Natural birth is more mental than it is physical. While so many worry about the pain of natural birth, they overlook something that’s even more important: your mentality. Physically, your body can birth a baby. Don’t let your mind get in the way of what your body is designed to do. Create a calm, soothing natural birth environment that will allow you to focus only on you and your baby.
You have to create a perfect natural birth environment to have a smooth and successful natural birth. So many women overlook this without realizing how the importance. Women’s body’s are highly intuitive and instinctual, especially when it comes to birthing her baby. If you are stressed or uncomfortable, your mind will release stress hormones. This indicates to your body that something is wrong in your environment and it can stall labor! This is your body’s self defense mechanism to make sure that baby is born into an environment that is safe for baby to thrive.
Birth in the Wild
We humans are lucky to have the comfort of our own homes, birthing centers or hospitals to deliver our babies. However, this wasn’t always the case. We are mammals. That means we are equipped with a natural instinct to protect our babies. In the wild, mammals don’t have modern luxuries, such as hospitals or shelter, to safely deliver (think caveman era). Natural elements, weather, and predators made birth really dangerous. If a birthing mama senses danger, she will literally stop the birthing process, find a safe place and resume birth.
Your body’s natural instincts want baby to have the best ability to thrive, and that includes baby being born into a safe environment. Although we aren’t facing threats like a wild animal, our body still has those same instincts. If you are in a place you don’t feel comfortable or you feel stressed, your body might recognize these signals as danger. Just like an animal in the wild, your body may stall or slow labor, giving you the chance to relocate to a safer, less stressful spot.
It’s proven that women’s labors slow or even stop when they get to the hospital. When you move from the comfort of your familiar home to a sterile, cold environment filled with unfamiliar people and processes, your body recognizes your stress and discomfort, and labor can stall.
Women will get to the hospital in labor, only to have labor stall. When they return to the comfort of their home, labor begins again. That’s why birth centers mimick your home’s comfort. You will find soft lighting, cozy bed sheets, and comforting visuals.
If you’re having your baby at a hospital, creating the perfect natural birth environment will be more work. Whether you’re birthing at a birth center or hospital, use your five senses to create your ideal natural birth environment.
Natural Birth Environment and Your 5 Senses
Think about your natural birth environment through your five senses. Your five senses are how you take in the world. It’s how your brain and body will decide whether or not you’re in a safe place and can have your baby.
It’s also how you limit distractions, focus your energy and mind inward and give attention only to your body and baby. You can’t focus on birth and quieting your mind if beepers are loud in your ear or blinding lights shine in your eyes. Create your optimal natural birth environment by focusing on the following things.
Taste
Taste is probably the sense you will worry about least. Generally speaking, you won’t be eating much. But it is critical to keep up your energy and stay hydrated. During every contraction, have a drink of water, coconut water, raspberry leaf tea or electrolight water.
Bring several options to choose from. A lot of women get dry mouth during labor. You may enjoy chewing a piece of gum or on some ice to help combat dry mouth. Talk to your hospital or birth center to see what is allowable to eat and drink during labor.
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Smell
During early labor, consider soothing scents to diffuse during labor, like lavender or chamomile. Use a diffuser so it can easily be turned off if you want your natural birth environment to change.
Avoid strong lotions, perfumes or colones that can linger and bother you during labor or pushing. Throw away food and bring gum or mints for bad breath or smells.
Touch
Remember that your ideal natural birth environment will include what you want and also what you don’t want in your birth room. Throughout the course of labor and pushing, your body temperature and sense of you change will change.
One minute you will be hot and sweaty and then cold and shivering the next. You will pack a beautiful labor robe only to find out you want to be naked and nothing touching you. During harder contractions, having a hand to squeeze can provide relief.
Some things to consider – Squeeze someone’s hand, a cold wash cloth on your neck, roll a tennis ball on your back for back labor, take a hot shower or bath, take off your clothes.
Sight
What you see will impact your mental state. It needs to look like your in a calm natural birth environment. Think about what a calm environment means to you. Dim the lights, wear an eye mask, hang your birth affirmations or cover the clock.
Sound
Use sound to create focus. Create a birth playlist you can listen to. Have your doula or husband repeat birth and positive affirmations. You may consider bringing white noise to keep your room quiet and outside noise out. Encourage nurses, doctors and anyone in your room to speak in soothing, calm voices.
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Conclusion
An ideal natural birth environment is necessary to create peace and indicate to your body that you and baby are safe. It’s also necessary for you to focus. Release all control of the exterior world and focus inward. Release all stressors and let your body do what it was designed to do: birth your baby.
Remember that your birth environment will change as labor changes. What you want for your natural birth environment during early labor will differ than what you want during transition. Have a conversation with your husband or doula to make sure they know how to make you comfortable. During labor, tell them what needs changed about your natural birth environment.
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