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10 Tips for a Smooth Drug-Free Birth

04/5/2017

Check out these tips to have a pain free, natural, drug-free birth! #drugfreebirth #naturalbirth #momlife #mommyblogger #mommylife #natural #labor #pregnancy #tips #mom #childbirth #health #hospitals #mothers #motherhoodhappened

Below are 10 tips I came up with after experiencing my drug-free childbirth. (Tip #5 was the most useful for me!) Every woman will adjust to what works for her during that beautiful moment but this is what personally worked for me. I would love to read more tips or any questions in the comments below!

1. Focus on your goal.

If your goal is to have a drug-free birth, keep it your goal. Many will laugh at you or try to discourage you but try your very best not to allow those comments to get to you. If you say I want a drug-free birth but … if it hurts too much I will get an epidural, more than likely you will get an epidural. If you are sure you want to take this route, don’t even have an epidural in mind as an option.

You must truly believe in yourself and say to yourself and others I am going to have a drug-free birth, no buts. Of course, if a medical emergency or necessity occurs in the moment you will take that other route but if a drug-free birth is your first choice, be confident about it.

2. Practice positive affirmations during your pregnancy.

Practicing positive thinking and empowering yourself weeks before labor is SUPER important. Giving birth is a mental game. If I did not prepare ahead of time, did not practice positive affirmations before and during labor I honestly think I would have felt pain. I promise I did not feel any pain throughout any contractions or push. If your mind is worried and scared, your body will be stressed. It is like a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you are afraid or expect pain, that expectation may affect your behavior, then the expectation is realized. I say all of that to say your mind is very powerful and practicing positive statements beforehand and during labor while breathing slowly to get through every minute of the entire process will help tremendously.

My favorite affirmations are: “I am okay, my baby is okay, so everything is okay” and “my body is doing exactly what it is supposed to be doing. Repeat them either aloud or in your head over and over again.

3. Try to stay home as long as you can.

If you do most of your labor at home, you will less likely be tempted to use drugs or even have them in mind since there aren’t any available to you at home. Most of my labor was in my bathtub and I checked into the hospital at 7cm dilated! You will not know how far along you are but I followed the recommendation my doctor gave me as to when I should leave to the hospital and that worked out for me. Be sure to ask your doctor what is best!

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4. Use anything that relaxes you.

Whether I was going through morning sickness or even before my pregnancy if I had a bad stomachache, water always made me feel better and relaxed. Use whatever relaxes you to your advantage. That could be dimmed lights, candles, scents, or music. Use things that keep you at ease, slows your heart rate down, and puts you in a positive state of mind.

5. Use an eye mask.

This may be the most useful tip. I used an eye mask once I entered my delivery room throughout my contractions to focus on my breathing and positive affirmations. A hospital environment can be very distracting with machines, beeping, and lots of talking that blocking your vision can really help you concentrate on your contractions only. Block out the rest of the world by using an eye mask, and focus on you and your baby.

6. Rest, rest, rest between contractions.

Remember you get breaks. You are not going to have nonstop contractions for hours until your baby is here. Contractions are like hills; you feel them, by the second or third breath it’s at its “worst/peak” and once you take another breath it is done. Take advantage of those breaks and have some water, lay down and rest, whatever you want. Conserve all the energy you can so you can push later.

7. Pay attention only on the contraction you are having.

A mistake that is easily made is paying attention to time. Do not think of how long has it been since labor started. If you are in the hospital, do not focus on how dilated you are. You can even tell your staff when they check not to tell you how far along you are. Place your attention on the contraction you are currently having, getting through it and that is it. Do not worry about how many more hours of contractions you have left and how long has it been. It is useless to put your energy into those things when you can instead focus on the present. Take it one contraction at a time.

8. Try different positions.

Do not be afraid to try multiple positions. Don’t think you look silly moving your hips back and forth or squatting all the way down and up. Move around and see what works best for you in the moment. If you need someone else for support, ask. If you want a ball to bounce on, ask. Remember this is your delivery, you are in control.

