2. Research

Get curious! Make time to research physiological birth to understand what occurs during the birthing process. This helps build your confidence and trust in your ability to birth your baby. Prioritise looking into birthing options and educating yourself about interventions. It is also beneficial to become aware of potential complications that can arise during labour and how these can be handled. You want to get really clear about what you do (and don't) want written into your birth plan and encourage your birth team to advocate for you.

Strengthen the Mind

Giving birth requires focus, patience and a determined strength. For that reason, many women - including myself - actually describe birth as a 'mental game', as much as it is a physical one.

Knowledge is power! And a confident and strong mind is the foundation of an enjoyable pregnancy and a controlled and peaceful labour. When preparing for the delivery of your baby, you should spend time working to reprogram your unconscious mind and dissolve any fear, to support physiologic birth in the body. Below are 3 ways I achieved this:

3. Watch Footage

I found it empowering to read birth stories and watch lots of birth footage. This is a great way to familiarise yourself with what will happen inside and outside of your body during birth. You will learn to recognise the different stages of labour, and associated sounds and feelings, which will help you feel safe and in control during your own birth - knowing what to expect can reduce any fears and anxiety you may have.

Tip: avoid traumatic stories (you want to be informed of the risks, but you don't need to be deterring yourself).

1. Education

My husband and I completed the online Hypnobirthing Australia™ Program together, which prepared us both mentally for the journey ahead. Throughout the program, we were provided with the knowledge we needed to make informed decisions for our birth plan. Glenn was given tools to support me as my birth partner and I learned many practices to prime my mind, such as fear release meditations, breathing techniques, visualisation and affirmations. This is the ultimate preparation for a positive birth!

Nurture the Body

Falling pregnant and giving birth involves great changes to a woman’s body — you are undertaking the miraculous act of growing a new human, after all!

Thriving during your pregnancy requires honouring your body and adapting to changes, as well as taking care of yourself and your physical wellbeing. By adopting a nurturing approach and prioritising health and self-care, expectant mothers can support their overall well-being and enjoyment throughout this transformative journey. The way in which I did so was through:

1. Nourishment

During this time, it is more important than ever to consider everything you're putting into your body. You should be eating a balanced diet that is rich in nutrients, and taking quality prenatal vitamins. My midwife and I would regularly discuss my bloodwork to determine if I needed additional supplements. In the later stages of my pregnancy, I consumed dates and raspberry leaf tea daily, in preparation for labour and postpartum healing. I also added the Gentle Birth Tincture (the option without Blue Cohosh, as I didn't want blood pressure issues) in my final weeks, to strengthen and tone my uterine muscles. Please seek medical advice to check you are suitable for any of the products mentioned.

3. Relaxation

Staying active is crucial during your pregnancy, but so too is rest and relaxation. Good sleep supports healthy fetal development and improves your wellbeing, so I highly recommend investing in a supportive pregnancy pillow! It is also beneficial to both you and your baby to relieve any anxiety, stress and tension being stored in your body. Everyone has different relaxation methods, such as meditation, music or reading - do whatever works best for you. I enjoyed naps, massage and foot rubs from my husband, and running a warm bath and focusing on my Hypnobirthing Australia™ hypnosis tracks. Whatever you choose, make sure you take time out each and every day for stillness, mindfulness and gratitude.

2. Exercise and Stretching

Regular movement helps manage discomfort, as well as maintain fitness and flexibility in preparation for labour. I didn't overdo it and would respond to my body's signals. What worked best for me was a light walk every morning and afternoon, as well as a daily exercise routine with my birth ball. I would practice stretches and positions that opened my pelvis and made space for baby girl to descend and get into an optimal position for birth. Movement was also helpful during the different stages of labour - my midwife encouraged me to do a forward-leaning inversion" during active labour and I instinctually used "knees together, heels out" pushing when in transition and working to get my baby to crown.

Connect with the Soul

1. Trust your Intuition

During my pregnancy - and for the first time in my life - I fully embraced and celebrated my divine feminine power. Yin energy is where your intuition resides — that inner knowing and trust you have that comes from your heart. This is what should lead you on your journey towards birth. Not the expectations of society. Not the opinions of others. And definitely not fear. Take some time each and every day to tune into that internal wisdom. I found self-reflection, meditation and hypnosis helped me become more attuned to my inner world and feelings, making it easier to recognise my intuition. Accessing this during my labour was incredibly powerful and I continue to lean into my intuitive insights as I now navigate motherhood.

Pregnancy and giving birth is an intensely physical and emotional moment in a woman's life, but for many expecting mothers - myself included - it is also a highly spiritual experience. I found this time to be healing, introspective and intimate (both with myself and my husband).

As a woman, you are creating life inside of you and your body is a portal into this world! There is a phase in labour, known as transition, when a woman’s primal instincts take over and she must surrender completely. Knowing this, everything I did to prep for the birth of my daughter was rooted in empowerment. I incorporated the following spiritual practices, that allowed me to connect to my inner sacred Wild Mama:

3. Protect your Energy

Calm and positive birth requires a safe environment and deep vulnerability — allowing yourself to be present, uninhibited and in a state of flow. For this reason, you need to be mindful of where you choose to give birth and who you allow into your birth space. If someone in your birth team carries fear, anxiety or doubt, it can affect your ability to relax and trust. Those included in your birth should be there to uplift and support, not derail or influence (even if the advice comes from a good place). Remember that this is your experience. My partner and I chose to move in silence regarding our birthing plans, to protect the sanctity and faith we had been fostering together. People pleasing does not belong in a birth plan!

2. Raise your Vibration

While pregnant, you are highly sensitive energetically — more so than ever, you can feel the emotions, intentions and vibrations of those around you. For this reason, I made a conscious effort to balance the energy within me and practice spiritual cleansing, including breath-work and listening to high-frequency meditation music and sound baths. These are also great tools to regulate your nervous system, which plays a significant role in how you experience birth. When you feel safe and calm, you allow your body to soften and open, and for labour to unfold smoothly. If fear or panic start to arise in the body (which is often the case in transition), your practice will make it easier for you to be able to ground yourself once more.