Setting the Mood for Your Birth
Setting the right vibe isn’t just important for baby-making time: it’s also key for labour and birth! (cue “Let’s Get It On” by Marvin Gaye)
It’s all about getting that magical love hormone oxytocin flowing!
What’s oxytocin and what’s it role in labour?
Our bodies produce oxytocin naturally when we feel calm, safe, and happy. It slows or stops when we feel anxious and scared.
Oxytocin is the main driver for contractions in the uterus and lactation production. It also helps the uterus shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size after birth.
The more oxytocin we produce, the more stronger and frequent contractions are. It can also help lower our perception of pain! Are you starting to see why us birth workers nerd out over it?! (More info here.)
In my prenatal visits with birth clients, I always ask what makes them feel safe? Happy? Relaxed? Then we bring that into the birth space.
When you’re feeling calm and content, it helps you cope better, and keep labour rolling.
Here’s some ways to “set the mood” for your birth:
Labour loves the dark
Turn off any big, bright lights, and use low, warm lights. Team Little Lights! Yes, you can do this in the hospital too! Close the curtains or shades, add some string lights, LED candles, or a galaxy projector to help make things extra cozy and calm.
Low noise, minimal chatter
If birthing in the hospital, ask to have the volume on monitors turned down. Play your favourite music or white noise on a Bluetooth speaker. Wear earbuds to really help keep you in the zone.
Other people in the space: keep it down if the birthing person isn’t having it! In the hospital, you a can limit the non-emergent people in the room (student residents observing) if you don’t want them there.
Visual aids and focal points
Hang affirmations around the room. Bring special photos of kids, loved ones or pets to focus on, watch videos of happy memories.
Movement
Motion is lotion! Mixing in movement and changing positions every 30 minutes or so helps to get baby engaged, and can help with pain management. Lunges, pelvic tilts on a birth ball, hands and knees, side-lying with a peanut ball - mix it up!
Can be done in and outside of the bed if you’re in the hospital (and yes, even with an epidural!)
Up that Oxytocin
What helps you feel good and relax? When you feel happy, cozy, and relaxed, your body can produce more oxytocin, which helps boost contractions in labour! Spice things up! Oxytocin isn’t called the “love hormone” for nothing! Some ideas to encourage this:
Cuddling, making out, slow dancing
Massage during contractions
Watching your fave TV shows or movies
Wearing a soft robe or socks
Playing music you love
Looking at pictures of your kids, pets, or happy memories
Wear what you want (or be naked)
Feeling comfortable with what you wear (or don’t wear) during labour is important! Yes, there’s gowns you can wear at the hospital, but they’re not mandatory, and neither is being completely naked if that feels uncomfortable for you.
Maybe you’d prefer a soft jersey dress, light robe, or a sports bra and bike shorts. Maybe you’ll ditch your clothes immediately because you’re hot and working hard! Your call, this is your birth!
Familiar and Calming Scents
Diffuse essential oils at home or have cotton pads or rollers handy at the hospital with scents that help calm (lavender, bergamot), awaken (citrus) and distract you from nausea (peppermint).
Extra tip: Use cotton pads or rollers instead of putting oils directly on your skin. If you have a strong reaction or aversion to the scent, it can be taken away fast.
Takeaway: Make your birth environment cozy, calm, and soothing.
It has such a big impact on how you feel and move during labour.
What else would you add? Leave off? Share below!
