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How to mentally prepare for Home Birth?

2K views 6 replies 7 participants last post by  MrsKoehn 
#1 ·
Hi Mummas,

Im not due until December, but I would like to get onto preparing my mind/emotional side for my home birth.

How did you mummas prepare mentally for the big day? Reading? Meditating? Chatting to babe?

Would you recommend taking a Hypnobabies course?

I just wanted to see how you got yourselves in tip top shape for birthing.

Thanks Mummas
 
#2 ·
I definitely recommend some kind of course for you and your DH if this is your first baby or first natural birth. In my opinion, you want something like Bradley if you want something focused on intensive information, Hypnobabies if you want to get especially prepared in state of mind and are very thought centered, Birthing from Within if you're more artistic and also for state of mind and to work past any mental blocks. The course you choose will come with recommended books, the "required" stuff as well as suggested reading. Each approach is different and you're working toward a different mindset, for example with Hypnobabies you eliminate any negative language about birth and call everything positive names. You won't need to know too much about refusing unneeded interventions assuming you don't need to transfer for something minor. But you'll want to understand, in your heart and head, what can happen however the birth unfolds, whatever time frame and however it ends up feeling. That way it's easier to accept it and let it happen.

Besides study, picture yourself laboring and birthing at home, when you look at places or relax in places in your home, think about how they'll work for you when the time comes to get in upright comfortable positions. Prayer and meditation is always constructive. I find the best meditation is not passive, empty, or aimless, but focused on truth. Also regardless of birthplace, eating and exercising with the focused intention of being strong and growing a healthy baby is great. And talking to baby, dancing with, singing to, poking him or her back when they kick you, all great fun and helps build a strong bond before birth.

I did Bradley, and was glad to be prepared with the specifics. Mine were pretty intense and drawn out so I don't know if I'd have stayed calmer through the rough parts with Hypnobabies or would have been unable to and felt like I did something wrong. My homebirth was with my second child so everything in labor was more familiar, some parts were tough but of course they passed. Everything controllable about my support and surroundings was perfect, and much of the time was lovely. The rest I just had to let happen and get through.
 
#3 ·
I love the Birthing From Within philosophy myself, but that is just me. I think that it is important to not allow yourself to get subliminally hypnotized by naysayers. Realistically it is okay to know that transfer is possible but listening to those that question home birth without evidence based info is important to avoid. I personally believe that I heard so many negative things about my decision I subconsciously believed that it wasn't safe. Please make sure you trust your caregiver entirely- I didn't and that also had a negative effect on my labor. My husband really enjoyed "The Birth Partner" reading and we liked the Ina May stories a lot. We were in labor for fifty hours at home before we transferred for pitocin and pain meds so we practiced a lot of pain techniques we learned and my husband was great. Make sure you don't have any unnecessary people at your birth that may hinder your ability to let loose. Exercise and eat well. Good LUCK!!!
 
#5 ·
I totally agree with all of the above posters. I went the hypnobirthing route. It worked wonders with my first home birth (I was able to lay in bed the entire 19 hours visualizing with minimal pain. It didn't work AS well during pushing for me though. But it was worth it to go through most of the labor pretty easily) My second home birth was a lot harder and it didn't work as well. The only thing that helped was a hot shower (I have an everlasting hot water heater...so I spent *cough* an hour *cough* or more lol in the shower. I know...I'm such a water waster.) With my first, I read every book I could get my hand on that revolved around natural birth and midwives. I learned everything I could about how the body works during labor (that helped me a lot...just knowing the stages I was going through and how things were working in my body). I read a lot of home birth stories online and watched some youtube videos. Just be careful...if you come across one that was negative, unfortunately it will drive you absolutely nuts.
 
#7 ·
I'm working on my first in Nov, so I am in this too. What I am doing though is thinking about it a lot, and trying to think of it as positive. There is a big portion of the family I DID NOT want knowing I was pregnant bc when someone started a rumor I was a couple years ago, they were like a pack of wolves with their horrible stories and my must have list. I'm avoiding them for sure now that the cat's out of the bag.

My SIL gave me a copy of Ina May's Guide to Childbearing. It's really encouraging too. I am putting a copy for myself on my wishlist. :)
 
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