What is the secret sauce to getting you feeling incredibly confident about giving birth?
I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of women to give birth more easily and successfully, and I’ve noticed some patterns. I’ve noticed that there are only three areas you need to focus on to truly build confidence when preparing for this baby’s arrival.
A Successful Birthing Experience
To have a successful birth, there is a journey that you go on, and I’m not sure where you are right now on that journey.
By successful, I mean that the birth is a positive experience for you—not at all traumatic; in fact, it’s the opposite; it’s a hugely positively transformative experience that makes you feel stronger and more capable than ever before.
By successful, I mean the process works smoothly without requiring rescuing with a bunch of medical interventions. Successful to me means that you and your baby are not just healthy but radiantly healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
I’m not sure where you are right now on this journey. Perhaps you’re nearing the end and feeling a strong sense of confidence that this experience will be positive. Alternatively, you might find yourself earlier in the process, struggling with apprehension about labor. Maybe you’re uncertain, wondering if it will be too challenging or painful. These concerns might even be keeping you awake at night. If you resonate with any of these sentiments, I want to reassure you that feeling this way is quite common. It’s important to recognize that Hollywood and the media have often portrayed labor as a daunting ordeal that must be endured to bring a baby into the world.
Why is CONFIDENCE So Important?
With my first baby, I was so uncertain, and I had a really difficult labor. It motivated me hugely to figure out a better way with my second, and from that, I developed a formula that’s worked for me and countless other women.
Confidence matters because it helps remove fear from your mind and body, and fear is what can really make labor difficult. Nature, in her infinite wisdom, doesn’t want you to give birth if the environment isn’t safe. This is hard-wired into our biology and all mammals on our planet follow this pattern.
When you’re anxious, your body sees it as a danger signal, and everything inside you changes. You switch into a fight or flight mode, which stops the natural labor hormones and releases stress hormones instead. This makes your muscles tense up instead of staying relaxed. Also, blood flow shifts away from the uterus, which can slow down or stop labor. When this happens, doctors might need to use drugs and other medical interventions to help deliver the baby.
Building confidence is actually crucial for eliminating the fear that can hinder labor and for putting both your mind and body in a state that naturally facilitates easier birthing. I want to share with you what I typically only teach inside my Better Birth course because I believe it will significantly contribute to your confidence development. It’s beneficial to view confidence on a scale rather than as an all-or-nothing concept. Initially, you might find yourself at a confidence level of only 10%, but you can gradually increase from there. However, without knowledge of these three pillars, there’s a risk that your confidence growth could stall.
3 Pillars to Building Confidence for Childbirth
Pillar 1: Surrounding Yourself with Positive Birth Culture
Many times, we hear stories that paint labor as incredibly difficult and painful. But I’ve seen how changing this narrative to one filled with tales of calm and peaceful births can make a huge difference. When you surround yourself with positive birth stories, whether through real-life experiences or imagining them, it helps you see childbirth in a new light. Instead of feeling unsure, you start to believe that a positive birth experience is possible for you too.
Check out my YouTube playlist of real birth experiences that proves that positive births exists.
Pillar 2: Visualization and Practice
This is all about using the power of imagination and practice. Just like how practicing something repeatedly builds confidence in other parts of life, the same idea works for childbirth. Even though you won’t go through labor a thousand times, you can still get your mind and body used to the idea through visualization. Our minds are pretty amazing—they can make what we imagine feel real. So, by imagining a calm, comfortable birth, you’re setting the stage for making it happen. With guided visualizations and regular practice, you’ll start feeling more comfortable and confident not just about labor, but also throughout your pregnancy.
Pillar 3: Skills Acquisition
Learning practical skills for childbirth is important. This includes things like communicating effectively with medical staff and mastering breathing techniques. These skills give you the confidence and ability to navigate labor smoothly. Investing in your skillset provides you with the necessary tools to work in sync with your body during childbirth. It’s about embracing challenges with a positive mindset, building emotional strength, and preparing yourself actively for the transformative journey of childbirth.
Final Note!
Adding these three pillars into your pregnancy journey lays the preparations for a confident and empowered birth experience. Each pillar supports the others, working together to build a solid foundation of confidence and readiness. As you begin this journey, reflect on where you currently stand with each pillar and where you’d like to focus your efforts. Keep in mind that childbirth isn’t just a physical event—it’s a profound transformation that requires personal growth and empowerment.
