How to have more confidence in the delivery suite
Experienced midwife Tracy Donegan says a little bit of nervousness around delivery is totally normal but sometimes a scary birth story can magnify doubts into huge fears and panic attacks which impact your health and the health of your baby. She has a few tips to reduce the nerves and help you feel more confident:
● Avoid reading, listening or watching scary birth stories. Talk to mums who have had positive births themselves — seek out stories which will help you feel empowered, inspired and less anxious.
● Read books which focus on what can go right in labour rather than what can go wrong. The human race continues to overpopulate the planet — we’re actually quite good at this birthing lark. The Irish Better Birth
Book and Ina May Gaskin’s Guide to Childbirth are great starting points.
Take an independent antenatal class. The hospital classes might be free but they won’t help you navigate the myriad of options available to you or train your partner in all the ways they can provide meaningful support to you on the big day.
● Don’t believe everything you think, as thoughts are not facts. This is such an ‘aha’ moment for so many women when they realise the thoughts and images they’re currently having about birth are mental events — and not necessarily the truth of how they’ll experience labour. Learning mindfulness can really help you pay attention to what you’re focused on. No doubt you’re being very conscientious about what you put in your body in pregnancy — be just as intentional about what you put in your mind.
● Consider hiring a doula — a professionally-trained birth companion (think of her as a pregnancy concierge) who is there to personally support, encourage and be a sympathetic listening ear for you both in pregnancy and in labour. Chances are you won’t have met your midwife before, but your doula is a continuous presence and you’ll have gotten to know each other really well. Doulas are considered an obstetric intervention and having one in labour increases the likelihood of having a really great experience.