Why Birth Matters
Have you – or someone you know – experienced a rough childbirth and then heard this: „All that matters is that you and your baby are healthy.“ Sure, that is true and you can thank your lucky stars that it is. I can’t begin to imagine it any other way. But, is that ALL that matters? To be honest, I don’t think so.
Because Birth Matters
The Emotional Side
I strongly believe the way you feel about your birth matters too.
If your birth experience was traumatic, it may not provide an ideal start into motherhood. It’s difficult to forget a traumatic experience right away. We can’t just turn it off like a switch. We need time to heal, but if we don’t have time because we’re too busy being brand new mothers, this can actually lead to postpartum depression.
Even little things may not seem traumatic at the time, but then creep up on us later after thinking about it or learning about other options. We may feel regret for not doing things differently and ask ourselves those ‚what if‘ questions, such as, ‚What if I refused oxytocin?‘ All well knowing that it ‚doesn’t matter‘ anymore, since we can’t change the past.
The Physical Side
It’s not only about your emotions. Also, your physical state can also be affected during birth. It is proven that when you are stressed, your body becomes tense. This tension spreads from your face and neck all the way down to your pelvic muscles, causing them to quickly tire out. Chemical changes occur in the tense areas which tires your mind and lowers your pain threshold. If this happens, childbirth will be painful.
The Baby’s Point of View
And this is not just about you, your baby is also affected by the way you birth. Just like in pregnancy, when you’re stressed, your baby is too. Just think about what your baby is thinking when it’s being born? In a normal hospital setting, the baby is immediately cut off away from its trusted life support, (sometimes) roughly handled by ’strangers‘ when taken away from mommy’s voice of reason, washed from head to toe so that it smells ‚odd‘ and wrapped in some foreign object. Welcome to the world, sweet baby, get used to it!
There is also the idea that babies who have experienced interventions during birth can be more fussy. Artificial oxytocin can also have lasting affects on the neurophysiology.
I want to make one thing very clear though: Intervention can save lives and I would be the last person to say that only a natural birth without any intervention is the only way to go. That is just not true! If you or your baby needs help in the birthing process, than that is what needs to happen. Period.
„Many of our problems in maternity care stem from the fact that we leave no room for recognizing when nature is smarter than we are.“
Imagine…
I believe that in the next few decades, natural childbirth with little to no intervention will become the standard and not an alternative. Not because the hospital staff wants it that way, but because the parents-to-be are becoming more informed of how beautiful birth can actually be.
Imagine birth like this:
- Someone you trust (partner, doula) is by your side, telling you how beautiful birth is.
- You are confident, not afraid.
- You are informed in detail how your body works to make birth easier.
- You are treated with respect by everyone in the room.
- You know you have choices during birth and are able to say ‚No‘, instead of ‚If you say so‘.
- You are completely relaxed and do not experience much – or any – pain.
HypnoBirthing Can Make it Happen
When I was pregnant with my first child, I sought a more natural and gentle approach to classic birthing methods and came across HypnoBirthing. By practicing the HypnoBirthing techniques, all four births were the most incredible experiences of my life. They were all gentle, almost pain-free and unique in their own way. And… Life-changing. After my 2nd birth, I was so inspired to inform other couples about how birth can be beautiful and became a certified HypnoBirthing Practitioner and Postpartum Doula.
I firmly believe that if you have the right mindset and enough practice, you can achieve anything, even a calm and almost pain-free birth, which is what I teach in the MyGentleBorn Childbirth Course. If you plan your ideal birth in detail, you can achieve the birth you want, not the birth your doctor wants.
We can’t change a past birth experience. But we can change the way we birth in the future.
It’s Your Choice
This is what I wish for you: The power to believe in yourself. The choice to be in charge of your birth. The knowledge to trust your instincts and your body. If you are ready to find out how your body can birth in the most gentle way, please check the MyGentleBirth course schedule and make this small investment that will last a lifetime.
Because birth matters. Because you and your baby matter.
Warmly,
