Positive words and thoughts PLEASE ADD MORE!

[amyjeans]

Hello everyone!
My name is Amyjean and I am new here. My husband and I are expecting our second child in October and are very excited!
part of our birth plan is attitude!
We have started a list of positive words and thoughts that I want to hear during my labor and are looking for input and other thoughts and phrases to use. Any particular words or phrases your held onto during labor that really helped?
Please add to your hearts content! We hope that there are others out there who could benefit from this as well so please chime in!
Thanks for reading!

Brief list:
I love you
you are wonderful
you are beautiful
you are marvelous
You are amazing
you are strong
Look what you can do
what a great job you have
I am so happy I married you
I am so glad you are the mother of my children
I am so proud of you
I believe in you
I trust you
I trust your body
You baby wants to see you
Your body believes in you
You are magical
This moment is the best moment to be in
I want to marry you again
You are perfect
You are a gifted and powerful woman
You are so sexy
I love your body
I love your eyes
I love to hold you
I love to feel your skin
Your kisses are bliss
I love to look into your eyes

Warmest Regards

Amyjean

[MamaChel]

You can do this. You're doing great. You're almost done.

These are the three that helped me the most last time. (Last week!) There may have been a few others but I'm having trouble remembering.

[~*max*~]

What helped me the most during my second labor was when I was in my most painful time of a VBAC, exhausted & said, "I can't do it!" My dh firmly & lovingly replied, "Yes you can!" I just soaked that up and then really felt I could go on.

During my third labor, after reading Ina May Gaskin's books, the mantra I repeated to myself was, "Labor is hard. It hurts. I can do it." Very simple, but it really helped keep me grounded.

Good for you for planning ahead on ways to be positive.

max

[crazydaisy]

with my dd's birth i really liked these:

my body was made to give birth
i am opening up for my new baby
i am providing a happy birth experience for my baby
my baby loves me
i'm almost there

i really liked the "my body was created to give birth"...i think that one was from the _Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way_ book i read. love it and felt it during labor

hope you, your baby and your husband have an amazing experience of birth,
kate

[lorijds]

I always find something like "You are safe. Everyone here loves you and knows you can do this." is helpful.

When the baby is starting to crown, I always try to coach the mom through that..."Your body is stretching beautifully."

A couple of other things I often say are "Think the baby down" or "Breathe the baby down" "Think ooooooopennnnn" and finally "relax your bottom...."

[nova22]

i can't wait to meet our child
s/he is going to be so beautiful
you're meant to be a mother
your body knows what to do, just relax and let your body do it
i'm so proud of you
you're doing a beautiful job

some things i thought or said to myself under my breath: i can do this. this isn't as bad as i thought it would be. i don't want to give up. when i start doubting myself, that probably means i'm in transition - i'm almost finished.

and above all - THIS IS WORTH IT. this is three (or ten, or sixteen, or however many hours) hours of pain that will give me a lifetime of happiness with my child. any pain i feel is nothing compared to the joy i will feel when i am holding my precious child.

*sniffle* i'm such a sap, reading all these mantras has me all misty

[ja mama]

(from my Mom) It's only one day, and you're tough sweetie. You can do anything for one day"

(from my doula when I was having a really hard time) "Don't try to control the contraction, control your reaction."

[TrishWSU]

A few that helped me:
~Nobody else can do this but you.
~That one's (contraction) over, and you never have to that one again. (this helped remind me that labor won't last forever.)
~You get to meet your baby today!

My best friend, who was timing the contactions (I think she just needed something to do ) would tell me something like: "Ok, the hard parts over, this one's almost done."

I think I had a true split personality moment in labor. I remember thinking, "OMG! This is so hard! I can't do it anymore!" And at almost the same time a very calm rational voice in head, "Oh! I must be in transition now!"

Your body's beautiful and made to give birth.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful birth!

[gottaknit]

I just read this this morning. "Breathing in, I calm my body. Breathing out, I smile." I don't know how realistic it is for labor, lol, but it sure helps me keep my temper when it's hot and my bus is late!

[stafl]

I had planned to use these during labor - but when it came down to the real thing, I didn't want anyone saying anything or touching me. I felt trapped in my head, and I didn't want anyone intruding upon my "trance" like state.

But, it helped me so much during the planning process, that I'll share them with you all.

first, this one was posted by a mama here at MDC, but I didn't write down her name...(sorry, if you are reading this)

Believe in yourself
Believe in your ability to give birth.
Enjoy the growing baby within you.
Marvel in the round Goddess shape your body is transforming into...

The other is our wedding vows:

In reaffirming the relationship we have been building together,
I Paul take you Stacy
to be no other than yourself.
Loving what I know of you,
trusting what I don't yet know,
with respect for your integrity
and faith in your abiding love for me,
through all our years,
and in all that life shall bring us,
I choose you as my wife.

[Artisan]

These two really helped me during transition:

This is as hard as it will get. You are almost finished.
Just focus/stay in control for this one contraction. It's almost finished.

[Threefold]

nak
I liked this one

with each contraction your baby is coming closer to being in your arms.

[Soogie]

My "mantra" during labor with my second was...

I did this before, I can do it again

I repeated it over and over through hard contractions. With my first, I took to counting during transitional contractions. I would count to 45 (I knew it would start going away after that) while my DH stroked my arm in the same rythym and intensity that I was counting. I was focusing more on the stroking than the contractions. worked for me.

[amyjeans]

Oh my God!
What phenomenal thoughts you wonderful women came up with!
I was crying through them! I really love the "wedding vow". I'm a bit emotional lately!
I hope you don't mind if my husband and I try to use them!
Thank you all for helping contributing to the list!
Keep them coming!

Warmest Regards
Amyjean

[StarMama]

Amyjean:

What I will *always* remember is the exact tone of total admiration and wonder, like I was the doing the MOST amazing thing in the world (and I was! ) of Dh saying: "Wow. Oh wow." as ds was being born. I was dry heaving into a bright yellow bucket at the moment and it is STILL the most magical thing I have ever heard said. So I guess, its all in the TONE.

[Angierae]

These helped me the most:

In early labor:
"You are going to have a beautiful birth"

In Transition:
When I said " I can't do this." My husband would say,
"You ARE doing it. Just the way you wanted to."
After a while he just kept saying "You are doing it."
It was graet.

To remind me to relax and breathe my doula said
"Breathe for your baby."
"Breathe into your baby."
"Relax for your baby."
and my personal favorite,
"Breathe into your bottom. Your body is opening for your baby."

And afterwards:
"You had a beautiful birth."
"You are amazing"
"I've never been so impressed with anyone"