5 things you don't know about birth
It doesn’t need to be painful. Well not the full time at least! Did you know that the hormone that fuels your contractions is commonly known as the “feel good” hormone? That’s right - it’s the hormone Oxytocin that will help to get your baby here, which means it’s not designed to feel bad.
You’re the one in control! You have full autonomy over your own body, that means you get to call the shots!
Labour isn’t one long contraction. One of the most under-rated, secret things about labour is that in between contractions, your body should feel pretty normal. Plenty of time to catch your breath and prepare yourself for the next one.
Your environment is super important. Your body is craving a feeling of comfort and familiarity, so that it knows you’re safe to have your baby here. It does this by using your senses to build up a picture of how you feel in that environment. There are lots of easy ways you can help make that happen… but that’s another post!
Your body actually needs you to stay calm. If you’re feeling freaked out then your mind gets a message that says “I don’t feel safe here, I want this to stop”, which then in turns throws off your all important birth hormones and things can start to seriously slow down and become more uncomfortable. Hypnobirthing is one of the best ways to learn effective tools and techniques for keeping yourself calm during labour.