1. Choose a caregiver who will give you the care you want.
Most women confirm their pregnancy with a GP who asks “Do you have private health insurance?” If you say yes, they refer you to an obstetrician and you go down the path of private hospital. If you say no, they refer you to the public hospital. OR if you have a savvy GP they’ll tell you all your options. But that doesn’t always happen, and your choice can make all the difference. Imagine you have a craving for risotto. Your friends tell you the new Thai restaurant does great rice. When you get there they tell you, yes, their rice is fabulous. They serve you fried rice. It’s rice, but it’s not the type of rice you wanted. You’re still full, you had a good night out, so aren’t you happy? No. Because you wanted the type of rice that you wanted.
2. Labour is called Labour because it’s hard work.
If it wasn’t it would be called Holiday. So prepare for your labour every day as if you were preparing for a marathon. You wouldn’t just run around the block 3 times to prepare for a triathlon. You need to exercise your body – pregnancy yoga and pilates and walk and stretch. You need to use good posture to stay comfortable and help your baby get into a great position for birth. You need to surround yourself with positive stories and people. You need to eat well for mum and baby. You need to sleep well, relax, have fun, reduce stress. Every one of these things prepares you for the work of labour.
3. Don’t renovate, move or change jobs in the last 3 months before birth.
So many people do, and it causes so much STRESS.
4. You don’t need a whole lot of stuff.
Use online marketplaces to buy fabulous second-hand items, borrow from friends, and wait until you really need something to buy it. Time with your baby is more important and valuable. Buying less means more money to keep you on maternity leave for longer.
5. You need a tribe.
We’re not meant to parent alone. It’s hard and lonely work. People help in the first few weeks then they leave, your partner goes back to work and you need to have a tribe who understand you to support you long term.
Want to learn more secrets to a great birth? Come speak with me and connect with other mums in my classes and workshops. To read more and book, head to the I’m Pregnant page.
