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As much as it’s magical to grow a life inside of you, when it’s time for that life to come out into this world, it’s beyond scary. Whether you are a first-time mother or you’ve had children before, giving birth is scary and painful, and there is no debate about that. No matter how much you prepare yourself for your baby’s birth, when the time comes, you will be terrified, and that’s absolutely normal. Most women have someone at their side to help them get through it in addition to the doctors and nurses — their spouse, partner, parent, sibling, or friends.
However, some women go through labor all by themselves, and there’s nothing scarier than that. So, if you are one of them who is about to embark on this terrifying journey all alone, we are here to tell you how you should prepare for it. Keep reading to find out.
Before you go into labor, here are a few things you can do to keep yourself prepared for the big day:
1. Take A Birthing Class
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While many women argue that you don’t need a birthing class because your body instinctively knows what to do when the time comes, it doesn’t hurt to know techniques to cope with the labor. Don’t forget that during labor, if you’re alone, you might start to panic if you have no idea of what’s really going on. Things learnt in a birthing class would prepare you for such situations. It is better to be mentally prepared than to be greeted by surprise. By attending a quality birthing class, you’ll learn to manage your expectations and have a bag of tricks at hand. Having the right techniques at hand would bring you the confidence at achieving this great feat on your own.
2. Try A Birthing Ball
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Birthing balls are designed to help pregnant women ease pregnancy symptoms. It also helps make the process of labor less painful. Therefore, you can practice labor techniques using a birthing ball during your pregnancy so that when it’s delivery time, you will know exactly what to do.
3. Practice Birthing Positions
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Practicing birthing positions from early on would let you know which positions are more suited for you. Certain positions might not resonate that well for you and others might bring the utmost comfort. You’ll also become aware of the strength and resilience of the various muscle groups that take part during labor and childbirth, offering you more control over them.
Practice different birthing positions to help ease your labor. Trying out different birthing positions helps you dilate, making labor shorter and less painful. It also allows the baby to rotate and prepare for delivery.
4. Practice Breathing Techniques
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Breathing techniques are a huge part of childbirth. The right techniques give you mild relief from severe cramps and help manage your labor symptoms better. Practice simple and effective breathing techniques to assist you with labor when it’s time.
During labor, you might find it the hardest to manage by yourself. Granted that there are doctors and nurses to assist you and help you get through it, but you have to stay strong and remember that in a few hours (maybe even minutes), your baby will be born.
5. Choose Encouragement
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You might be drowning in self-doubt when you’re in labor. “I don’t think I can do this”, is something you might be telling yourself. But take a step back and believe that you can. You’ve survived pregnancy all alone, and you will survive this too. You’ve got this!
6. Rest And Relax
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Once you’ve had your baby, the last thing on your mind will be to relax. Because now that your little one is here, it’s entirely up to you to take care of them. Remember that it’s okay to take a few moments to relax. You did this on your own and deserve applause for the courage you’ve shown! Rest as much as you can because you need it to recover from the drastic experience you’ve just had.
7. Include An Exercise Regime In Your Routine
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Exercises, be it cardio, yoga, weight training or any another, does wonders for our body. Regular workouts help us develop stronger muscles. This is all the more important for expecting mothers. Pregnancy would require the mother to carry the additional weight of the baby which requires strength. Even labor and childbirth utilizes the core muscles for the pushing. Mothers who have built good strength through regular exercises would find it easier to manage their bodies during childbirth. Even though you can’t avoid the discomfort entirely, the exercises are a warm up for what’s to come. Now, if you’re going to go through childbirth on your own, it is all the more important that you have enough strength to handle the pain of labor.
8. Ask Yourself Honestly If You’ll Be Able To Go Through It
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Though you want to be prepared for the situation where you would have to give birth on your own, if you don’t feel confident enough, try to go the normal way. There’s no need to stress yourself over this or think that this would anyway affect your capability as a mother. As a first time mother, most women would be in the dark as to what to expect during labor. Though you may feel like you have done enough research on the subject, on the day of the labor, you never know what exactly hits you. And there’s always the chance of complications which might require the help of an expert. So, stay prepared but if unsure try your best to seek help from medical professionals.
You are not alone! Remember that your baby is now with you, and you are not alone. That’s a great thing. But it can also be quite scary, and that’s normal. Therefore, address your fears and do not dismiss them. Instead, talk to your doctor and let them know about all the thoughts you’re having. They might be able to help you through it.
The most important thing to remember is that you survived! You did it all by yourself, and you’re now stronger to take on the challenges of parenthood! So, don’t be afraid, you got this! Have you ever had to go through labor all alone in a hospital? Share your experience with us in the comments below!
