Hello!
As we get closer to my due date, this is around the time I begin to ‘prepare’ for the labor and delivery process. With my first born, I was extremely anxious as I got closer to my due date because the entire process wasn’t something that can be planned and I had no idea what to expect. The birthing center that I gave birth at required 3 birthing classes: Breastfeeding, Preparation for Childbirth, and First Days at Home. Other than taking those classes, I stalked Youtubers that captured their natural birthing experience – & every video I cried! Watching Youtube videos was extremely helpful because it gave me at least some insight as to what to expect with such an unpredictable experience.
As a first-time mom, i wanted to be as prepared as possible going into labor. My hospital bag was FULLY stocked with things I didn’t even get a chance to use. In the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of my hospital bag items, so be sure to look out for that blog post. For now, I want to share some of my essential items as I prepared for my unmedicated birth.
Preparation for labor…
- Raspberry Leaf Tea: i started drinking this tea around 32 weeks gestation and it has been known to strengthen a woman’s uterus, improve labor outcome, and prevent excessive bleeding after childbirth.
- Dates: I also started eating 6 dates a day around 36 weeks gestation. Not only are dates packed with nutrients and vitamins that are beneficial to a pregnant woman, studies have shown that women who ate 6 dates a day in their late 4 weeks of pregnancy, spent less time in the first stage of labor, were more dilated upon their arrival to the hospital and had more intact membranes.
- Yoga Ball: I started using a yoga ball the last week or so of my pregnancy. This provided so much comfort when I simply would bounce up and down.
- Pelvic exercises: I researched a ton of exercises that helped strengthen my pelvic floor and I started doing these exercises around 37-38 weeks pregnant. Did I do these daily? Heck no! There were many days that I was extremely lazy, however, I did make it a point to practice these exercises 1-3 three times per week.
- Perineal Massages: this can be uncomfortable for some women, but perineal massages have been known to lower the risk of tearing, prepares the tissues for stretching, and lowers the need for stitches. This was my BIGGEST fear because I knew I wouldn’t be numb from an epidural, so I was SO scared of tearing and having to be stitched up. Luckily, I had ZERO tearing and I cannot say that the massages were the reason because I was very inconsistent with actually doing them.
On my Instagram, I have a story highlight titled “Birth Story” that goes into detail from the time we started trying to conceive and up until the time Valli was born, so if you want a detailed story, go check it out here.
I’ve put together a shopping list for any mom’s who are looking to have an unmedicated birth. All links below are affiliate links and I earn a small commission if you shop through these links š
Natural Birth Supply list:
Here is the post, where we announced our birth. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me š
xoxo, Adrianna