08/20/2024
So many people fall in love with the “natural birth” aesthetic but don’t actually understand what that requires of them. Worse, they don’t do the work to prepare for such an undertaking.
If you’re wanting to birth unmedicated here are some things I’d urge you to consider-
1. If you don’t have realistic expectations and alternative plans in place you are setting yourself up for trauma. Hire a licensed homebirth midwife, buy the twinkly lights, pick out the perfect playlist, but take a solid childbirth education class that teaches you how to navigate the hospital system (shout out to The Reclaimed Village) There’s always a chance plans need to change and you should feel ready to shift and enter that landscape knowing your rights and options.
2. Prepare your mind and establish a belief system about birth. Take a hypnobirthing course (shout out to Flutterby Birth Services ) and do the daily work to grow that skill.
3. Hire a doula! We can’t take your pain away or guarantee an outcome for you, but you will need that continuous support person to fill in the cracks, impart wisdom, consider the needs of your partner, and an advocate working to represent your wishes/interests. -Bonus points if they’re skilled in baby positioning and body balancing techniques. 😉
4. Listen to a lot of birth stories (I enjoyed podcast) and start to recognize patterns (both good and bad) find inspiration, and learn tips that could be applicable to you. *Be sure to protect your headspace and avoid content that could be triggering.
5. Surrender to the fu***ng process! When your birthing time comes, raise that white flag high and surrender everything. Lay it all down. Ride those waves and trust that you’ve done the work to prepare for this moment. And when you think you’ve given everything, birth will ask for just a little bit more… yield. I promise your baby is on the other side of that intensity.
Even with all the education, practice, preparation, and knowledge, unmedicated birth will still be the hardest thing you’ll ever do; but if it’s something you really want, hopefully you can do the damn thing and feel proud of the choices you made along the way!