The Sacred Pregnancy book taught me about mantras and affirmations. I would hold my belly daily and repeat that I was healthy and my baby was safe and strong. I told my son that we were a team and would work together during his birth. I said those affirmations aloud several times a day on the recommendation of my doulas and Naturopath.I used affirmations and visualization during my labor. I imagined the women across the world who were giving birth at the same time as me. I pictured my surges as waves that I would ride out one by one. I repeated in my head that each surge would bring me closer to my baby. I also repeated relax, release and open to myself when I was laboring at home before my doulas arrived. Another tool was to tell myself that I loved labor. This was a method that Anni Daulter wrote about in the Sacred Pregnancy book. It worked to view labor as a positive thing by embracing each contraction rather than to fear them. I believe that is why that birth was so quick and easy.
The mind is a powerful thing! As a birth doula, I encourage my client to get out of their heads and surrender to birth. I like to give out the awesome magnets that Tracey Rose of www.hypnobirthingrocks.com makes to my Sacred Pregnancy students as a reminder to reflect whenever they open their refrigerator.
Karlye’s HypnoBirthing students use affirmations in class as well as visualization.
Some of my favorite affirmations for birth are:
• I trust my body to birth my baby.
• Relax, breathe, open!
• I am powerful.
• I am strong.
• Everything is going perfectly.
• There will be no complications.
• My baby is safe.
• My baby will be born at the perfect time.
• My body will open like a rose!
We will be featuring Affirmation Tuesday on our Gold Coast Doulas Facebook page with a new Affirmation Meme each week. We hope you enjoy them!