Birth Mantras

[clovermom]

What have you used or are planning to use as reminders/encouragements etc. for getting through labor?

The couple I am thinking of and will probably put on index cards or something are:

resistance = tension = pain (from Grantley Dick Read)

loose face = loose bottom (Ina May)

Would love to hear what others have to say...

[chaoticzenmom]

My midwife kept telling me last time to "stay in control" and it really helped. Stay in control meant to keep my voice low so that I wouldn't feel so panicked. When she told me to stay in control, it really brought home that I could keep it all under control, which was encouraging.

I like the Loose face, loose bottom. When I was pushing with my first baby, I kept clenching my jaws and not actually pushing. I wish someone had told me to loosen my jaws!

[nighten]

I'm doing the Hypnobabies thing, and some key words are Relax, Release, and Peace.

Last time I just kept repeating "happy baby, calm mama" over and over.

I like the notion of focusing on the positive (so saying, "relax this muscle" instead of "don't tense up" and so on), too.

[PaigeC]

I've been collection positive birth affirmations on my blog: http://www.babydustdiaries.com/2009/...irmations.html

My favs are:
I surrender my birthing over to my baby and my body

Each contraction produces a healthy, positive pain that I can handle.

With each breath I breathe in confidence and I breathe out fear

[AKislandgirl]

Like Nighten I'm doing hypnobabies. Along with peace, release, and relax I like the idea of "going deeper and deeper relaxed as I count down from 5". Other things my doula mentioned... breathe down to your baby, I can do this, and open, open, open.

[mizlizzy]

Wow, we have the same due date!

I am open. (I imagine the birth canal or cervix opening wide)

I can do this.

I love you (also from Ina May, this relaxes the bottom she says, to the baby, the daddy, the midwives).

I am so grateful. I used this a lot when my partner and midwife did a successful external version on the baby who was breech until saturday. It would have been painful, except for the mantras, breathing and imagining I did- I kept thinking of my uterus muscles like soft butter to keep them relaxed. The whole experience was actually very good practice for labor, with all three of us working together.

Mantras/affirmation seem to work best phrased in the present tense and positive as if it is already true. The subconscious seems to work this way. For example, "I surrender", instead of "I will not resist".

Blessings, Lizzy

[tomsTXmom]

"Pain is productive."

Being a first time Mom, who didn't use meditation (duh, I'll be using it this time!), it reassured me that it was Supposed to feel this way, and not to back away from it, but to allow, and encourage the discomfort. Moreover, it gave me encouragement that I was getting closer to holding my son in my arms.


This time, I'll be using "Breathe in Yellow, breathe out Pink."
I want to breathe in energy, light, healing and breathe out to release this baby girl.

Tracy

[tulipmama]

My body was made to do this.

I am open to surrender.

I am also doing hypnobabies so will be using the release, relax and peace cues, as well as counting down from 5 to become deeper and deeper relaxed.

[Citykid]

I have been thinking:

I am opening like a flower (that old cliche)

I am going to get HUGE! (from Ina May)

This is exactly what I want. (to remind myself that the more painful contractions are opening my cervix more, and that is, in fact, exactly what I want)

[JesiLynne]

Originally Posted by PaigeC

I've been collection positive birth affirmations on my blog: http://www.babydustdiaries.com/2009/...irmations.html

My favs are:
I surrender my birthing over to my baby and my body

Each contraction produces a healthy, positive pain that I can handle.

With each breath I breathe in confidence and I breathe out fear

Well that just knocked about 2 hours off of my to do list, Thanks.

[dearmama22]

Originally Posted by tomsTXmom

"Pain is productive."

Being a first time Mom, who didn't use meditation (duh, I'll be using it this time!), it reassured me that it was Supposed to feel this way, and not to back away from it, but to allow, and encourage the discomfort. Moreover, it gave me encouragement that I was getting closer to holding my son in my arms.


This time, I'll be using "Breathe in Yellow, breathe out Pink."
I want to breathe in energy, light, healing and breathe out to release this baby girl.

Tracy

when I first read this I thought you said medication ( drugs) and I was a little confused!

