10/26/2024
(Sound advice, shared from another midwife)
My top 16 ways to avoid a crummy birth experience:
1. Choose your provider carefully. Don't make assumptions.
2. If you aren't in labor, it is not too late to revisit #1
3. Don't try to kickstart labor without a clear indication.
4. Consider hiring a doula.
5. Choose your doula wisely.
6. Don't invite people to your birth unless they support you unconditionally and you are willing to p**p in front of them.
7. Choose your birth setting carefully. Make sure that you feel comfortable before anyone else does.
8. Avoid childbirth methods and rules. In fact, avoid all opportunities for guilt.
9. Visualize your birth without putting yourself in a box. (i.e. Waterbirth is great but so is land birth)
10. Don't jump the gun. Early labor is most often best ignored. Inform the people who need informing and go about your business. Be okay with it needing to take some time.
11. Spend your last month of pregnancy preparing for the first two weeks postpartum. This should be your recovery and exploratory time. It matters...a lot.
12. Pick your battles. Choose the five things that matter the most to you about your birth and ensure that all involved are okay with those things. If not, see #1.
13. Avoid listening to everyone. Listen to you first, your provider (whom you chose carefully) second, and any other needed voices (including your partner) as needed. Too many opinions equal too much confusion.
14. Avoid telling people, who are not integral, your exact due date, or the moment you go into labor. Consider waiting to announce your birth until hours after. Labor and the early postpartum hours should be completely unencumbered.
15. Spend pregnancy working through fears, worries, hopes, and dreams. Be in touch with you. Don't negate your feelings. Walk, stretch, laugh, sing. Be outside. Eat good food. Be mindful of this part...it only happens once.
16. Labor as unhindered as possible. All the talking should have happened by now. Do labor and nothing else when #10 is no longer possible. Dim the lights. Turn on the birth mix. Shoo the talkers and gawkers. Do only this.
