With the 4th Trimester Series over, I’ve thought a bit about the last 3 months, and Harry’s birth. I still cannot believe how lovely it was. Though I had a wonderful experience at a birth center with my first, if I were to birth one last baby, I would do another home birth.
I think part of the reason it was so nice is because I had control over the space, and tried to create an environment that would facilitate the vibe that I wanted for the birth, and for baby’s first few hours on the outside. The first time, I didn’t fuss over that, but it really made a difference for me the second time.
However, I don’t think you have to be at home to take control of your birthing space. Here are some tips to help you get your desired feel no matter where you birth:
lighting – for my first birth, I think the lights were on but a little dim. It’s hard to recall. During my home birth, I had a dimmer switch on the main lights, two strands of string lights, and a lamp. Since everything happened early in the morning, it was nice to have lots of variety of light options. Bright lights can be aggravating, but you might not want things too dark, either. For me, the lamp and string lights helped ot create a calm, soft feel in the room. In all birthing situations, you could probably add some sort of dim light to achieve this.
birth affirmations – I didn’t put a ton of stock in having these physically out with my first birth, though I did have some affirmations I mentally repeated during labour. However, for my second, even though the birth went so quickly I didn’t pay them much attention, just typing them out, hanging them, and seeing them a lot before the birth gave me a specific mental state that I had curated. If the birth had gone less swiftly, I expect seeing my desires for myself and the birth would have given me a bit of resolve to get through. I used hypnobirthing affirmations, but you can write your own. It’s just helpful to choose a mindset and vision beforehand, so you know how what headspace you’d like to be in.
intimate details – when I was figuring out how I wanted to set up the ‘birth room’, I decided I wanted all my houseplants there to create a life-giving space. The room by itself was just white, with a mattress with white bedding, and my black and white affirmations. I thought the green would make the space cozier, and if the birth took a while, I’d have lots to look at. For you, it doesn’t have to be plants. What makes you feel excited, or comfortable in a space? Lots of pillows? Quiet music? Pictures of you and your partner? There are so many small things that you can bring into your birth space—especially if birthing at home—to make it feel cozy. And I’m of the opinion that if you’re in a room you feel safe and happy in, you’ll have an easier time letting the birthing process play out, because you’ll be more comfortable.
Prepping for birth is so important, but making sure your birth environment is one that allows you to focus, and trust the birth process is important, too.
Good luck!
