The adage “mum knows best” is used often by pregnancy health specialists and for good reason: no one knows your body or your baby quite like you do.
That said, we live in a fast-paced world in which there’s a plethora of facts and advice at our fingertips; every qualm and question can be answered within seconds. When you’re newly pregnant and searching for information, it can be hard to know who to trust and where to go for information and advice. All these unknowns can contribute to the overwhelm many women experience in the first trimester.
I’ve interviewed more than 350 women about their pregnancy and birth experiences on my podcast, Australian Birth Stories, and the vast majority admit to feeling lost after discovering they’re pregnant. Once women have seen their GP and decided on a model of care, they tend to feel more confident and this is often when they start considering birth education — a really practical step towards a positive birth experience.
The little-known benefit of birth education is it reinforces the importance of listening to your intuition. When you slow down to observe your body and connect with your baby, you’re establishing trust in your body and you’re more likely to notice when something doesn’t feel quite right.
Take Casey, a mum I recently spoke with, who experienced migraines and persistent vomiting for weeks before she presented to hospital. The doctors wanted to discharge her, but she insisted on staying overnight for further testing. She was eventually diagnosed with the rare yet life-threatening preeclampsia and Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets syndrome (HELLP) and birthed her baby soon after via emergency caesarean. Eight years on and she’s still relieved she listened to her body and advocated for herself. “It’s so important to listen to your body and trust those signs because as mothers, even when we’re pregnant, we have that intuition that we really need to trust,” she says.
Finding trusted pregnancy and birth information
It’s not uncommon for women to start their pregnancy journey with little information and lots of fear. If you’ve been a magnet for trauma-filled birth stories from well-meaning friends and family, you’re not alone. Now is the best time to shift your perspective, let go of any mental hurdles, and embrace comprehensive birth education that will inform and empower you and your birth partner.
I created my online birth education course, The Birth Class, for this exact reason. Balanced birth education reinforces the fact that your body already knows how to birth your baby. Alongside lessons on the stages of labour, the risks and benefits of interventions and inductions and what you can expect from a vaginal birth and a caesarean birth, it also details the importance of birth plans, informed choice and advocating for your preferences.
Perhaps most importantly, trusted birth education gives you skills to observe and connect with your breath and control your mindset. With this education and awareness, you’ll be more likely to trust the birth process and, subsequently, trust your ability to birth.
Slow down, pay attention and tune in
Birth education is the foundation for developing and nurturing trust in the birth process, trust in your body and trust in your intuition. Call it what you will — mother’s instinct, intuition, gut feeling — it should never be dismissed. However, if you’re living a rushed and busy life where you’re distracted, you’re less likely to pay attention to your body and what it’s telling you.
To live intuitively you need to consciously slow down and connect with your body, your breath and your baby. This isn’t about making huge life changes, but more about carving out 10 minutes here and there to check in with yourself. You can start by:
– Acknowledging your fear: If you have profound fear about birth, the best thing you can do is acknowledge it and discuss it with your care provider. When you ignore fear, it grows bigger; actively working through it and then letting it go creates space for trust. Ask yourself: “Do I want to be full of fear or trust when it’s time to birth my baby?”
– Repeating positive affirmations: If you notice negative thoughts creeping in, it’s best to switch your mindset before you enter a doubt spiral. Repeating an affirmation that resonates with you is a practical way of letting go of fear, boosting your confidence and bringing you into the present moment. You could try something simple like: “I’m breathing in, I’m breathing out” or “I trust my body, my breath and my baby.”
– Slowing down and focusing on your breath: At any time of day, get into a comfortable seated position (place a folded blanket under you to raise your hips) and bring your hands under your belly. Release any obvious physical tension and bring all your awareness to your breath. Mentally repeat “let” as you inhale and “go” as you exhale; you’ll soon notice your breath grows longer and your body becomes heavy and soft. Remind yourself that with each rise and fall of your belly, you’re gently massaging your baby.
Sophie Walker has a master’s degree in public health, is a mum to three boys, and is the founder and host of the Australian Birth Stories podcast that has more than 10 million downloads and is endorsed by the Australian College of Midwives. You can find her on Instagram @australianbirthstories