9. Have a supportive partner.

You need someone who believes in you and your birth plan. Your partner, whether that is a parent, friend, or life partner needs to be your advocate. They should be familiar with your birth plan, and understand the choices you made in creating that birth plan. This is useful because in case you are not able to talk, your partner can speak for you. It is also great to have a reminder from someone else why you chose a drug-free path in case you find yourself in doubt or leaning to get an epidural.

Partners are also useful for back rubs which are incredible during labor! Applying pressure to your lower middle back will alleviate pressure and feel refreshing. The more pressure applied, the better!

10. Be free, let go.

Do not care about your butt sticking out of the hospital gown, do not care about your messy hair, do not care for judgments of others, do not care about what I hear most often … worried about pooping. Let go of everything. Do what makes you comfortable. You are running the show. Move as freely as you can, do not feel bad for being “bossy” or “needy.” Everyone around you are there to support you in any way they can, do not be afraid to ask questions or tell them what to do to make you feel more comfortable.

I know this may seem scary but I promise you the second my baby was out I thought to myself I would do this again and again. I sincerely mean that. If I could do it, you can too. Feel free to ask me any questions!

As always, thank you so much for reading! If I provided value to you and you want to support my work, please head over to my Patreon here. For $5 a month you can directly help me continue providing content for you! 

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Hi there, friend! I'm Mary and I'm delighted you came across my blog! I take joy in connecting, and sharing my experiences with others to provide value to anyone I can. My story is a rough one but it is also one that turned positive and I hope it can help others. We may cry, we may laugh but what I can guarantee is growth. I write about food, fitness, mindfulness, self-awareness, and overall things I have learned to become the best version of myself.

