The birth affirmations I used when I was panicking in labour

My face was pressed up against the plastic of the birth pool. I was sweating, screaming into it, shouting for help. I didn’t know what to do.

I had no idea how I was going to get through the next contraction.

And a few minutes later, Olivia was in my arms. In that same birth pool, my beautiful, healthy baby. 

So what changed? 

When you feel pain during labour, just like with any other pain, your instinct is to tense into it. Resist it. That’s what I was doing. I was panicking. Forgetting what I knew - that labour pain is functional, not dangerous. I was listening to my fear voice, which was saying ‘run’!

But there was nowhere to go. I needed to come back to myself. To surrender into it.. 

As the intensity built again, I used all the techniques I teach in Birth Box. My breath, my voice, movement. But most importantly, I had to switch off my thinking brain. I was over-thinking. I was trying to analyse what I was feeling, and this was stopping my body from doing what it needed to do.

I had practised for this moment over and over again. Using my affirmations, I reminded myself of what I needed to do.

Each surge brings my baby closer

My body creates the contraction, it cannot be bigger than me

This pain cannot harm me

Allowing my mind to switch out of thinking mode and melting into the surges with my voice and breath changed how I was experiencing labour entirely. My body knew what to do and Olivia finally arrived.

I know when I was expecting my first baby, I was a little cynical. How can a few words have such a profound impact on your labour? And it’s true that little mantras and sayings aren’t enough to change labour in the way I described. The really powerful thing is your mindset as a whole and the work you've done while you're pregnant. Your understanding of the challenge and your ability to let go in the moment. This takes practice, but trust me, as soon as you begin, it’s enjoyable because you feel your confidence grow. 

The most important tool to support your mindset is the Oxytocin Bubble album. 23 tracks for pregnancy and labour that will rewire how your brain responds during birth. Oxytocin Bubble is included in Birth Box, or if you’re already taking a hypnobirthing course, you can purchase the album on its own.