Giving birth is not something that many women look forward to in itself. The pregnancy leading up to that moment might have been painless enough, if a little uncomfortable, and the baby that labor results in will, of course, be amazing, but the birth itself can be something that worries women hugely, whether they have been through it before or not.

It’s important to prepare for this inevitable moment, and the better prepared you are, the more positive experience you will have, which is better for both you and the baby involved. Here are some ways you can prepare for going into labor and giving birth – think through these, and you’ll be partway there.

Know What You Want

For some women, it’s the lack of control throughout labor and the birth itself that is scarier than any of the pain or hard work involved. Therefore, knowing what you want in advance and creating a birthing plan can allay at least some of these fears, giving you a more positive birth all around.

Your birthing plan is where you can write down everything you want to happen during and after your labor. You can include who you want to be present, what kind of pain relief you want, if any, and any emergency numbers for those who might help if there is a problem during childbirth. This can be caused by various issues, and you may need to turn to experts such as Erb’s palsy lawyers. If you are prepared like this, you will feel a lot more relaxed and the birth should be an easier one.

Do some research on the different birthing methods you can choose from. Understanding your options and talking through each one with your birthing team and your partner, discussing the pros and cons, will help you to feel – and be – totally in control of the situation.

Prepare Your Mind

The mind is a powerful thing, and it can have a huge impact on what we feel even if we don’t realize it. All those horror stories of terrible births that you will no doubt hear throughout your pregnancy, usually told by well-meaning but misguided friends and family, will stick in your mind, and build your labor into something to be afraid of.

That shouldn’t be and certainly doesn’t need to be the case. Rather than focusing on the negative, seek out the positive. For every scary birth story, there will be dozens of happy ones. Look for those, and keep those in your mind. It will make a big difference to how you begin to perceive the labor to come.

Prepare Your Body

Although the start of being more confident about labor definitely begins in your mind, your body also has a lot of work to do. You will require plenty of strength and stamina. Therefore, doing gentle exercises throughout your pregnancy to boost your strength and get your body prepared for what is to come can be a great idea.

Not only will it strengthen you, but this exercise is a good way to de-stress too, which will help you to feel more positive.

You can join specialist pregnancy classes that will teach you the correct ways to exercise without straining yourself. Alternatively, speak to your doctor about the best ways to exercise safely for you and the baby.