This week, we caught up with Kerry from Barefaced Birth to talk about the importance of the environment around us when giving birth.
When it comes to birth, along with all the preparation and planning we do for welcoming our new bundle of joy, sometimes our birth space may be overlooked. This is the place you will give birth and your baby will be born into. Giving birth in an environment that you can connect with – where you feel safe and relaxed – can make such a difference to your experience.
Reducing stress
Your birth space can negatively or positively impact your labour. If you can create a space where you feel calm and relaxed, it can help to support your labour, reducing any stress hormones. These stress hormones can block the natural birth hormones that will help your labour to progress. Some studies have shown that creating a home-birth like environment can have positive effects on labour and delivery.
Creating your space
Once you have researched your birth place of choice and you’ve started to prepare your birth plan, you can begin to think about how you can create the perfect birth space. Putting together a list of items that you can use in all birth environments is a great way to start. It can also help to pack everything for your birth space in one bag. Giving your partner the task of setting up your birth space will make it easier for you to stay in that lovely birth head-space, without unnecessary outside distractions which could slow or disrupt your labour.
Try to include all of your five senses within your birth space. Not only will this help you to connect better to your environment, but it will also help you to relax on cue.
Here are my top 5 tips on nailing that perfect birth environment and incorporating those five senses!
Incorporating the senses
Sight
How would you like your birth environment to look? Start looking at pictures or videos of birth places for inspiration. You could select different types of lighting, such as fairy lights, LED-battery operated lights or even a star light projector! Having low lighting in your place of birth will help keep your birth hormone melatonin high, which in turn will help to boost your oxytocin levels, helping your labour to continue.
You could even create a vision board which will help you think about and visualise your birth. Visualisation is one of many birth tools in the hypnobirthing world. When we visualise, we create an image or picture in our mind. By exposing your brain to images, videos or pictures of birth regularly, it can help the brain to become more open to birth. This in turn will help you to relax on the day, which is going to help your oxytocin hormone flow, keeping your labour going and relaxing your uterus. Visualisation might not sound like your cup of tea, but think of it as something you already do. We have all visualised at some point in our lives. Things such as our wedding day, buying a house, decorating a room… You may already use it in your day-to-day life without even realising it!
Smell
Think about how you would like your birth space to smell? This might sound a little odd but having a room spray, perfume, or scent that connects you to a happy place in time is going to help you to relax on cue on the day. If you use the scent regularly when you are relaxing whilst pregnant, then on the day it will help you to really anchor down and connect to your space more easily. This will in turn keep you in that lovely birth bubble! Try to include scents with lavender, chamomile and frankincense. These all help to keep you relaxed, calm and grounded.
Hearing
Having a birth play list is a must have! Studies have shown that listening to music can help to reduce anxiety levels and may even offer some pain management relief. Researchers have also suggested that playing music helps to stimulate the pituitary gland inside your brain which induces endorphins. Set your partner the task of creating your birth playlist and try to include music that helps you to relax, makes you feel good, and is associated with happy times. My top tip is to have at least three different playlists because you never know how you might feel on the day. You may want some upbeat tracks to dance your baby out!
Taste
Pack lots of lovely snacks to enjoy during labour and after your baby is born. You will need that energy, so make sure you eat little and often during labour and when you feel like it. Include all your favourite snacks and try to avoid anything that has a strong smell. You don’t want to be distracted by the pot noodle your partner has sneaked in!
Touch
Lastly, bring as many items into your birth space that make you feel safe and comfortable as possible. Include items from home that you can touch and feel. This may be a cosy blanket, a favourite or special pillow with your own pillowcase. Or even a large fluffy towel to wrap around you after a shower or the birth pool if you are having a water birth. These items will remind you of home and make you feel safe and comfortable. This is especially important if your birth environment is away from home.
The more you can connect with your birth space or birth environment, the more safe, secure and in control you will feel. This may help to keep you from entering a flight or fight response, thus blocking the release of adrenalin or cortisol during labour, which would have a detrimental effect.
Think of your environment as part of your birth plan and enjoy planning what your birth space may look like. Things might change on the day, but there are always things you can include to help keep you calm, relaxed and ready for when your beautiful baby or babies are born.
