trust, here are some questions to ask yourself. Draw pictures, journal or ask your trusted support person to listen as you explore these questions.
- What doubts or fears do I have around birth? Whether they are big or small, put them out there in words or images. This will help you to let go of them.
- Can I identify a belief or memory where each doubt or fear came from?
- Is it possible that this belief or fear helped me at one time, but no longer serves me? (For example, a fear of big dogs might help a small child keep out of harm’s way, but that is less relevant for an adult.)
- How might I overcome these doubts or fears? You might use as a starting point ways you’ve overcome fears or challenges in the past.
- Are there times in my life, or have I experienced times, when I can or could completely trust? What do or did I feel like when I trust(ed) completely?
- What might help me trust my body and myself during birth?
- If I completely trusted my body and myself to birth my baby in the best way, what would that birth be like?
When you create an image or description that you like of your completely trusting birth, you can use it as a focal point. As you as you prepare for birth and during labor, put the image in a place you’ll see it, or say or ask someone to say a key word that represents your description. Regardless of whether the specifics of your birth match your image, it will help you reconnect to the trust you’ve cultivated through your process.
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