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If you felt lonely and not good enough in 2020, le If you felt lonely and not good enough in 2020, lets start the year with a different mindset. ⁣
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If you have to repeat it to yourself 20 times a day, do so because it is the truth.⁣
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I know there are moments of loneliness and defeat where it does not feel true but know that it is. Your sense of worthiness must come from within, no one will ever fill that void for you. ⁣
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We often view being productive as something we sho We often view being productive as something we should aspire to be every single day. I know many of us feel bad or guilty when we are not what we usually deem to be productive. ⁣
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I think we often forget this. People are not alway I think we often forget this. People are not always going to agree with us. It is okay for us to not like that feeling. We want to be understood, and we want others to agree with us. ⁣
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However, both being kind and disagreeing with someone can exist together. ⁣
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Shifting our perspective to appreciating disagreements instead of disliking them could help manage our feelings better in the moments of disagreements. ⁣
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Have an amazing day!⁣
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We compare ourselves to others often, especially d We compare ourselves to others often, especially during the holidays. We can be happy for others while also being a bit down that we don't have that certain thing. Maybe it is a pregnancy, an engagement, a new home, or even a new job. ⁣
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I know it is difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel sometimes but do not give up, be patient, and continue working towards your goals and desires. ⁣
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I think most families can relate to something on t I think most families can relate to something on this list. Families are not perfect nor will they ever be but that does not mean you should not stand up for yourself when something does not sit well with you.⁣
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Of course, there are respectful and healthy ways of communicating but DO NOT dismiss your feelings or your desire to be your own advocate. ⁣
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I know it is harder to do with loved ones because frankly, loved ones are the ones that hurt us the most because we care so much about what they think and say. ⁣
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That said, be really conscious and perhaps practice responses before the holiday party. I think we usually know what others are going to pick at us for because it usually is the same thing over and over again. Practice sticking up for yourself, you got this!
Families do not all look the same. We have differe Families do not all look the same. We have different kinds of relationships that may not be "picture perfect" and that is okay. Especially during these times many jump to the assumption that we all have "normal" families (whatever that means). ⁣
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But we are complex people and with that comes complex relationships with one another. Don't be ashamed for not having the relationship people expect you to have. ⁣
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Protect your soul and know that no one family is perfect.
Believe this to be true, because it is. There are Believe this to be true, because it is. There are moments we feel like we can not go on because we are not good enough, smart enough, or strong enough. ⁣
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But you are. Do NOT quit and keep going. This hardship is not going to last forever even though it may seem like it presently. Everything comes to end whether it is good or bad. ⁣
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Know that you ARE strong enough to handle the day, you got this! If I have to keep reminding you that you are ... I will :) ⁣
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Your mindset has such a MASSIVE influence on how y Your mindset has such a MASSIVE influence on how your day goes. Yes, there are outside influences or external reasons for our days to go to shit (I definitely know this haha) but really taking advantage of the things we do have control over (our minds) can be tremendous. ⁣
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Start this week having a positive mindset and see how your perspective affects your day. Our minds are powerful, let's care for them and use them well! You got this!⁣
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Love, Mary ❤
With the holiday season comes family times and it With the holiday season comes family times and it is usually presented or known as a positive and beautiful time, which it can be. But that is not the case for everyone. ⁣
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Coming together may mean facing uncomfortable realities or truths we may not be ready to deal with or forgive yet. ⁣
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I think many of us also think we have forgiven a situation or a person when we really have not. (I definitely have!) ⁣
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Which one resonates with you the most? ⁣
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With that said, I do think it is CRUCIAL to take care of ourselves as moms especially because others rely on us but we are individuals too that ALSO need caring!⁣
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⭐Nourishing our bodies: eating foods to energize us and treat our bodies well ⁣
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⭐Practice good sleep hygiene: create a nighttime routine you can stick to and is realistic in order to get the peaceful sleep you need every night⁣
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⭐Heal emotionally: take care of your emotional health, many times we have no idea how much this affects our lives subconsciously or subliminally ⁣
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What are some additional ways you take care of yourself? Let me know!!⁣
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Love, Mary ❤
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I know it is tough, I know it is not easy, I know you are tired. Take a break. Do something you enjoy or simply rest for a bit but do NOT give up. ⁣
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In the moment we naturally want to protect our bodies and soul so we think the best way to do that is to completely give up the tasks.⁣
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Not always true. ⁣
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Positive coparenting is possible! Definitely not a Positive coparenting is possible! Definitely not an easy task ... AT ALL. But with work, patience, and empathy it can be done well. ⁣
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Who goes first? I had this conversation with my th Who goes first? I had this conversation with my therapist a few weeks ago and it stuck with me. Naturally I think as moms you want your kids to go first and we end up putting ourselves last, not even second on the priority list. ⁣
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Why can't both come first? I pondered on this for a while but it started making sense to me. Of course in the extreme of life and death my kiddo without question is coming first. Extremes asides, I am getting used to the idea of prioritizing myself just as I would my son. I do not think it is a bad thing, I am beginning to see the benefits of doing so.⁣
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I find that we have an easier and more organized day ⁣
when I am taking care of myself too. I have a better attitude, I have more energy, I feel more accomplished, more patient, and I am more present. ⁣
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What do you think? Do you think both can go first?
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A mental shift is what we need a lot of the time. A mental shift is what we need a lot of the time. We often believe our thoughts to be true when they may not be factual in the slightest. A tiny shift can make the biggest difference in your choices and the outcome of your tomorrow. ⁣
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Which one resonates with you? Tag someone you think needs to read this!
🎥 New YouTube is out! I reacted to a @roommates 🎥 New YouTube is out! I reacted to a @roommateshtx clip I found really interesting about the idea of a super woman. It may be an unpopular opinion but it is something I ponder on often. ⁣
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Point is, stop stressing. If you need a break, take it. Ordering in or serving frozen food does NOT lower your value as a mother, or as a human being. Be kind to yourself today!
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