Labor: It's your Party you Can Cry if You Want To. But Why Would You Want to.

One of the biggest fears about birth is not knowing when labour will start and how bad the pain will be. As a birth coach, one of the first things I am ususally advising my clients is yes.... the pain is difficult. However, your first step to managing your birth story is to accept that labor is can be painful and hardwork; it has been since the beginning of time.

This does not mean labor can't be enjoyable. Labor is a unique experience. It's a gift that only women can experience. I call it a gift because I am blessed with the joy of watching babies born into this world all the time in my work as adoula. Regardless of the length of time labor took or the pain she had to manage and work through, the birth of the baby is an amazing reward... hence A GIFT!

If you look at birth as a gift then let's look at labor as the party you receive your special gift at. Labor can be an enjoyable event. It can very well be a party if your truly optimistic and postive. The key is to know how to manage your birth story. Managing your birth in the western world of medicine means know when to take the drugs. In the holistic world of better living managing your birth means being informed on the medical process and preparing yourself with the tools to succeed through contractions naturally. It's your party and you DO get to plan it. You need to choose your birth method and then educate yourself on what will happen on baby's birthday.

I teach the Yoga Birth Method otherwise called yoga birthing. This yoga concept of birthing philosophy is that Mom makes a mindful connection to her baby as she breathes and moves her body in a specific sequence of postures that allow her baby to make its crucial cardinal movements to delivery. Each contraction is an invite to her baby to come closer to the world. She prepares her self for each contraction by aligning her mind to an intention set before labor started. This intention becomes her meditation as she then identifies her stage of labor and uses yoga breath and posture sequence for that phase of labor. There is no guessing game. The Yoga Birth Method is hands on and very practical way to manage pain thresholds and increase pain tolerance as contractions become stronger in each phase of labor.

As I reflect on the births I have used this technique with I am amazed at the beauty of childbirth. Watching a woman breathe through intense pain and take control of her body in a pose that helps hip alignment to baby's descent makes me feel so proud to be a woman too. Childbirth is every woman's superhero story. It's every woman's personal party that lives forever and ever as she repeats the details of the event to her friends, family and one day her own child as they prepare for the birth of their own baby.

I am mystified when I hear people say take the epidural you won't get a medal at the end anyway..... that is so not true. Your child born into your arms is the best medal you will ever get! I gaurantee it. Be ready for your birth experence. Be mindful, prepared and understand that you are not at it alone. There is a little one insdie you also at the party.


This does not mean that those who take pain releif medications in labor have failed. NOT AT ALL. It's still your birth story and you need to be in control of it. More to come about informed choice