Tag: positive birth experience

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Top 9 Childbirth Affirmations

positive birth affirmations

Before I share my personal top 9 childbirth affirmations, let me explain a little more about them.

What are affirmations?

Affirmations (or positive affirmations) are phrases you repeat to yourself again and again to change your mindset. You can say them out loud or in your head, or hear them as part of a session with a hypnotherapist or other therapist. Most commonly, they help you turn negative thoughts into positive ones.

Affirmations can help you feel more in control and empowered during your birth.

Research suggests self-affirmation can improve problem-solving under stress – such as during labour and birth – which supports informed decision-making. Making the right decisions for you and your birth helps you feel empowered as you birth your baby!

My top 9 affirmations for childbirth are:

Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations
Positive birth affirmations

Writing your own childbirth affirmations

Remember that our minds tend to process only the key words – words like “don’t” or “no” get lost. So rather than telling yourself “I mustn’t forget my keys”, say “I must REMEMBER my keys”. If I ask you NOT to think about pink elephants, all you can think about is… pink elephants! So when you write your birth affirmations, choose positive statements that feel true and important to you.

Now you’re all set to write your affirmations! Need inspiration? Download my free positive birth affirmations.

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enroll now

Sources and further reading

NHS Wirral: The Hormones of Birth

NICE: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng207

PLOS ONE: Self-affirmation improves problem-solving under stress

SJIK Strada: http://www.sjik.stradapress.org/index.php/sjik/article/view/398

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Breathing techniques for childbirth

Breathing techniques for childbirth can help you stay calm during the birth and support the birth process. Being calm and relaxed can make the birth of your baby easier, quicker and more comfortable. There are many ways to help yourself, or your partner, stay calm during childbirth – breathing techniques are just one of them.

Build a positive birth experience

How can breathing techniques help the birth process?

Researchers think breathing may support the birth process as a form of pain management in a couple of ways. Focusing on your breathing may interrupt pain and discomfort signals to your brain by giving you something else, more positive, to focus on. Being aware of and focusing on your breathing may also stimulate the release of endorphins, your body’s natural pain-relieving hormones.

Breathing techniques are a useful tool to help you and your partner build a positive birth experience. There is a catch, though… to make them work well for you, you need to practise regularly. The more you practise, the more easily and effectively the techniques will work during your baby’s birth.

Top tip: practise the techniques, and your comfortable breathing pattern, together with your birth partner. When your birth partner knows your comfortable breathing pace, they can help you get back to it by counting you in and out, or by keeping eye contact and breathing at your pace with you.

Want to know more? Read How to Teach Breathing Techniques That Actually Stick and Why You Should Teach Breathing Techniques for Labour and Birth.

Breathing techniques worksheets are included in my self-paced online childbirth preparation course!

Please also check out my online course! No videos, just text and images to learn in your own time. Includes hypnobirthing mp3s, scripts, workbook, handouts, infographics and much more! Lots and lots of information at your fingertips! Includes:

  • hypnobirthing mp3s
  • hypnobirthing scripts
  • written information
  • infographics and other imagery
  • printable handouts
  • printable workbook/journal
Enroll now