How to prepare for childbirth physically and mentally?

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The birth of a child, despite its naturalness, is 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 mom 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 comes 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’s good if there are attentive friends nearby, qualified doctors, caring relatives and simply more experienced women who are friendly towards the expectant mother. Otherwise, she can be content with only fragmentary facts, not always reliable.

Howprepare? Easy childbirth is something that largely depends on the positive psychological attitude 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 happens and at what stage of childbirth, how to respond to it correctly, what the consequences of improper behavior for the woman herself and for her child can be. Both mother and baby should be psychologically prepared for the long-awaited meeting.

Only calm

Especially difficult for a woman is, as a rule, the first pregnancy and childbirth. Almost every expectant mother is faced with discomfort, which manifests itself in emotional instability, reassessment of values, feelings of fear and anxiety, and insecurity. Such problems are largely due to changes in the hormonal background. In addition, a woman begins to realize her new status and the upcoming responsibility of motherhood, in connection with which she experiences profound psychological changes.

Many are afraid of the physical pain of childbirth, others are afraid of the incompetence of doctors who will not be able to help in the event of a critical situation. Often, expectant mothers unconsciously experience anxiety 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 isolate real reasons 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?

Howpsychologically prepare for childbirth? There are several ways to cope with psychological discomfort and emotional instability. Communication, knowledge, visualization and auto-training, a positive attitude will help. Childbirth preparation courses, for example, not only provide a we alth of useful information that is especially needed for a woman preparing to become a mother for the first time, but also debunk many myths that make pregnant women anxious. It is also a pleasant conversation, an occasion to spend time with benefit and pleasure.

You can choose specific courses, for example, exactly those where they talk specifically about how to prepare for an easy birth, about home birth or the birth of a child in water. It is better if the classes are designed for pair visits and cover not only the preparation for childbirth, but also give practical skills in caring for a newborn. It is good if the course includes physical training, video lessons, practical exercises. Classes should be selected depending on individual preferences and how the pregnancy is going (if there are complications, the doctor can 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 a Baby" by William Sears, "The Most Important Russian Book of a Mom" by Valeria Fadeeva, "I'm a Mom Soon" by Irina Chesnova, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" by Heidi Murkoff. Timeless classic for parents- Benjamin Spock's books on pregnancy, childbirth and parenting.

Stand up for exercise

Carrying 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 them is movement and special exercises. Walks in the fresh air and feasible physical activity are very important. Perfect, 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 premature birth.

Special gymnastics has a beneficial effect on the condition of a woman in the position and the success of childbirth. Exercises that need to be performed 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, and strengthen the mother’s respiratory system, heart and blood vessels. In addition, the implementation of special sets of physical exercises will reduce the risk of complications during childbirth and contribute to the speedy recovery after them.

Also, the expectant mother needs hardening, but, of course, only within reasonable limits. No one talks about diving into the hole for baptism or walking barefoot in the snow, but it is necessary to include walking and swimming in the daily routine (the water in the pool should be + 22 … 24 degrees Celsius, session - 30-40 minutes). After a shower, you can wipe yourself 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 above.

What's on the plate?

How to prepare physically for childbirth? Eat right, of course. During pregnancy (as in all other times), it is extremely important to monitor your diet, consume enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients, and do not overeat. The expectant mother is strongly advised to eliminate or minimize the consumption of fatty or fried, high-calorie foods, smoked meats and convenience foods.

It is advisable to eat more sea fish, which contains omega-3 acids, fiber, olive oil (and vegetable oils in general). You need to eat a little bit, 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 in the diet, more fresh vegetables and fruits. 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 on your own? Proper breathing is extremely important during childbirth. In addition, already in the second trimester of pregnancy and in the later stages, especially expectant mothers complain of shortness of breath, lack of oxygen and shortness of breath. This is due to certain physical changes in the body of the mother, who now needs to provide enough oxygen not only to her own body, but alsochild'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;
• promote the supply of oxygen to the fetus.

How to prepare for childbirth without tears and pain? You also need to work on your breathing. Basic exercises include:

1. 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.
2. Rhythmic breathing. You need to breathe according to the following system: inhale for 4-5 seconds, hold (2-3 seconds), exhale (4-5 seconds), hold (2-3 seconds).
3. Chest breathing. Hands should be placed on the ribs. Take deep breaths in through your nose and out through your mouth or nose.
4. Doggystyle breathing. You need to get on all fours and often breathe through your mouth with your tongue hanging out. This breath will help relieve pain during contractions in the first stage of labor.

During breathing exercises, you need to be attentive to your well-being. If nausea, severe dizziness, other unpleasant symptoms appear, 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.

Creating a cheat sheet

How to prepare for childbirth? Often, the expectant mother loses all 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 you do the right thing in a given situation, when it will be difficult to think.

