Best Way to Deal with Labor and Delivery with Visualization

Some “self-help” theorists feel that “if you can see it – you can have it.” If you can see yourself getting through a difficult time, then you can convince yourself that you can actually do this in real life. This means keeping a positive attitude and realizing that giving birth is manageable and achievable. On the other hand, if you can’t believe you can be successful, you’ll convince yourself you won’t do well, and consequently, you will struggle during this event. A big part of success is convincing yourself that you can achieve what you want. These the­ories work for getting successfully through labor. Try this visualization exercise:

•  Visualize yourself realizing that labor has started and that you’re becoming anxious about the impending labor and birth process. Then visualize yourself getting control of yourself and telling your partner what’s happening. See yourselves working together to contact your doctor and loading up the car.

•  As you see yourself at the hospital, you feel anxious again, but then you recognize the room from your hospital tour and begin to feel in control again.
•  As the contractions get stronger, you feel your fear increasing, but you begin using your relaxation techniques from childbirth class and you feel stronger again.
•  Later, you may see yourself having very strong and regular con­tractions, feeling a loss of control, having extreme pain during labor, or fearing that the labor will never end. Then you’ll see yourself shaking off the fear and getting into what you have to do in labor. Your coach is jumping in and helping you get com­fortable, giving you ice chips, and talking clearly and calmly to you.
•  When the contractions are strong and difficult to deal with, visu­alize yourself using the breathing techniques to get through the labor pains. You find yourself getting very tired, but you persist. You hear someone say you are “complete,” and you visualize your­self starting to push the baby out. You hear the baby cry, and in a moment, the doctor hands the baby to you. You can’t believe your eyes. Your baby is so wonderful. You have completed your journey.
•  You need to recognize how this will feel, what your sensations are; you need to see yourself smiling and everyone congratulat­ing you. You have succeeded, and you have your trophy—your newborn baby in your arms. You can smell, see, and touch this wonderful little baby—your baby. You’ve done it. You are suc­cessful.

Try this

Tape record yourself talking your way through the labor and delivery as though you’re coaching yourself. (After doing the following exercise, you’ll have a better idea of what you want your partner to say or do that will help you. Let him know this and have him carry a list of these suggestions in his wallet.)

•  Start by recognizing what you fear.
•  Record yourself telling yourself that you can do this, that you can get through labor, and that you will! Say your words with confidence and authority.
•  Next, talk to yourself about what you may encounter and how you’ll handle it.

•  If you start to feel the hard, strong contractions, tell yourself: “Great. These are the most effective contractions and will help me get this baby out. I’m ready for them!”
•  Tell yourself: “Now I need to use my breathing to stay in control.”
•  Congratulate yourself for your success.
•  Tell yourself you are almost at the end.
•  Tell yourself your baby will be here very soon.
•  You can feel the baby’s soft little face on you.
•  See yourself sitting back after the labor and birth is over. You’re tired, but very, very happy.