The past few months have been filled with worry, concern, and anxiety. Social distancing, stay at home orders, working from home, unemployment, the economy… The ongoing list of everything we’re concerned about is constantly at the forefront of our minds.
If you’re expecting a baby, you likely have even more concerns. Should I stay at home? Is it safe for me to go to work? How will I keep my baby safe and healthy? Should I switch to a midwife and deliver at a birth center? We want to help answer some of your questions and alleviate some of your concerns and fears with information in our Pregnant During a Pandemic Blog Series coming to you over the next week.
Part 1: Preparing to Birth During a Pandemic
Preparation is key! Prepare in every aspect; mentally, emotionally, and physically. Let’s chat about ways that you can prepare to give birth during these trying times.
TAKE A CHILDBIRTH CLASS
Knowledge is power! Gaining knowledge, understanding, and developing skills to help you throughout your pregnancy and birth are crucial during this time. One of the best ways to learn about pregnancy and birth is with a high-quality, comprehensive childbirth class. You’ll learn about what to expect during your third trimester, nutrition and exercise, the entire process of labor and delivery, postpartum, newborn procedures, breastfeeding, tips for partners, relaxation, comfort measures and coping techniques, and more!
While most live, in-person childbirth classes have been cancelled you can still prepare for your upcoming birth with our online childbirth classes. We have classes for everyone; those birthing at the hospital and those choosing to birth at home or a birth center. A majority of our certified instructors are also offering a hybrid online class where you’ll receive a workbook and a fun “class in bag” to watch the online classes and have virtual gatherings via Zoom (or a similar platform) where you can interact with other expecting couples that are in your same shoes experiencing the same things.
STAY HEALTHY AND LOW RISK
We also encourage you to stay healthy and low risk during your pregnancy. This is especially important right now so that you can head home from the hospital quickly if needed. Hospital stays usually range from 24 – 48 hours, but currently some women have been able to leave much sooner than that with the current conditions in some areas. You may also choose to birth at home or a birth center, in which case you’ll definitely want to avoid any complications. Eat healthy, exercise, practice self-care, and have a great pregnancy and birth!
READ SOME BOOKS
Here are a few of our top recommendations.
The Healthy Pregnancy Book by Dr. Sears
![The Healthy Pregnancy Book: Month by Month, Everything You Need to Know from America's Baby Experts (Sears Parenting Library) by [Martha Sears, William Sears]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51SZUBsSSSL.jpg)
Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth by Ina May Gaskin
Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley
![Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering: A Doctor's Guide to Natural Childbirth and Gentle Early Parenting Choices by [Sarah Buckley, Ina May Gaskin]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51Y5pm5VOvL.jpg)
![Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers by [Nancy Mohrbacher IBCLC FILCA, Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, Jack Newman MD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/511O5f5kQ8L.jpg)
PRACTICE RELAXATION
Relaxation is one of the most important skills you will use during your upcoming birth. It can also help with any anxiety you’re feeling during this time. Using relaxation scripts and practicing deep, belly breathing can help ease your anxieties as well. We have a beautiful book that has a variety of different scripts you’ll love to use to practice relaxation. Practice in multiple different positions, try it with some music, or use an app like Calm.
WRITE A BIRTH PLAN
Sit down together with your partner and talk about all of the things that are most important to you and the birth you want. The process of writing your birth plan is an amazing way to communicate and make sure that you are both on the same page and know what’s important in your experience. It’s also a great communication tool for you to talk with your care provider. You may also want to call and learn about the current hospital policies in your area specific to COVID-19 and how they may affect your birth. More on that in an upcoming post in this series.
How have you been preparing for your birth? What concerns do you have? What questions can we answer for you?
Pregnant During a Pandemic: Part 2
