Apples and Oranges

When my oldest sister heard that I was looking into a natural birth with hypnobirthing she reacted, “You wouldn’t get your tooth pulled without Novocain would you?” This made me laugh because it was the exact phrase that Ricki Lake and her co-author address in Your Best Birth
. And the point they make in the book is that the birth of your baby is not exactly the same situation as getting a tooth pulled. One experience is wholly unpleasant, leaving you with nothing but a gap somewhere in your smile, while the other is life-enriching, leaving you with a little bundle of delicious baby. The fact is, it’s apples and oranges.

But my sister’s reaction is common and understandable. All of the movies, TV, news highlights, and mom to mom stories related to birth always seem to concentrate on two things: pain and risk. Images of sweaty, screaming women in labor and doctors rushing in to delegate important life-saving tasks are ingrained into our conscious as the birth norm. But what I have learned from my research and from my personal experience with hypnobirthing is that birth does not have to be that way—and is certainly not inherently chaotic, painful and risky.

You deserve to have more information before you give birth. So for anyone who is expecting, here are few tips:

1. Discover all types of birthing. No one ever wants to be in pain, so it’s of course a very normal and acceptable option to seek pain medications during labor and birth. But what if you could help create a situation that minimized pain and enhanced your experience without using drugs? There are so many free resources out there that can help you understand the various options you have. A simple Google search will help you find relevant websites that explore birthing options and YouTube has hundreds of birthing videos, so you can see for yourself just how powerful a non-medicated birth can be.

2. Prepare your body. Even if you weren’t a big exerciser before your pregnancy, there are so many ways you can prepare your body for birth. Buying a low-cost DVD like Shiva Ray’s Prenatal Yoga
or Erin O'Brien's Prenatal Fitness Fix can really help you connect with your body, help avoid some of the common pregnancy aches and ultimately make you more prepared for the physical task of giving birth. Going for regular walks will even help or incorporating squatting into your everyday routine. (I always squatted while applying makeup and blow-drying my hair, for instance).

3. Talk to friends and family. Yes, chances are you will know a few people who had negative birth experiences. And most of the books I have read recommend staying away from that negative energy if you’re planning a peaceful, hypnobirthing experience. However, if you haven’t quite made up your mind yet about the route you want to go, listening to the not so nice experiences can be a motivator to seek out other options and take charge of the kind of experience you would like to have.

4. Know your area. Maybe you want to have a water birth but the hospital closest to you doesn’t offer them. What is the c-section rate of your local hospital or birthing center versus one a little further away? Is there a midwife program in your area? Even if you have given birth at a particular hospital before, there’s no reason you have to return there. There may be a better option for you, even if it means driving an extra twenty minutes. Do some research about the birthing philosophy of each area establishment, as well as their statistics and services offered.