Following on from last weeks blog post  I felt it was important to continue on with creating a positive mindset for labour & birth and what mom to be and her birth partner can do to prepare for birth.

By preparing your labour toolkit you are proactive in your decisions and actively thinking about what comforts you want to use during labour and birth. This thought process naturally leads you to thinking about your birth preferences and choices and how you and your birth partner can best support these by creating a labour toolkit.

Your labour toolkit will be very specific to you and how you would like to manage the sensations of labour. It’s always good to keep an open mind on what to include, remember what you like one minute you might not like the next, having options is always good. I would recommend that you put everything into your labour toolkit, you don’t know how long each stage of labour will last for and you don’t know what will happen on the day, so it’s better to have a full toolkit and not need it, than to not have it and be looking for it. Keep all options on the table!!

Don’t be shy to have an open discuss about labour with your birth partner, it’s equally important that they know what is in the toolkit, how it works so that they can confidently offer suggestions to you on the day. Your job is to maintain your focus and listen to your body, going with the sensations and your instincts.

Here is a sample labour toolkit that will hopefully inspire you to start creating your own. When creating yours ask yourself “what would I like on the day to help me feel comfortable, safe and strong as my body prepares to bring my baby into the world?” while also looking at how you generally manage pain or discomfort.

If you are interested in finding out more about how a Doula can help you prepare for labour and birth, You can Contact me for more information on 087-1917907.