You’ve decided you want an unmedicated childbirth! Congratulations! This is a noble and achievable goal, but one that requires preparation. Here are my best tips for achieving the unmedicated birth you want!
1. Prepare your mind: This is probably the most important thing you can do. No matter how well you prepare your body, if your mind isn’t in the right place, going unmedicated will be much harder. So what does this mental preparation look like? It boils down to understanding that an unmedicated birth will not be without pain, and learning to reframe how you view pain. Your brain is programed to equate pain with danger. Finding ways to help it understand that labor pain is safe pain will help mitigate anxiety and/or panic during your birth, and will go a long way to helping accomplish an unmedicated birth.
2. Practice relaxation techniques: Babies are born easier from a relaxed body than a tense one. Pain is also more manageable when you can relax your body and mind. Mindfulness and meditation are very helpful in this, so practice these frequently throughout pregnancy. Relaxation exercises (i.e. progressive relaxation, etc.) are beneficial for helping loosen tightness throughout your body.
3. Find physical relief measures that work well for you: With your partner, doula, or other support people, practice a variety of physical comfort measures during pregnancy to determine what works best for you. Massage, hot or cold therapy, hydrotherapy, acupressure – all are great options. A good place to start is thinking about what works well to relieve pain or stress in your daily life – chances are something that helps when you stub a toe or twist an ankle will be a good method for relieving labor pain.
4. Watch videos of unmedicated births: Go ahead and watch a few of the calm, twinkle light videos set to soothing music. But make sure to also expose yourself to the less-edited ones as well. Birth is definitely a beautiful, transcendent experience. But it’s also loud and messy. You will feel powerful and confident, but there will also be times when you feel like you can’t go on. Watch videos that portray and normalize ALL aspects of labor.
5. Consider an out-of-hospital birth: If you have a low-risk pregnancy and want an unmedicated birth, I HIGHLY recommend considering a birth center or home birth. At the most basic level, if medications aren’t available, you’re less likely to even consider them. Additionally, birth center and home birth midwives are skilled and experienced in navigating unmedicated births. They are also committed to honoring your wishes, and won’t pressure you into unnecessary interventions.
6. Really commit to your preferences: Yes, birth is unpredictable and you should be flexible. But in my experience, the people who stick to their plan to go unmedicated are the ones who determine that they won’t ask for an epidural, and ask their birth team to refrain from offering it. Those who say, “I want to try to go unmedicated, but I’m open to anything” are much more likely to receive interventions. Stay confident and strong, surround yourself with supportive people, and keep your eye on the goal!
There you have it! As always, feel free to contact me with questions or to set up a free consult!