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by clovermom

resistance = tension = pain (from Grantley Dick Read)

Originally Posted by tomsTXmom

"Pain is productive."

I would suggest not using mantras that contain any "negative" words. For instance, instead of "Pain is productive" why not "These good strong contractions are bringing my baby to me". What you focus on, you get more of, and your subconcious mind doesn't understand negative phrasings like "Don't". So if you tell yourself, "resistance = tension = pain", you are sending an order to your subconcious for MORE resistance, tension, and pain! Instead, tell yourself "Surrender, trust, relax, release" or something like that-- focus on what you DO want (relaxation, trust), not on what you DON'T want (fear, tension).

TXmom, I know you are trying to embrace the pain, but I doubt you want to increase your experience of it anymore than necessary-- I think your real aim is to be able to trust your body and that the pain is safe, right? So instead of focusing on pain, which will send an order to your brain for more pain, why not focus on trusting your body and the process. So you could accomplish that goal with mantras like, "I trust my body" "my body knows how to birth this baby" "Birth is safe and natural and easy for me and my baby" "my strong contractions are safe and effective" "my strong contractions are bringing my baby to me" "My body is strong" and so forth.

As for me, I mostly just use key words and short little lines like "I am safe" "Surrounded by love" or just "love", "strong", "down, baby", "So good" (to focus on the pleasurable feelings of pressure and accomplishment) and my all time favorite, "RELEASE". I also sometimes hear the Hypnobabies affirmations in my head.

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by mizlizzy

Mantras/affirmation seem to work best phrased in the present tense and positive as if it is already true. The subconscious seems to work this way. For example, "I surrender", instead of "I will not resist".

Blessings, Lizzy

I missed that you already said this. Right on!

[tak]

As ol' slow hand put it:
Let it grow
let it grow

Let it blossom
let it flow

In the sun
the rain
the snow

Love is lovely
let it grow.

Nothing like Eric Clapton to get you through labour!

[PaigeC]

Originally Posted by tak

As ol' slow hand put it:
Let it grow
let it grow

Let it blossom
let it flow

In the sun
the rain
the snow

Love is lovely
let it grow.

Nothing like Eric Clapton to get you through labour!

I love that! Thanks for reminding me!

How about...

I will not fear
Fear is the mind killer
I will face my Fear
I will permit it to pass over me and through me
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

anyone recognize that?

[LionTigerBear]

Originally Posted by PaigeC

How about...

I will not fear
Fear is the mind killer
I will face my Fear
I will permit it to pass over me and through me
And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path
Where the fear has gone there will be nothing.
Only I will remain.

anyone recognize that?

While the sentiment of the lyrics are fitting, for a mantra it wouldn't work because of the negative word, "fear". Also the phrase "mind killer" is extremely negative. Yikes. Don't speak words and phrases you don't want to manifest!!! Remember, the subconcious mind does not recognize the word "not" or "don't". So keep every phrasing extremely simple and straightforward. Better to focus on courage and strength instead.

[naturallyspeaking]

Subbing... I just asked about birth affirmation and someone directed me here. Are you all making a list and put the paper somewhere near where you are birthing? Great ideas!!! Keep them coming and thank you!

[JesiLynne]

I printed mine and taped them above my bed.

[mamakaya]

i love this thread! i'm doing hypnobirthing and the affirmations have become a regular part of my day. for about 25 minutes i listen to marie mongan's voice repeat such phrases as the ones above plus others. some that i like:

i feel confident, i feel safe, i feel secure (my first birth was fine until the doctors started in on me with their interventions. the confusion and fear of them completely derailed me and i had a lot of fear going into this birth. i repeat this affirmation in my head a lot!).
my muscles work in complete harmony to make birthing easier.
my mind is relaxed, my body is relaxed.
i fully relax and turn my birthing over to nature.
i am prepared to meet whatever turn my birthing takes.
i meet each surge only with my breath; my body is at ease.

i plan to use visualization and of course breathing along with the affirmations, but i find that using them daily is a great way to "keep my cool" in these last few tense days of waiting.

[AKislandgirl]

For several of my really tough contractions during transition I said over and over again...I can do it. My birth team said it with me. It was really empowering!