The birth of a child is, despite its naturalness, a complex and responsible process that logically completes the period of pregnancy. Most expectant mothers (especially in late pregnancy) are characterized by fear of childbirth, anxiety and excitement - this is absolutely normal. To make the process as safe and easy as possible for both mother and baby, you need to know how to prepare for childbirth.
Knowledge is power: what to expect?
How to prepare for childbirth without pain? Often fear arises from ignorance. It is doubly difficult for a woman who is expecting a baby for the first time to prepare for the upcoming replenishment. And it is good if there are attentive friends nearby, qualified doctors, caring relatives and just more experienced women who are friendly with respect to the expectant mother. Otherwise, she can be content only with fragmentary facts, not always reliable.
How to prepare? Easy delivery is something that largely depends on the positive psychological mood of the expectant mother and her environment. In order to prepare for the birth of a baby, it is very important to clearly know and understand what and at what stage of childbirth occurs, how to react to it correctly, and what may be the consequences of improper behavior for the woman herself and her baby. Both mom and baby should be prepared for the long-awaited meeting psychologically.
Only calm!
Especially difficult for a woman is usually the first pregnancy and childbirth. Almost every expectant mother is faced with discomfort, which manifests itself in emotional instability, overestimation of values, feelings of fear and anxiety, insecurity. Such problems are largely due to changes in hormonal levels. In addition, the woman begins to become aware of her new status and the impending responsibility of motherhood, in connection with which she is undergoing profound psychological changes.
Many are afraid of physical pain during childbirth; others fear the incompetence of doctors who will not be able to help in the event of a critical situation. Often, expectant mothers unconsciously experience excitement shortly before childbirth, because they do not know how to care for the baby. As a rule, most of these phobias are far-fetched, provoked by excessive suspiciousness. To maintain psychological balance, you need to soberly assess the situation and be able to identify actual causes for concern from suspicious ones. To do this, it is important to know how to prepare for childbirth without tears and pain.
What can help?
How to psychologically prepare for childbirth? There are several ways to deal with psychological discomfort and emotional instability. Communication, knowledge, visualization and auto-training, a positive attitude will help. Courses on preparing for childbirth, for example, help not only to get a lot of useful information, which is especially necessary for a woman who is preparing to become a mother for the first time, but also debunk many myths that lead pregnant women to an alarming state. And also it is a pleasant conversation, an occasion to spend time with benefit and pleasure.
You can choose specific courses, for example, those that tell specifically about how to prepare for an easy birth, about home birth or having a baby in water. It is better if the classes are designed for paired attendance and cover not only the issues of preparation for childbirth, but also give practical skills for caring for a newborn. It is good if the course will include physical training, video lessons, practical exercises. Classes should be selected depending on individual preferences and how the pregnancy proceeds (if there are complications, the doctor may recommend specific courses).
How to prepare for childbirth psychologically? A great way to get useful information is self-education. There are many books on pregnancy and childbirth today. It is worth paying attention to “Waiting for the Baby” by William Sears, “The Most Important Russian Book of Mom” by Valeria Fadeeva, “I am Soon Mom” by Irina Chesnova, “What to Expect When You Expect a Baby” by Heidi Murkoff. An eternal classic for parents is Benjamin Spock 's books on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.
Become a charge!
Bearing a child is a very serious burden on the female body. How to physically prepare for childbirth? Such training includes several important aspects, one of which is movement and special exercises. Walking in the fresh air and adequate physical activity are very important. Great for example yoga or gymnastics for pregnant women in groups, swimming or water aerobics. In the later stages, it is better to abandon serious physical exertion, because this can provoke a premature birth.
Special gymnastics has a beneficial effect on the condition of a woman in the position and success of childbirth. Exercises that need to be carried out under the strict supervision of professionals will help increase immunity, adapt the body to increased physical exertion, contribute to the proper development of the child, strengthen the respiratory system of the mother, heart and blood vessels. In addition, the implementation of special complexes of physical exercises will reduce the risk of complications in the process of childbirth and will contribute to an early recovery after them.
