10 Tips for a Natural Birth
“How did you survive a natural birth?! There is no way I could do that!” I have heard these phrases so many times! But I am here to tell you that a natural birth is possible and it is also so rewarding! And yes, it is possible in a hospital as well.
I remember thinking how badly I wanted to give birth naturally but how simultaneously scared I was! People shared so many horror stories and not enough encouraging ones. So, I did my research, read as many blogs as I could, asked all of my momma friends for their personal advice, listened to the podcasts and prepped every way I knew how.
Although I have always prided myself in having a pretty high pain tolerance, that did not seem to help calm any nerves this time around. Scared or not, I was going to give it my all. And thankfully, I was able to give birth naturally in a hospital to my beautiful and healthy baby boy! I’m here to give you a run down of how I prepared physically and mentally for giving birth naturally. And you can do the same if you decide it is what is best for you!
** Please note I am NOT a doctor and I am NOT here to give any form of professional medical advice. These are simply tips that I truly believed helped me achieve a successful and more manageable natural birth.**
10 Tips for a Natural Birth
- Exercise throughout pregnancy
- Walking
- Squats
- Yoga / Stretches
- Mental preparation
- Use an Exercise ball
- Drink Red Raspberry Leaf Tea (Start around 34-36 weeks)
- Eat Dates (Start around 36 weeks)
- Support from a partner, family member or friend
- Have a detailed birth plan (if giving birth in a hospital but also helpful if using a midwife at home)
- Take deep, restorative breaths
- Positive affirmations
- Get onto your hands and knees, squatting, or on your side (NOT ON YOUR BACK)
Exercise Throughout Pregnancy
I can not stress enough how important exercise is throughout pregnancy! This does not mean that you just get movement in during the last trimester (although it’s not too late to start if you haven’t already!) Maintaining a moderate level of movement throughout the WHOLE pregnancy is best.
Trust me, I get it! During the first trimester, exercise is probably the last thing on your mind! You might be focusing all of your attention on keeping down whatever food you managed to eat that day. Do what you can without overdoing it. My husband and I were training for a half marathon during the first trimester. It wasn’t easy and I took breaks from training as needed, but I am glad I had something to keep me motivated to get my body moving when I least felt like it.
I went for walks every once in a while during the second trimester but was far from consistent. Looking back, I wish I would have been more consistent because that is when I had the most energy.
During the third trimester, I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes. This news made me really nervous at first, but thankfully, it motivated me to kick my exercise back up again by walking 1-2 miles 3-5 times a week. I also began incorporating squats and light yoga and stretching. Some of the positions that helped the most in preparing for a natural birth were butterfly and pigeon.
I put exercise as #1 because I truly feel like it was one of the main factors in helping prepare my body for a smooth birth. And like I mentioned before, it is not too late for you to incorporate moderate exercise into your week either!
Mental Preparation
As you are preparing yourself physically, you should also be working on preparing yourself mentally. So much of giving birth naturally has to do with how strong you are mentally. You may be thinking, “Okay, well physically preparing myself I understand, but how can I mentally prepare myself for something I have never experienced before?” You cannot fully. But you can do things to help get you closer! Below are a few things I did to help mentally prepare myself for giving birth naturally.
- Understand (and tell myself over and over again) that my body was made to birth a baby. I was made for this! How cool is that? Trust that your body knows what to do.
- Listen to podcasts / watch videos of positive birth stories and preparation stories from other mommas!
- Be kind to yourself. Give yourself grace as you move through this experience.
Exercise Ball
I am one of the biggest penny pinchers, but YES I truly believe it is worth it to invest in an exercise ball. I used mine religiously throughout the third trimester and it also helped me while I labored the first hours at home. Anytime I was watching TV, reading a book or just listening to music or podcasts, I would do these things while bouncing on my exercise ball. I also did some simple circular motions and figure eight motions with my hips changing directions every so often.
When I say I spent hours on my exercise ball, I am not exaggerating. Toward the end of my pregnancy, I even toted my beloved ball to work with me every day. It helped tremendously since I worked mostly at a desk and the desk chair was wreaking havoc on my hips and back. The ball helped take some of that pressure off and I was getting those extra movements in too!
Check out the birthing ball I used HERE! It even comes with a book that goes over exercises for the ball and other tips to encourage a natural birth.
