The Power of Knowledge - How to Have an Empowered birth

It is my belief that a lot of the fear surrounding the birth of Your baby can stem from a lack of knowledge. 

With the ease of access to the horror stories people like to share on the internet, the warped depiction of a screaming woman in the movies and the fact that so often we aren't having these important conversations around the realities of giving birth, women are becoming more alienated from the potential they have within them to birth their baby naturally and peacefully. 

* Without Fear *

Increasing Your knowledge about birth has the potential to significantly reduce fear for many expectant parents.

Here's how knowledge can help You to become confidend and feel powerful...

Understand the Process

When you learn about the stages of labour, pain management options, and what to expect, it can demystify the experience, making it feel far less intimidating. 

Having an idea in Your mind of what is happening in Your body can allow You to flow with it, in the knowledge that each surge, each push, each moment of discomfort will soon pass and each moment brings You closer to meeting Your baby. 

Rather than fearing and resisting the process, when You understand what is happening You can chose to flow with it.

Prepare Yourself

There is a wealth of knowledge at the click of a button letting You know about antenatal care, birthing plans, and potential complications.  Start on Your educational journey early and give Yourself time to understand, absorb the information and come to a place of peace with the options that work for You. 

There are SO many choices from the big decisions about where You want to be and who You want supporting You, down to the finer details of creating a playlist and deciding what You'd like to be wearing. 

Exploring these with Your health care provider, with Your birth partner, with other birth support workers You might want to have at Your birth can allow You to feel more prepared and reduce Your anxiety about the unknown.

Journey to Empowerment

Educating Yourself about Your birth choices and even more importantly Your rights, can empower You to advocate for Your needs and preferences during Your labour.  Having regular conversations with Your birth partner/s so that they are completely on board with Your preferences, to be able to remind and support You if those moments of fear or overwhelm creep in.

Seek Support Networks

Knowing about available support systems, such as doulas or antenatal classes, support groups with other pregnant ladies and mums can help create a sense of community and reassurance.  Trust me You aren't alone, though it can feel daunting in those first 10 seconds of bravery walking into a mummy group or antenatal class, everyone feels the same and has the same reservations.

Connecting with others has the potential to help You forge life long friendships and find a community of people going through it all at the same time as You. 

The age old saying, 'it takes a village to raise a child' is based on times where the input of the community was far more valued than it is today. 

Finding Your community, Your Village can be a life saver!

Create Realistic Expectations

Understanding the range of experiences during birth helps set realistic expectations which can also help to reduce fear of the unknown.

Any birth can have complications or deviations from your ideal sequence of events, but having the knowledge and creating realistic expectations can help you to feel more in control if things change along the way.