Also, the expectant mother needs hardening, but, of course, exclusively within reasonable limits. No one talks about diving into the ice hole for baptism or walking barefoot in the snow, but you should definitely include walking, swimming (the pool water should be + 22 ... 24 degrees Celsius, session - 30-40 minutes) . After the shower, you can wipe with a damp towel (cool). First, it is enough to wipe the feet, then (after about a week) you can rise to the middle of the thigh and higher.
What's in the plate?
How to prepare physically for childbirth? Eat right, of course. During pregnancy (as in the rest of the time) it is extremely important to monitor your diet, consume enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients, and not overeat. Expectant mother is strongly recommended to exclude from the diet or minimize the consumption of fatty or fried, too high-calorie foods, smoked meats and convenience foods.
It is advisable to use more sea fish, which contains omega-3 acids, fiber, olive oil (and indeed vegetable oils). You need to eat a little bit, often often, at least four times a day. About a month before the birth of the baby, it is advisable to include kefir and dried fruits, more fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet. Eating for two is not worth it - excess weight will adversely affect not only the process of childbirth, but also the duration of the recovery period.
Learn to breathe
How to prepare for childbirth without pain yourself? Proper breathing is extremely important during childbirth. In addition, already in the second trimester of pregnancy and in later periods, especially expectant mothers complain of shortness of breath, lack of oxygen and shortness of breath. This is due to certain physical changes in the mother’s body, which now needs to provide enough oxygen not only to its own organism, but also to the child’s body. You can get rid of unpleasant manifestations with the help of breathing exercises. Such exercises:
- relax and help overcome anxiety;
- reduce the manifestations of toxicosis;
- remove the increased tone of the uterus;
- relieve breathing problems;
- improve blood circulation;
- contribute to the flow of oxygen to the fetus.
How to prepare for childbirth without tears and pain? We need to work on breathing. Basic exercises include:
- Diaphragmatic breathing. It is better to put one hand on the stomach, the other on the chest. You need to take a deep breath, move the diaphragm (this is accompanied by a protrusion of the abdomen), exhale through the mouth or nose (3-5 seconds) and make a natural pause.
- Rhythmic breathing. You need to breathe according to the following system: inhale for 4-5 seconds, delay (2-3 seconds), exhale (4-5 seconds), delay (2-3 seconds).
- Breast breathing. Hands should be put on the ribs. Deep breaths need to be done through the nose, and exhalations through the mouth or nose.
- Dog-like breathing. You need to get on all fours and often breathe through your mouth with your tongue sticking out. This breathing will help relieve pain during labor during the first stage of labor.
During breathing exercises, you need to be careful about your health. If there is nausea, severe dizziness, other unpleasant symptoms, then it is better to stop the exercises. In the future, it is worth reducing the effectiveness of breathing exercises, and even better - consult a doctor about specific exercises.
Drawing up a cheat sheet
How to prepare for childbirth? Often, the expectant mother disappears all the knowledge about the birth process and useful information at the right time. This is due to severe stress, anxiety and excitement, physical pain or discomfort. Therefore, it will not be superfluous to write down a special cheat sheet for yourself, which will help to do the right thing in a particular situation when it will be difficult to think.
It is better to make a cheat sheet in several copies. You need to place the leaflets in different places, for example, put one in your handbag, hang the other on the refrigerator, and let the husband have the third. Information for the action plan can be taken from the course for expectant mothers, special literature, from the recommendations of a gynecologist observing pregnancy. In order for the information to be exhaustive, it is worthwhile during pregnancy to write down all the questions that arise in a separate notebook in order to find out the answers on occasion.
Action plan
The cheat sheet should be concise, understandable and contain extremely important information. The following is an example of a future mother’s action plan in various situations.
If the stomach hurts badly, there are spotting, dizziness, feeling sick:
- Call an ambulance.
- Take things to the hospital.
If water leaks:
- Use a sterile pad, call a doctor, lie down before the ambulance arrives.
- Call husband or mom.
If contractions begin:
- Detect intervals. These contractions are regular, occurring at least every 10 minutes.
- If the contractions are not regular and less frequent than the real ones, and the general health is normal, then you can stay at home and watch your condition.
- Check things in the hospital, documents that are necessary for hospitalization.
If contractions begin (interval is 10 minutes or less):
- Call an ambulance.
- Call husband or mom.
- Take documents and things.
