Kiddipedia
It’s been 7 weeks and 5 hours since I gave birth to my son. And it’s been 7 weeks and 16 hours since I’ve opened my laptop. Now, as the baby is sleeping and the older boy is having some downtime, I felt it was time to venture out from the family bubble and re-emerge in the world. And as I fire up the laptop, it opens to the last thing I was working on before having my baby – birth affirmations.
My baby decided to come 2.5 weeks early, so I didn’t quite have everything prepared for labour. I had drafted the affirmations I wanted to use in labour, but hadn’t quite gotten around to writing them out and sticking them on pretty paper – ready for decorating the birth suite walls.
Thus, during the first few hours of early labour, my craft-loving five-year-old and I sat at the dining room table cutting out squares of beautiful paper and gluing handwritten affirmations onto them. It was a delightful way to have one last mama-son connection before our worlds were thrown upside down with a newborn.
Why are birth affirmations and why use them?
Affirmations are positive statements that describe the type of birth experience you would like to have. They are powerful tools to incorporate into your birth preparation toolkit, as for many women birth can be an event that invokes excitement, but also anxious feelings or fear.
In a proactive response to these feelings, affirmations help adopt new thought patterns by training your brain to overcome negative thoughts, ultimately re-wiring neural pathways and changing existing beliefs.
Consciously, deliberately and consistently reciting affirmations hardwire a new circuit in your brain, which will in time represent the path of least resistance when you think about birth – with positive messaging becoming the default.
Now, I feel it’s important to state that the birth experience – no matter how well you are prepared – can and often will throw up surprises and perhaps interventions. Both of my son’s births experienced various twists and turns. Yet, having a set of affirmations at my disposal allowed me to concentrate on specific messages that suited the situation that presented itself.
There was even one moment in my recent birth experience where I felt exhausted and on the brink of not being able to continue. My consciousness became aware of the lyrics of the song that was playing, which was along the lines of ‘sometimes things are just too hard.’ (Don’t ask me how that song made its way into my playlist!) I remember laughing cynically and telling my midwife. At that very moment, one of my carefully crafted birth affirmations fell off the wall. The midwife picked it up and showed me. It said: “My body and baby know what to do and I trust them.”
Suddenly I had the strength I needed to continue.
How to use affirmations
To rewire your neural pathways and adopt a new belief, it’s important to use affirmations often, multiple times a day if possible. Stick them up around your house, especially in places you will see them the most. For example, behind the bathroom door, next to your mirror or on the fridge door. Download and listen to an affirmation recording (you can access a free recording here: http://www.theconnectedmama.com/affirmation-gifts/). Say affirmations out loud, and change words to suit your own language preference.
20 affirmations to use for your birth
I open quickly and effortlessly. My body was made for this.
With each breath, my mind quiets and slows.
Each surge brings my baby closer to me.
With each breath, I harness my power to birth my baby.
I am doing everything right to bring my baby into the world.
With each breath, my baby descends.
I choose to trust my process.
I am filled with gratitude for the opportunity to birth and meet my baby.
I know how to birth my baby, my way.
My body and baby know what to do and I trust them.
Labour is a normal process. And one I am at one with.
With each breath, my body opens.
I listen to and trust my inner voice.
I relax into each wave, knowing it brings my baby closer to me.
My body is designed perfectly to birth my baby.
I surrender and release to the strong sensations.
I can do this, I am a strong woman.
I allow my body to flow, dance and move to bring my baby to me.
I calmly embrace whichever turn my birthing may take.
My baby knows when and how to be born.
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If you’d like a free birth affirmations track to listen to, download the Connected Mama Pregnancy and Birth Affirmations here (http://www.theconnectedmama.com/affirmation-gifts/). It’s my free gift to share to celebrate the birth of my son – and don’t worry, you don’t have to fill out any forms or give away any of your contact details.
If you use birth affirmations, let us know the role they played in your birth experience.
You may also like to read:
The pregnancy dilemma – how to slow down and still have a busy life
3 Ways to Bond with your Unborn Baby using Sound
