Videos About Birth
I subscribe to the Hypnobirthing idea that the more fear we feel as we enter into labor, the more tense our bodies will be. The more tense our bodies are, the more difficult it is for our uterus to do the work it needs to do to push the baby out.
According to one of the doulas we interviewed several months ago, opening yourself to each contraction is something that you have to commit to over and over again throughout the labor process. You have to relax into the experience, working with your body instead of against it.
One of the strategies I'm using to reduce my level of fear as I head into birth is to watch many videos about birth. Watching other women go through the experience helps me anticipate and prepare for my own experience (although everyone's experience is obviously different in many ways).
I watched these videos a while ago:
Recently, I watched these more obscure videos:
I'm definitely feeling more and more prepared with each passing day, although I still feel like I have a lot to do to reach my optimal level of preparedness. Fortunately--for now--I still have the energy to work 9-10 hours at my teaching job and prepare for the birth. I think my daily naps and walks really help. I'm nervous about what's going to happen to that energy level when my childbirth classes start this week, and I find myself sitting in class from 7-9:00 or 9:30 twice a week for the next three weeks!
According to one of the doulas we interviewed several months ago, opening yourself to each contraction is something that you have to commit to over and over again throughout the labor process. You have to relax into the experience, working with your body instead of against it.
One of the strategies I'm using to reduce my level of fear as I head into birth is to watch many videos about birth. Watching other women go through the experience helps me anticipate and prepare for my own experience (although everyone's experience is obviously different in many ways).
I watched these videos a while ago:
Recently, I watched these more obscure videos:
- Birth as We Know It (sidenote: I found many parts of this video to be utterly bizarre--think pregnant Russian women in bikinis jumping into nearly frozen lakes to shock their systems, while other new mothers sat on the ice breastfeeding their naked newborns--but I still found several parts of it to be very useful).
- Gentle Birth Choices (the DVD is in the back of the book)
- Born in Water: A Sacred Journey
I'm definitely feeling more and more prepared with each passing day, although I still feel like I have a lot to do to reach my optimal level of preparedness. Fortunately--for now--I still have the energy to work 9-10 hours at my teaching job and prepare for the birth. I think my daily naps and walks really help. I'm nervous about what's going to happen to that energy level when my childbirth classes start this week, and I find myself sitting in class from 7-9:00 or 9:30 twice a week for the next three weeks!
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7 comments:
nothing much to say in particular, just very happy for you and Matt :)
good for you! I'm freaking out - like - freaking.
Jess - have you read either Body, Soul, and Baby and/or Birthing from Within? They both give a lot of detail to preparing your mind and body for birth and I also like how they acknowledge that feeling scared is perfectly natural!
Oh my goodness, I cannot believe you posted that photo and didn't take just a second to make fun of the scene. Unless you plan to give birth on a rocky cliff in Maine that photo totally warranted some funny comment.
@ Anonymous: The cover is nothing compared to some of the craziness in the video!
I agree on the Birthing from Within rec.
Also, it may sound weird but I have to say that sitting on ice after giving birth sounds awesome. At the hospital they give you ice packs to stick in your lovely mesh undies - heaven. Seriously.
What, jumping into nearly frozen lakes isn't on your agenda? Lame.
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