HEALTH: Empower body and mind for birth

Empower body and mind for birth


Yoga
Lee Kennedy

The changes that happen to a woman’s body and mind in the lead up to birth are remarkable. The bodily changes are frequently spoken about – the mind, less so.
During pregnancy and birth, your womb becomes the ‘energy centre’ of your body; the sensations you are likely to experience will be very powerful. Normal everyday consciousness seems to expand – you can feel deeply in touch with your inner, instinctive self, not unlike the transcendent state of mind that might be experienced through yoga and meditation.
There is a natural tendency for your attention and interest to go inwards, the release of hormones in your body makes you more sensual, instinctive and less intellectual, logical and rational. You might find it difficult to sit and focus your mind, to remember things, to study or read… Don’t worry, all these abilities return after the birth!

Harness the feeling
For many of us women, this ‘other worldly’ feeling can be a frightening prospect (it is natural and even inevitable to be afraid of the unknown). However, allow yourself to go with it – the struggle to resist it could perhaps be one of the causes of difficulties in labour.
Surrendering to this unique experience and ‘going with the flow’ can make it easier to accept these changes, reducing anxiety and stress. Practising deep breathing and attending a weekly yoga class designed for your changing body can be empowering. Learned safe and non-strenuous yoga stretches can all prepare you for the birth.
Under the guidance of your yoga teacher, a good prenatal yoga class should also include postural awareness, which helps position your baby in the Optimal Foetal Position (see ‘The benefits of yoga during pregnancy’, The Mayo News, May 19, or www.mayo news.ie/living).
Strength and increase flexibility – obvious aids to labour – can be enhanced with yoga practise, helping you to feel more self-reliant. The body’s muscles have a physical memory, so by teaching them how to be strong and flexible, how to move in the correct way, your body will instinctively draw on these lessons during birth. Ultimately, regular practice will increase your confidence and your trust in your own ability to give birth.

Create your own birth plan
Writing a birth plan gives you an opportunity to think about and discuss with your partner and your caregivers how ideally you’d like your baby’s birth to be handled.
Even though there’s no way you can control every aspect of labour and delivery, a printed document gives you a place to make your wishes clear. Just remember that you will need to stay flexible in case something comes up that requires your birth team to depart from your plan.
A written birth plan will also help refresh your caregiver’s memory when you are in labour, and it will bring new members of your medical team, such as your on-call practitioner and your labour and delivery midwives, up to speed about your preferences when you are in active labour (and probably not in the mood for drawn-out conversation!).
Take a copy of your purposed birth plan to your prenatal appointments/classes and go over it with those involved. This will give you and your partner a chance to figure out what’s possible and what’s not, and find some common ground. And if you can’t find a consensus, you will still have time to explore other options.
After you have gone over your options and made some decisions, print out your revised plan, give one copy to your practitioner, put one in your file at the hospital, and don’t forget to put a copy in the bag you’re packing for the day you give birth! )

A note on parenthood
Although first-time mums have travelled a great distance ‘to get to the other side’, their journey as parents is just about to begin. All those involved will grow and learn from each other. As parents, we are the central teachers of our children, and in return our children teach us how to love and care for ourselves. The challenges and demands of being a parent can sometimes be overwhelming, but our children remind us and help us find the child within. We remember how to play, be silly, laugh and cry. Once again, we remember the simplicity of, and see the beauty in, everyday things. What a gift.