Birth Prep
How to prepare for AN UNmedicated Birth
Birth doesn’t have to be a dreaded experience.
Believe it or not, You’ve been “training” for this your whole life. Culture, Hollywood, the stories of other people's birth experiences and injuries will deeply influence your beliefs and expectations about birth, whether you like it or not.
While you can’t control the traffic, speed bumps, You can show up calm in the driver's seat!
3 Tips on How to prepare for an unmedicated birtH
Self awareness
Understand yourself & your relationship to discomfort and pain. Understanding your natural emotional and physical tendencies when the shit hits the fan is the first step to create other options.
Consequently, Ever heard of things called a ‘self fulfilling prophesy’? If you believe that birth will be be ”The worst pain ever '' there is a strong chance you might experience it. Starting early in your pregnancy, you can learn how to cope with labor discomforts and the challenges ahead of time so that you can bravely ride the contraction waves.
In the Empowered and Healthy Pregnancy Program at Radiance PT, this conversation is part of your birth prep along with practical homework designed for your unique needs.
2. Build your confidence
Recognize you have tools within you that you have used before hand and with PRACTICE you can continue to build resiliency. Many first time birthers have shared the opportunity during their 1 on 1 Birth Prep Sessions that being able to connect the dots in how to cope and also what is happening in their body has helped them to be confident heading into birth and feel POWERFUL in the process.
3. Understand what happens in an unmedicated “uninterrupted” physiologic birth
Our society would have you believe that spending hours curating the Pinterest perfect nursery is your top priority as a new parent
And while a cute place for your sweet newborn to sleep is nice,
Your time and energy might be better spent understanding how to decrease your risk of birth injury, minimize pelvic floor tearing, and lower your fear about what is going to happen to your body.
Here is the thing- You can create an inner sense and outer safety for the things you can control and what you CANNOT control ahead of time.
It is important to know that Birth trauma is real. If things don’t go as planned, you didn’t do anything wrong!
The great news is you don’t have to go it alone!
We are wired for community when it comes to giving birth and having children. Build your support team for before, during, AND for afterwards, to help you have a happier birth experience and with your transition into motherhood.
Too many parents have been led to believe that there is nothing to be done to set yourself up for an empowered birth and a positive postpartum experience where you feel like you are thriving instead of surviving.
I want you to know it’s simply not true that nothing can be done!
As a Gentle Birth educator and a pelvic + obstetric physical therapist, I am passionate about helping women—
Who feel frustrated with pelvic pain and feeling out of control in your pregnant body and who want to instead
✔️be embodied & brave as you count down the days to meet your sweet babe
✔️find clarity in the most effective methods to understand your mind-body preparation for birth
✔️discover strength again so you can get back to hearing the wind sing in your ears on your morning run
If you are an athlete who is committed to doing the work of preparing for a powerful birth and you want a guide to support you along the way, let’s talk!