Getting through Labor: Visualization

This week's blog project is called "Getting through Labor." The posts will be about, well, getting through labor. Each day I'll be covering a different topic to help families have a positive birth experience. All of these things are also things that your doula can help you with or remind you to try during labor.

When I went to the BirthWorks CBE training back in October, one thing we did was practice Visualization. We read visualizations aloud and wrote some of our own.

Visualization is something to practice during your pregnancy, with your partner and your doula. Getting used to relaxing during the visualizations you've selected while you're still pregnant will make for easier relaxation during labor.

In this YouTube video, the instructor talks about visualizing your cervix opening:



Here is one sample visualization:

"Gently close your eyes... listen to your breathing. Let your breathing become a little deeper... relaxed and in your own rhythm. As you breathe in ... you take oxygen into your body, and as you breathe out, you are breathing out what you don't need. You breathe out carbon dioxide, your body filters out all you don't need and takes in the oxygen you need.


As you breathe in... you take oxygen into your body, to your placenta, the oxygen travels from the placenta, along the cord and to your baby. As you breathe out, you breathe out what you and your baby don't need........... breathing out your carbon dioxide, your stress, your tension, your worries.

Imagine with your next breath out, breathing out any tension..... tension you have been holding onto during the day, the night or during the week.

With your next breath out, imagine breathing out any tension you may be holding from your left shoulder, all the way down through your arm to the elbow...... through the lower arm down through the wrist and hand, right out through your fingertips. Feel your arm beginning to let go, feeling heavy... feel it relax more and more with each breath out"
(from http://www.birth.com.au/)

And links to more info on visualizations for birth:

http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/articles/birth/visualize/index.php

http://www.givingbirthnaturally.com/relaxation-script.html

http://www.hypnobabies.com/#FREE_HYPNOBABIES_CD