Monday 8 June 2015

How can positive birth affirmations help me have an easy, comfortable birth?

My birth will be easy because I'm so relaxed and confident - my favourite positive birth affirmation
Hi I'm Karenna and I run Hope & Honey offering HypnoBirthing, Fertility Coaching, Childbirth Classes and Birth Pool Hire in Perth, Western Australia.

One of my favourite things about working with clients is seeing their confidence grow and see the change from fear of birth to being excited about their labour.

So how does that happen and how can you make that change and be truly looking forward to the birth of your little one?

Partly it's about education - learning about the natural process of birth and how our body responds to relaxation and reacts to fear. Another part of the transformation is 'changing your mindset' - sounds a bit tricky eh? Well it doesn't have to be!

Our minds work through pathways. When we develop a habit our brain trundles down the same old pathways. When we want to create a new habit or train of thought - we have to create new pathways and that can be hard at first. It's almost like trampling down a new path in a meadow - it's hard at first and you have to consciously do it, but after several times it becomes easier and soon you can walk down that path easily and without much thought.

A great way of creating new positive thoughts about birth is to use positive birth affirmations. An affirmation is:

  • a positively phrased statement to yourself
  • phrased in the present tense
  • simple and short
  • a statement that starts with the word 'I/My/...'
E.g. - I am choosing healthy food that makes me feel good. The practice of doing affirmations allows you to begin replacing some of your stale, worn-out or negative mind chatter with more positive ideas and concepts. It is a powerful technique, one that can in a short time completely transform your attitudes and expectations about life, and thereby totally change what you experience. 

I'm preparing for the birth of my second baby at the moment. Here are my top 3 birth affirmations - the ones that really resonate with me:


  1. My birth will be easy because I'm so relaxed and confident
  2. I release my birth over to my body and baby
  3. My baby is perfectly positioned for an easy, comfortable birth

Imagining your baby is perfectly positioned for birth - a good positive birth affirmation
But there are many more to choose from...

  • I am focused on a smooth, easy birth
  • I am prepared to meet whatever turn my birthing takes
  • I put all fear aside and welcome my baby with happiness and joy
  • I deepen my relaxation as I move further into labour
  • My mind is relaxed, my body is relaxed

So why not try using some affirmations when preparing for your birth? You can say them out loud, listen to some recorded affirmations or my favourite - print them out and stick them around your house. I find this really helpful as you see these statements and images regularly - helping your mind take in these statements repeatedly.

It's natural to be apprehensive about an upcoming birth and that's okay, but if you're feeling fearful or negative - try using affirmations to help you change your mindset and be able to get excited about your labour. For more information or to book HypnoBirthing or antenatal classes, visit Hope & Honey.

Positive Birth Affirmation Example