- Breathe calmly during contractions.
- Lie down and walk if this will ease the pain. You can sit only on the ball, but not on a hard surface.
- Do not eat or drink much.
During contractions, severe pain appeared:
- During the fight, try to relax, take a comfortable position, do self-massage, apply methods of pain relief.
- Between fights as much as possible to have a rest. Consult a doctor or midwife about the advisability and feasibility of drug anesthesia.
If attempts began:
- Call a doctor and do not push without permission. Breathe during dogfights.
- Listen carefully to the obstetrician’s instructions and do what he says.
- When the doctor permits, push three times. Before each attempt, take a deep breath, push “down”, and not “to the head”.
- Between contractions, relax and breathe calmly.
It will be useful to write down methods of natural anesthesia, options for relaxing massage, breathing methods for different stages of childbirth.
Preparing for a trip to the hospital
How to prepare for natural childbirth? It is necessary to provide for a lot and in advance to purchase things that will be needed during childbirth, as well as in the postpartum period. It will take a thousand little things - and that is literally. If the maternity hospital is already selected, the contract is concluded, then you need to find out the list of what is allowed for use in a medical institution. This list may vary significantly between hospitals.
As for the documents, you will definitely need a passport, an insurance policy, a pregnant woman’s exchange card, and a birth certificate. You also need to take money with you. Of the things you need a phone and a charger or power-bank, bandages or compression stockings, which is especially true for women suffering from varicose veins, slates or rubber slippers for the shower, slippers or soft sneakers for the room, a bra for feeding, linen and socks, a bathrobe (terry is best left at home), a hairbrush and an elastic band, a cosmetic bag with the most necessary, hygiene products (soap, toothpaste and a brush), a towel, and drinking water without gas.
Hygiene products should be discussed separately. You need to purchase disposable diapers, antenatal and postnatal pads, disposable panties, disposable bra inserts, wet wipes for hands, face and intimate hygiene, any cream for cracks.
A new family member needs to prepare diapers (size 0 is often small, so it is better to take the next one), disposable diapers, clothes, thin and flannel diapers, a towel, talcum powder, baby wet wipes, bottles with nipples, clothes for discharge. From clothes you need to take socks, a hat or a cap, vests and body, overalls. It is important to consider the estimated weight of the child when buying in order to choose the right size.
All things need to be packed in a bag or bag in advance. This will facilitate the fees to the hospital at the crucial moment.
Hygiene procedures
How to prepare for childbirth? Directly before delivery, some hygiene procedures are performed. This is an intimate area shaving and bowel movement using an enema. Hair removal today is not necessary for all women in labor, however, this is an important hygienic procedure. Shaving eliminates the environment that is potentially comfortable for the growth of pathogenic bacteria. In addition, the hair prevents the obstetrician from assessing the condition of the skin during childbirth and if tears occur, they will interfere with suturing.
How to prepare for childbirth? Is it better to do this at home or already in the hospital? It is more convenient to do depilation at home, on the eve of childbirth. You can ask for help from someone close, if the grown belly interferes with the procedure on your own, or you can contact the depilation master in a beauty salon. And an enema is necessary, because a full intestine can impede labor and prevent lowering the baby’s head, in addition, it can bring the mother in a few unpleasant moments.
At birth with makeup
How to prepare for childbirth? Many women go to childbirth “in full dress”, that is, with manicure, makeup and even styling. If the expectant mother is accustomed to applying makeup, then without it the woman may already not be very comfortable. In this case, giving up the ritual is not worth it. However, you do not need to make a full make-up, it is enough to even out the tone of the face and slightly tint the eyebrows. It is better to use waterproof cosmetics. But what exactly comes in handy is a hygienic lipstick, because during labor, lips dry very much. Regarding the manicure, opinions differ. Doctors say that it is not necessary to apply an opaque coating on the nails, since in this case it will not be possible to control the state of the woman in labor by the natural color of the nails (the same applies to the skin).
Waiting for the second
How to prepare for a second birth? A woman who is preparing to become a mother for the second time already knows what to expect, how to react and what will happen. This greatly facilitates the task. So the question of how to prepare for a second birth is not so urgent for experienced mothers. In addition, second births are usually easier and faster than the first.