TINA OTTE
is a mother, a midwife, a childbirth educator and an author. She’s been involved in the pregnancy and birth field for more than 30 years. Having a baby is a unique experience for every woman and every baby. So many mothers-to-be face this experience with fear, anxiety and with feelings of dread and disempowerment. Birth and how it happens for you and your baby is more important than you know. I have five basic tips to help you build your confidence for labour. 1 Practise visualisation. 2 Talk to confident, experienced mothers. 3 Seek out good, up-to-date information. 4 Surround yourself with people who are positive and support you. 5 Find a well-qualified childbirth educator/class and get resources and where to get help after the baby comes! Childbirth education has become an essential part of prenatal care for many parents-to-be. The need to make informed choices about birth options and the necessity for a wider range of information to be made available to prospective parents is critical in order for parents to make decisions properly. As always, that’s what we at Your Pregnancy strive to do. Information from our experts, as well as reading about the experiences of others, will hopefully help you find your way through the maze of pregnancy and early parenting, and help you sort out what’s normal and what’s not. Remember to treasure this time – it’s a very small wedge in the pie of your life. Savour it – because you’ll forget the bad bits and hold onto the memories of the magnificent bits when they’re long gone.