How To Create a Positive Birth Envionment

Whether you give birth at home, at a birthing centre, at a hospital or in the car, being in control of your environment can go a very long way to a positive birth experience.

Think about things that bring you tranquility and peace.

Flickering candles - pack battery operated tea lights in your hospital bag

A focal point - a photo of someone or a place that has special significance to you. You can use this for visualization and distracting conversation during contractions to get your mind into a more peaceful state.

Music - making a playlist of songs and sounds that you find particularly soothing, or even one of just songs that are your absolute favourite to dance and sing to....both aid in a positive birth environment. I often tell my clients that music can unleash alot of hormones, oxytocin being one of them, because it brings forth an abundance of memories from when you last heard the particular song.

Cover the clock - Many women prefer to cover the clock in their birthing room, so as to block out the physical reminder of how long (or short) their labour has been.

Bring the comforts of home - Whether it is a favourite blanket or pillow, your own slippers, bath robe or pajamas, if you are birthing outside of your home, the easiest way to feel comfortable in your birthing room is to make it as much like your home as possible.

Being in control of elements such as these can give a great deal of in a situation where you can to give into the process and let your body take over.

Trust your instincts, as always, and prepare yourself for the best possible birth.

xoxo
Shannon

Meditation for Pregnancy and Birth

While birth can be chaotic and unpredictable (not always!), mentally preparing yourself for labour and birth can be a wonderful tool in finding a bit of control over your process.

When we set out to design a mala with Laure from My Mala Necklace, we wanted it to incorporate all of the elements that make up a mom.

Courage
Strength
Calm
Patience
Love

Sometimes these elements are difficult to find in ourselves, but by practicing a bit of meditation, holding your mala beads close to your heart and feeling the stones warm to your touch and energy, you might be surprised at what you find.

The courage to endure
The strength to push through
The calm and stillness between breaths
An intense amount of patience
And love
Abundant and unconditional love

In our meditation classes and on our podcasts, we talk about a love not only for those around us, our baby inside our belly, but also a love for ourselves. This is exceptionally important during pregnancy when our body is not our own, our hormones are raging and we are preparing for the unexpected.

Be gentle and kind with yourself
Hold yourself with an open heart
Be confident in your birth process

Whether you need to harness some confidence and inner strength (lava), feel some abundant and unconditional love (pink quartz), or inspire a sense of peace and calm for your birth (howlite), all of these elements live inside you. They grow with every breath you take, with every beat of your heart.

With every touch of your mala beads, these elements ignite within you and they prepare you for a beautiful birth experience, calm transition into motherhood, and the strength to endure, with patience and love.

 xoxo
Shannon