Birthing options

[Butterflyb1728]

Hiya,

i just wanted advice on your birthing experience. I am 32 weeks, low risk at the moment and offered to be in the birth centre in the hospital. I’d like it to be calming but what experiences have you had or can I do to make it as calming as pos? Thanks :)

Some ideas

• find birth prep classes which seem to align with the kind of experience you would most like
• try pregnancy yoga classes and learn breathing and relaxation techniques
• make a variety of play lists in advance, as your mood on the day might be unpredictable
• do not use aromatherapy diffusers (some places ban certain kinds) again because your body is in an altered state, and something you thought you'd love can become unbearable. So if oils appeal, then take the bottles, and inhale from tissues that can be chucked away (out of nose-shot) if you take against them
• do talk a lot to your birth partner about the things that matter to you. If it involves massage, then practice beforehand. If it involves a birthing ball, make sure they know to pump it up properly (ditto the workings of anything else)

But also remember that birth is unpredictable, may not go according to plan and that despite everything you do, you might need interventions. So think as well about best ways to get best possible outcomes in all scenarios

Oh, and if for any reason you need a cannula, ask them to site it above where your wrist bends. If they put it low down, then you have to be v careful with how you move your hand, and I think that's best avoided

This is such a great and helpful reply!
I hadn't even thought about the Cannula and diffusers til now. It's definitely got me thinking of how I would like it to be, but very true that the day can be super unpredictable and will make sure we are best prepared for the day as possible.
I'm looking in to some yoga classes near me now and i think that would be great as well as breathing exercises as I definitely need more practice on that. You have eased my thoughts and made it a little more clearer for me. Thankyou!!

that is such great advice already in the previous post. The only additional piece of advice I’d have is to be open to all birth options - and research them all. With my first I didn’t consider a homebirth and even when it was mentioned I dismissed it really quickly. Had I known then what I know now, even knowing intervention may still have been needed I really would have at least seriously considered it as an option. I still had a good birthing experience in hospital despite requiring forceps but really gave it more thought second time round and had a lovely homebirth. I just wish I had given it some headspace first time round. It was a lot calmer at home for me.

I had my first labour in a birth centre, and then had to be transferred by ambulance to my local obstetrics unit once I had reached 10cm because my baby was in an awkward position and I needed a little bit of help getting them out. Prior to labour this was something I had been concerned about, so was aware it could happen. In the event it was a lot less traumatic for me than I was expecting, but my partner was not mentally prepared for this and was slightly traumatised because in his mind it was an emergency and the baby and I were both in danger ( it wasn't and we weren't). I wouldn't have changed anything with hindsight apart from better prepping my partner. For my second labour (in the same birth centre) I made sure that my partner was much more prepared for what was going to happen during labour and better able to advocate for me. As it was, everything went better than expected second time round, but just having my birth partner better prepared meant they were more able to take an active part in helping me through the birth.

I'm going to be the dissenting voice on diffusers in labour. I had one both times and loved it! I used the blend linked below:

holistickitchen.co.uk/products/nurturepureblend#:~:text=A%20nurturing%20blend%20of%20clary,was%20just%20for%20giving%20birth