The emotions you associate with birth affect the chemicals your body releases and so impacts the birth of your baby. Changing the view of your “birth-day” from being serious and tense to that of a celebration, very literally changes how your body will function. Anticipating your birth as a pleasant event, even a celebration, will cause the release of endorphins. These feel good chemicals suppress the release of constrictor hormones and so allow the birth to progress more easily.
To start, spend time thinking about how to make your day feel fun and important. What makes a good party? Good food, music and wonderful smells. This will be different for each family, but seeing the upcoming birth of your baby as fun and exciting is the first step toward planning your “birth-day” celebration.
Following are some party preparations that will go a long way to create a fun, relaxed and enjoyable ambiance for your baby’s arrival.
When considering the food to have at your birth, some simple suggestions might be buying sparkling apple juice or another favorite fruit juice to serve. Choose some healthy snacks to have on hand for those attending the birth, such as granola bars, fruit or sandwiches.
If you are birthing at home, it is important to be sure to consider the needs of the midwives and doula as well. Whether at the hospital, birthing center or home, father will appreciate having food he enjoys available.
Remember the music! Be sure to choose music that will add to the peaceful and relaxing feeling so necessary for a gentle birth. If the mother has practiced her relaxation with certain pieces of music, bring these on cd or loaded on an mp3 player so she will be able to feel right at home, wherever she is birthing.
Flowers can add an enjoyable fragrance to the hospital room and home. Why wait till after the birth to bring the mother-to-be flowers! Essential oils and an aromatherapy diffuser can also assist mom in being able to relax and support her body during the birth process.
Much of the communication we internalize (especially for children) is nonverbal. Fun food and calm, peaceful music communicates that everything is fine and safe. All those anticipating the arrival of the new little one will feel more relaxed with a peaceful party going on, and the baby’s siblings will know everything is alright just by how fun it feels. These simple preparations will make your “birth–day” memorable and fun for all.