It is better to make a cheat sheet in several copies. You need to place the leaves in different places, for example, put one in your purse, 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 worth writing down all the questions that arise during pregnancy 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 plan of action for a future mother in various situations.

If your stomach hurts a lot, spotting appears, you feel dizzy, you feel unwell:

1. Call an ambulance.
2. Take things to the hospital.

If water leaks:

1. Use a sterile pad, call a doctor, lie down until the ambulance arrives.
2. Call your husband or mom.

If contractions started:

1. Find intervals. real contractionsregular, occurring at least every 10 minutes.
2. If the contractions are not regular and less frequent than real ones, and the general state of he alth is normal, then you can stay at home and monitor your condition.
3. Check things in the hospital, documents that are necessary for hospitalization.

If contractions start (gap is 10 minutes or less):

1. Call an ambulance.
2. Call your husband or mom.
3. Take documents and things.
4. Breathe calmly during contractions.
5. Lying down and walking if it relieves the pain. You can only sit on the ball, not on hard surfaces.
6. Don't eat or drink much.

Severe pain appeared during contractions:

1. During the contraction, try to relax, take a comfortable position, do self-massage, apply pain relief methods.
2. Rest as much as possible between contractions. Talk to your doctor or midwife about the appropriateness and availability of pain medication.

If attempts began:

1. Call a doctor and don't push without permission. Breathe like a dog during a fight.
2. Listen carefully to the instructions of the obstetrician and do what he says.
3. When the doctor allows, push three times. Before each attempt, take a deep breath, push "down" and not "in the head."
4. Between contractions, rest and breathe calmly.

It would be helpful to write down natural pain relief techniques, relaxation massage options, breathing techniques for different stages of labor.

Preparing for a trip tomaternity hospital

How to prepare for natural childbirth? You need to foresee a lot and purchase in advance things that will be needed during childbirth, as well as in the postpartum period. It will take a thousand little things - and this is literally. If the maternity hospital has already been selected, the contract has been concluded, then you need to find out a list of what is allowed for use in a medical institution. This list may vary significantly in different maternity hospitals.

As for the documents, you will definitely need a passport, an insurance policy, an exchange card for a pregnant woman, a birth certificate. You also need to take money with you. Of the things you need a phone and a charger or a power bank, bandages or compression stockings, which is especially important for women suffering from varicose veins, slates or rubber slippers for the shower, slippers or soft sneakers for the room, a nursing bra, underwear and socks, a bathrobe (it is better to leave a terry cloth at home), a comb and an elastic band for hair, a cosmetic bag with the most necessary things, hygiene products (soap, toothpaste and brush), a towel, drinking water without gas.

Hygiene products should be discussed separately. You need to purchase disposable diapers, prenatal and postnatal pads, disposable panties, disposable bra liners, wet wipes for hands, face and intimate hygiene, any anti-crack cream.

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, towel, talcum powder, baby wipes, bottles ofnipples, clothes for discharge. From clothes you need to take socks, a hat or cap, undershirts and bodysuits, overalls. It is important to consider the estimated weight of the child when buying in order to choose the appropriate size.

All things must be collected in advance in a bag or bag. This will facilitate the preparations for the hospital at the most crucial moment.

Hygiene procedures

How to prepare for childbirth? Some hygiene procedures are carried out immediately before childbirth. This is shaving the intimate area and emptying the intestines with an enema. Hair removal today is not mandatory for all women in labor, but it is an important hygiene procedure. Shaving allows you to eliminate a potentially comfortable environment 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 have occurred, they will interfere with suturing.

How to prepare for childbirth? Is it better to do it 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 to you, if a grown belly interferes with the procedure on your own, or you can contact a depilation master in a beauty salon. And an enema is necessary because a full intestine can make labor difficult and prevent the baby's head from lowering, in addition, it can bring a few unpleasant moments to the woman in labor.

For childbirth with makeup

How to prepare for childbirth? Many women go to childbirth "in full dress", that is, with manicures, makeup and even styling. If the expectant mother is used to applyingcosmetics, then without it a woman may already be not very comfortable. In this case, you should not refuse the ritual. However, you do not need to do a full make-up, it is enough to even out the tone of the face and tint the eyebrows a little. It is better to use waterproof cosmetics. But what will definitely come in handy is hygienic lipstick, because lips dry very much during labor. Opinions differ about manicure. Doctors say that you should not apply an opaque coating on the nails, since in this case it will be impossible to control the condition of the woman in labor by the natural color of the nails (the same applies to the skin).

Waiting for the second one

How to prepare for the 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 simplifies the task. So the question of how to prepare for the second birth is no longer so burning for experienced mothers. In addition, the second birth is usually easier and faster than the first.