Red Raspberry Leaf Tea
I suggest starting with one cup of Red Raspberry Leaf Tea per day around 32 weeks. Once you hit about 36 weeks you can drink a few cups a day. I started drinking two in the morning and two in the evening at 36 weeks. Although many say that there is no evidence that this helps with labor, it is thought to help soften the cervix and make it more favorable for labor. In my opinion, the worst case scenario is that you get some extra vitamins through the tea if nothing else!
Tip: If you desire a sweeter flavor, just add a little honey or serve iced for a refreshing drink! You really can’t go wrong with it.
Please note that it is advised that you should not drink this tea during the first trimester!
Dates Every Day (For the Last 4 Weeks)
I know.. This one sounds weird. But eating dates is also said to help soften the cervix and make it more favorable for labor. It is recommended to eat about 6 dates per day for the 4 weeks leading up to your due date. Be aware though that there are different types of dates and the sizes vary! So the 6 per day recommendation is for Deglet Noor Dates which are much smaller. If you purchase the Medjool Dates, you only need to consume about 3 per day since they are almost double the size.
I always ate plain dates since I enjoy the taste! However, some people have a hard time eating dates either due to texture or taste. If this is you, you can always try making a smoothie with them so you don’t notice the texture or taste.
Support
Having support from other people is huge! At the most painful moments during my natural birth when I felt like giving up, I literally screamed out, “I can’t do this” but my husband was there to encourage me the whole way ( our nurses and OBGYN were also extremely supportive). So whether you have a partner, friend, family member or supportive hospital staff or midwife, make sure someone is there to cheer you on (or get out of your way if that’s what you prefer at the moment.)
Birth Plan
I was so nervous about the doctors and nurses not respecting my wishes for a natural birth at the hospital. I went in with a detailed birth plan stating exactly how I wanted things to go. The nurses read over it and stuck to every detail which I was so relieved about. Anytime a new nurse began their shift, the current nurses made sure they read over my birth plan.
This helped me to relax more and know that I was in good hands. You may think that you will remember to tell the nurses or doctors what you want in the moment, but trust me, when you are in labor those things will probably not be at the forefront of your mind. It is much easier to just hand them your wishes beforehand and then let them know as you go if you want something done differently.
Restorative Breaths
Taking deep breaths is what helped me the most through labor. I counted my breaths during each contraction to help me focus on something other than the pain as well as ensuring I was breathing. Also, I practiced breathing in slow deep breaths and releasing slowly through each contraction. I highly recommend watching this video to gain some insight on breathing techniques for labor!BREATHING Techniques for an EASIER LABOR | How To Breathe During Labor | Lamaze | Doula
Search around for other videos by her as well. Her videos truly helped give me the confidence I needed for a natural birth!
Positive Affirmations
Practice repeating or at least listening to positive affirmations both leading up to labor and during labor. I know, it might feel weird at first. It did for me at least. But I listened to positive affirmations towards the end of my pregnancy and during the part of labor where my contractions felt the worst and they were very helpful!
Breathing My Baby Out Meditation | Built To Birth Affirmation Meditation | Hypnobirth
Change Positions
A natural birth is not like the movies make it out to be where you see women sitting/lying on their backs pushing. If you are sitting while pushing, gravity is not helping you out – and trust me, you want all of the help you can get! If you are doing a natural birth and don’t have an epidural, you get to move your way through labor which is so helpful for managing the pain! Once you are ready to push, find a comfortable position that works for you, but also be willing to change it up if needed.
Some of the best positions for a natural birth are squatting, getting on your hands and knees or laying on your side. I started off on my hands and knees hugging a peanut shaped medicine ball. I was in this position for a while but was not progressing much so one of the nurses suggested laying on my side. Once I moved into that position, labor started moving much quicker. Before I knew it, baby boy was safely delivered! So be open minded and willing to try different positions and stay away from sitting/lying on your back. Let gravity work with you, not against you!
So, long story short… YES, a natural birth is possible (even a natural birth in a hospital). Know what you want, prepare yourself physically and mentally, and go for it! A natural birth is so rewarding! You’ve got this, mama!
Do you have any tips for a natural birth that you would like to share? Please let us know in the comments!