We hear negative things about birth all the time but are they true or are we worrying about nothing?
I’m going to dive right in and get going with some myths which scare the hebby jebbies out of pregnant women. Once you have read this blog…you are going to feel much better…so keep reading!!
- “How the heck am I going to get my baby out of something that size?!!”– I hear this all the time and I must admit, way back when I wasn’t a HypnoBirthing practitioner…I thought it too!! But now I know that during labour your cervix becomes soft, thins and opens to about the size of a dairy lea tub (ok that’s not an exact measurement but it gives you an idea). I also now realise that the platelets in a baby’s head aren’t fused together so your baby’s head ACTUALLY reduces in circumference which means it can fit through its ‘exit’. Along with that, during pregnancy your body secretes a hormone called Relaxin which allows your body to move and accommodate the growing baby and your new shape…because it is in your system it is also running through your baby’s making him or her more flexible too. This helps your baby have a smooth decent and entrance into the world.
- “You have to push really, really hard to get your baby out so your face goes purple and your eyes bulge out of your head”- not so… Women give birth in comas because of an amazing thing called the Natural Expulsive Reflex which basically pushes your baby out for you! Now, I’m not saying that you don’t have to do anything but the best thing you can do is what feels right and work with your body!!
- “My Vajayjay/Fairy/Foof/Vagina will NEVER be the same again!”– Pregnancy can put a strain on your pelvic floor BUT if your do your pelvic floor exercises during and after pregnancy this will help massively!! So work these into your daily routine and then you can jump on a trampoline to your hearts content. If you are worried about tearing, you can try to avoid it by doing perineal massage to help tone and strengthen your perineum; you can also avoid “purple pushing” and just work with your body instead.
- “I am going to poo myself!!”-If you do happen to do a number 2 (and not everybody does!), see it as a good thing. It means your baby is moving down, your body is clearing the path ahead and your little one will soon be born. The midwife will have seen it all before and she really doesn’t care!! Your partner loves you and once another human being has come out of you, the poo he may or may not have seen (before the midwife discreetly cleaned it up) will be a distant memory!
- “What if I don’t make it to hospital in time!!”- It is really hard to say how long your labour is going to last as it depends on many things but if you are a first time Mum, you can expect to be in active labour for around 8 hours. A very general guide about when to make the move to the birth centre or hospital would be when you are experiencing 4 surges every 10 minutes lasting about a minute long. But above all trust your body and your instincts and make the move to hospital when it feels right to you. If this is a big source of worry, you could consider a Homebirth?! Problem solved!
- “Hospital is the safest place for me and my baby”– Actually recent studies show that there isn’t any difference in outcomes for baby’s who are born in Obstetric Units (Hospital) and those born in a Midwifery Led Unit. There is however a difference for mothers. Mums who birth in hospitals are more likely to have intervention compared with those who birth in MLU’s and startlingly a high proportion of those interventions are for non-clinical reasons (read that as potentially unnecessary).
- “It’s going to really bloody hurt!!”– Without getting too Hypnobirthing practionerey on y’all a lot of the pain we associate with birth is because we believe so deeply that it is going to hurt like hell. The reason why we associate birth with pain is because of all the stories we have heard, the things we have seen on TV, what we read in the media…negative birth is all around us. When we go into labour our body responds to what is in our minds. So if we hold a lot of negative information about birth, the body reacts negatively, you tense up, your body doesn’t work as efficiently, you feel pain. But! If you change the way you feel about birth (using Hypnobirthing for example) your body will respond to the new positive idea of birth, your will have less tension in your body and experience less discomfort.
- “I’m not allowed to…”- Ah man! I can’t tell you how much this statement annoys me. Why is it that pregnant women are made to feel like they have to obey and do what they are told whilst they are pregnant, even if they don’t understand, don’t want to do it or it just doesn’t feel right? One of the reasons might be the language or the tone that medical staff use when explaining something to us which makes us believe that we are being TOLD what to do. You and your partner should always be a part of the decision making process when it comes down to your health and the health of your baby. It is always your decision, your baby, your body, your choice. Work with your care providers to get a clearer understanding of a suggested course of action, once you understand it better you can make a more informed choice.
- “I will HAVE to be induced at 42 weeks, they won’t let me go over”– Aghhhhhhhhhh. Sorry, had to get that little scream out. Again, this is not the fault of pregnant women thinking that this is the case, it is the way that induction at 42 weeks is communicated to us that makes us think we MUST do it. Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t be induced once you hit 42 weeks, what I am saying is that you have a choice. It is your decision. Before you decide whether or not induction is for you make sure your research both options (induction v’s waiting for labour to begin spontaneously) and listen to your intuition.
- “A C-section is the easy option”- are you kidding me? A major abdominal surgery is not an easy option. I am sure that a high percentage of C-Section mamas out there would agree with me. A Caesarean comes with a whole range of risks of its own for you and baby and if you want to have one because you don’t want to open yourself up to the possibility of experiencing severe pain (refer back to point 7!) then I’m afraid the pain of Caesarean comes after the birth, making it more difficult to be mobile and enjoy your new baby. Hats off to C-section Mummies, I would have a vaginal birth any day.
I hope now you can see that birth isn’t as bad as you may have heard (or experienced). It can be wonderful, beautiful and really special. If you want to start preparing for a birth without fear and to embrace your pregnancy and birth book onto a FREE Hypnobirthing Taster session or contact me to arrange a FREE 30 minute consultation (you can get in touch via liz@enhanceyourbirth.co.uk).
Photography supplied by www.kidsnaturally.co.uk