When I first thought about my own birth and how I envisioned it going, all I really visualized or focused on was the moment my baby would be placed on my chest after delivery. I always envisioned a positive birth experience in my mind, and never knew that this was something you had to prepare for. I thought all births were positive experiences.

But I soon learned through my training, that not all birth experiences are positive. They can be scary, stressful and traumatic. My naivety was a slap in the face and a huge wake up call as someone passionate about birth work. So this post details my top tips for being prepared for labour and making sure you’re on the path to a positive birth experience.

1. Take Childbirth and Parenting Education

I can’t stress this enough – ignorance IS NOT bliss when it comes to birth. Ignoring the details of birth because of fear, or relying on depictions of birth you’ve seen on TV, is a recipe for disaster. Did you a first time labour can last up to or more than 24 hours?

This is not to scare you though! What is more scary than not being prepared for one of your biggest life moments? Childbirth education will prepare you with coping mechanisms for labour, how to stay calm and focused, how to embrace your experience, and make informed decisions.

Parental education is also extremely important. Understanding infant development and the foundations of respectful parenting significantly helps in setting realistic expectations for your postpartum recovery, and how to begin your parental journey. Investing in your parenting skills is never a bad idea – birth lasts a few days, but parenthood lasts a lifetime.

2. Finalize Your Birth Wishes Before Labour

You may hear people refer to a ‘birth plan’ all over the internet, and how every one should have one for their birth. In theory, a birth plan is very beneficial for labour. It outlines how you ideally want your birth to go so your birth team and support people know what you’d like. However, a plan leaves no room for error, or we can start to think that Plan B, Plan C, Plan X,Y,Z are less than, or ‘worse’ than our Plan A.

Birth is unpredictable, more than it is predictable. That shouldn’t deter you from being educated, like mentioned above, and from thinking about how you’d like your birth to go. I recommend birth wishes instead of a birth plan, because wishes are things that we want, but don’t always get. It leaves more room for adapting to your birth, and there is no ‘plan’ to go wrong.

Birth wishes also get you thinking about what you would want in any situation you may find yourself in during birth. Even if you don’t envision a C-Section, what would be your preferences and wishes if you did need one? If you wish to labour without pain medication, what would be your preferences or wishes if your labour lasted longer than 48 hours? When would you want to consider alternative coping techniques? Who do you want with you during labour, before, during, and after?

Birth wishes essentially give more options, and more opportunity for a positive birth experience because you’ve been able to think about your options and preferences BEFORE labour, and not in the moment in between contractions.

3. Setting the Mood for Birth

The best mood to be in for labour is calm (and maybe even excitement!), and not scared. We want to optimize the ‘feel-good’ hormones in your body to help your labour progress, not stall. The ‘fight-or-flight’ hormone adrenaline, decreases your ability to stay calm, and slows your labour.

Intrinsic characteristics of your labour, like how prepared you are for birth, are a fundamental influence in how calm you remain during labour. However there are external influences that can greatly affect your sense of calm, and there are ways you can prepare for this too!

Your birth environment should offer you calmness and comfort. When you think about your optimal birth environment, what does it look like?

Are the lights dim or bright?
Is there music playing?
Are you listening to meditations?
Who is in the birth room with you?
Are the clothes you’re wearing comfortable
Do you have room to lay down, walk around, stand, sit?

It can depend on your birth place.

Hospitals aren’t the most comfortable of places to begin with, but many people feel safest in hospital for their birth. Nothing wrong with that! I too feel safest in hospital for birth. But the bright lights, machines, and monitoring equipment, don’t help me stay calm. They actually make me quite nervous. So I brought things like familiar sounds and scents from home, comfortable pajamas, and a blanket from home, to make my birth environment more comfortable.

Birth centers are much more comfortable than hospital rooms, but again, they’re still not the comfort of your own home. Bring items like familiar music and blankets from home to help you feel more comfortable. Depending on the policies of your birth center, you may also be able to have more support people than in hospital.

Giving birth at home is where some people, reasonably, feel most comfortable. They can labour in bed, in the shower, in a water bath, and never leave the comforts of home. But just because you’re at home, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prepare your birth space! You and your midwife should review what items you’ll need for the birth and immediately after, extra towels, sheets, blankets, as well as which room you want to give birth in, and how to optimize your chosen space.

4. A Well Stocked Birth Bag

Like I said earlier, birth can be unpredictable. With a well stocked birth bag, you can prepare for some of the unpredictable.

This doesn’t mean you need to pack three suitcases, a duffle bag and a backpack. It means that the items you do pack, all serve a purpose. Having a well stocked birth bag means you can think less about the things you MIGHT need, and rest assured you’re prepared for a few different birth scenarios.

You may not need every thing you brought, but peace of mind goes a long way in being able to keep calm during labour.

5. Hire a Doula

I had never heard of a doula until AFTER my birth and into my second month as a new mom.

After all the preparation I did for birth and becoming a parent, when I found out what a doula was I thought, ‘That is what I was missing, and what I’m still missing.’ I wish someone had told me about the benefits of a doula, not in the data, but why they exist.

I believe that even though there is data to support the benefits of a doula in birth, having the support of a doula is a feeling.

