Prepare

Prepare to give birth by staying healthy. Eat well and stay active. Don't overlook the importance of rest.

Prepare for labor by learning about the options you have and how they will affect your ability to give birth naturally. Discuss your options with your caregiver and make sure you have a caregiver who is supportive of your plans.

Prepare your family and home. Make arrangements for meals and housekeeping after your baby is born and hire a post-partum doula if necessary to ensure you and your family have the time to enjoy this transition.

Prepare to meet each contraction. Breath deeply filling your abdomen and chest. Let go of your tension and let your body open.

It is never easy to be prepared. It means that you have anticipated any obstacles and planned for challenges. It takes time and effort to be properly prepared. But it is much easier to go through labor prepared than it is to go through labor unprepared.

Encouraging Words for You

"It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one than to have an opportunity and not be prepared." - Whitney Young Jr.

Questions to Work Through

1. What can you do to be better prepared for childbirth?
2. What can you do to be better prepared for motherhood?
3. In what ways have you prepared to be a mother?
4. How have you prepared to meet contractions?
5. How do you know you are prepared to face childbirth?

You May Also Be Interested In: Understanding the normal labor process can help you identify false beliefs. Explore ways exercise in pregnancy can help you prepare for childbirth. Finding out how to tell if labor has started. The Coach's Notebook helps you master comfort measures for labor. Learn how to identify myths about pregnancy, pregnancy nutrition and childbirth. Virtual Labor Game lets you practice your new labor skills.

© Copyright 2000-2007 Jennifer VanderLaan and Birthing Naturally

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