Better Birth Experiences in 2024
Bringing new life into the world is a journey. You travel through 9 months of pregnancy, through the wild symptoms that come with it, and through hours of labor to birth your baby. We get so excited about pregnancy, baby showers, and maternity photoshoots but not much about labor. I am here today to create positive hype around labor and help you plan for your best birth in 2024.
Labor is one of the most transformative experiences we as humans get to walk through. Labor pushes the limits of your mental, emotional, and physical self while empowering you and strengthening you as you journey to meet your baby. In an incredibly magical way, the mother’s body and baby instinctually work together to make the journey. To prepare for this journey, trust your instincts, and travel through labor confidently, here are two key things I recommend as a Certified Birth Doula.
The first is to spend more time planning your birth than your baby registry. The journey your body goes through to bring a child into the world is worth far more than slow-flow bottles, all the cute onesies, and that crib you’ve had your eye on for months. Research shows us that birth experiences greatly impact mothers' and babies' emotional, mental, and physical health.
Knowing how your body works to birth and what important decisions you will face at birth is essential to prepare for your birth experience. So research birth, educate yourself, write a birth plan, and learn how to work with your body to find comfort in labor (because it is possible).
The second is to pick the right people in the room to support your birth journey. Regarding a workout buddy or a travel partner, we have strict criteria for whom we choose. So, should we be in the birth room?
Whether you give birth at a hospital, at home, or a birth center, your support has a huge
effect on your birth experience and outcome. Choose your provider, doula, and partner(s) at birth wisely. Know their experiences, their medical statistics for c-sections and inductions, their style of support, and their thoughts on your birth plan. Discuss any birth plan decision points openly and honestly, as well as your values about your birth. Birth is vulnerable, and having a well-aligned support team is vital.
Don't hesitate to contact Ariel Groft of RIL Doula Services, LLC, for more support and birth resources. Ariel is a Certified DONA Birth Doula, Certified Lactation Counselor, Childbirth Educator, and Postpartum Doula for more information on her services please visit her website rootedinlovedoulaservices.com.