It’s confidence.

Validation and being seen.

Knowing someone is always there for you.

I recommend both birth and postpartum support because birth is just the beginning. I believe to have a positive birth experience, it also includes your birth recovery.

How a Doula Contributes to a Positive Birth Experience

A doula is a person who is trained, or sometimes not, in providing information and support to you, your partner, and the rest of your support team. Doulas are trained to support new parents through their informed decision making by being an unbiased resource for information and insight.

They’re someone to help you ask questions, to offer information related to your questions, to help you get all relevant information so you can make birth and parenting related decisions. They also support you in your decisions, are someone to confide in, and who genuinely want the best for you and your family.

Doulas provide emotional and physical support in so many different ways. They help you with coping techniques in labour, provide breast/chestfeeding troubleshooting postpartum, offer support during your recovery from light housekeeping to meal prep, and can tend to your newborn while you shower or connect with your other children. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg!

Wherever or whenever you need help, ask your doula. If they can’t personally help you, they will support you in finding someone who can. Here is a brief overview of different types of doulas.

BIRTH DOULA

This type of doula will offer support during your pregnancy, to get to know you and your partner, and get a feel for the type of labour experience you are envisioning.

When it’s time for labour, they will be by your side (in-person or virtually) to help ensure you have a positive birth experience.

After birth, a doula will remain by your side to help with the first feeding and adjustment period immediately after birth.

It is SO important to know that birth doulas DO NOT replace your partner. They also do not act on behalf of medical staff.

Your doula will show their to you dedicated by providing emotional and information support to both you and your partner, while bridging communication channels (when necessary) with medical staff. You doula is a valued member of your birthing team that includes your partner, medical team (midwife or OBGYN), and family members.

POSTPARTUM DOULA

A postpartum doula is a support person who assists your recovery in the 4th trimester, immediately after birth, until 12 weeks postpartum.

You may find a postpartum doula that can help you with light housework, like sweeping or folding laundry, taking the trash out, or walking the dog. They may also offer meal prep and light cooking to allow you the time to tend to their new baby and/or other children.

A postpartum doula also provides emotional support during the period of many adjustments while caring for your newborn. Breast/chestfeeding troubleshooting, newborn care, self-care, and overall parental adjustment, just to name a few.

Most often, full-spectrum doulas will offer both birth and postpartum services together to ensure you have both a positive birth experience that includes your birth recovery and parental transition.

LOSS DOULA

No one should experience loss alone. A loss doula provides support to someone who experiences or has already suffered from perinatal loss, including but not limited to pregnant people, their partners, children, and family members.

Although loss is in no way a positive birth experience, a loss doula is trained to hold space for your emotions, be a support person when needed, and offer light domestic support (housework, light cooking) in the first few weeks after your loss.

A loss doula can also help you navigate the postpartum journey depending on the gestation of your pregnancy. Considerations for lactation and recovery are difficult things to navigate after loss, and your doula can be there to help guide you through them.

THE BENEFITS & STATISTICS

As I mentioned earlier, the benefits of doula support goes beyond the statistics, however a here are some numbers to hit home the importance of continuous support in labour, in favour of a positive birth experience.

Hodnett, et al. (2012)

Over 22 trials including over 15,000 birthing people concluded that the support from a doula (not a person from the birthing person’s social or family circle), resulted in:

Decreased use of pitocin (synthetic oxytocin) for contractions.
Decreased risk of C-Sections.
Increased the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth.
Decreased risk of being dissatisfied with the birthing experience.

Meta analysis of multiple doula studies in the United States (there are few studies done in Canada), found the following as a result of continuous doula support during labour:

36% reduction in the use of pain medication
51% reduction in caesarean sections.
71% reduction in the use of pitocin. 57% reduction in instrument delivery (forceps or vaccum).
Resulted in the average labour being 1 hour and 38 minute shorter.

Overall, the statistics are in favour of doulas supporting all birthing people during labour, however on average only 3% of Canadian families hire a doula.

Why could this be?

Perhaps because of what I said at the beginning – I had no idea doulas existed.

I’m Here to Spread the Word About Doulas!

Birth and parenting are things we can somewhat prepare for, however every child that’s born, is born into their own uniqueness. And just like every unique child, every one of their births will be just as unique.

There will be no book or online course to help you navigate your recovery from birth or parental transition. No two births, no two children are the same (even twins!). Your doula will help you navigate your unique birth and parental transition with their knowledge, experience and wisdom. They won’t have all the answers or tell you what to do, but will be there to support you and help guide you.

After birth, you will learn as you go. The doula who supported you through your positive experience of labour and birth, can help ensure you have the same positive experience as you recover and navigate the parental transition.

You doula will supply you with evidence-based information to help guide your decision making. They will be someone to confide in, someone who will support you, and who will be your biggest cheerleader.

If you’re looking for a doula to join your support team, you can reach out to me directly, or check out some of the services I offer.

And if you haven’t already, I would definitely download my Birth with Confidence 10 Step Guide – it’s FREE! and dives into more detail about how to best prepare for labour & birth.

5 Tips for a Positive Birth Experience & Why You Should Hire a Doula