This very important subject should and can be discussed during pregnancy and even before conception, when the woman (or the couple) decides to ‘receive’ a child.
In our culture, childbirth is associated with pain and it’s related as frightening, distressing, painful and disabling moment, leading us to retain images of screaming women that commonly need to be laid down and be commanded by a doctor.
Well, it’s precisely here that the pattern must change, that perspective must be revised and the brain’s re-programming or de-condition must be done. Childbirth is a physiologically natural moment and should be treated naturally, reinforcing the woman’s power over her body and respect the type of birth she wants=she feels the right (we need to recognize the power of a woman’s intuition). Before this choice, the woman should seek as much information as possible, so that old concepts are clarified and new perspectives are also known.
Pain is like a guide: it helps a woman understand how her body works; to know in which stage of childbirth she’s on and helps the body open up for the birth. Pathologies and major problems aside, in a situation where the woman is aware of the process, the baby is healthy and there is no need to resort to a cesarean, even breech babies can be birthed naturally through the vagina and even in water.
In 1933, the British obstetrician Grantly Dick-Read clarified in the excellent book Childbirth Without Fear, that excessive pain in childbirth is due to muscle tension resulting from fear.
Therefore, the way in which fear and pain are embodied in her body should be an object of study so that their presence is more natural. Awareness of how fear acts on the pregnant woman’s body will help her to deal with it, transform it in order to create a structure of trust and surrender to the birth process. Thus, the woman chooses a path of encounter with herself and of deep connection with her baby. This awareness combined with deep breathing and relaxation exercises can contribute to the body not getting into tension and having space to do what it instinctively knows: expel the baby.
And it’s important to mention the relevance and calming action of the study of the anatomy and physiology of the birth process by the future mother and father – an important figure to convey emotional support and security at the male level, representing the archetype of the world, from abroad.
For this purpose, a calm, safe and private environment is essential at the time of birth. No people running, scared, going in and out of the mother’s room. She needs respect and a calm environment in such beautiful moment: the appearance of a new soul in the world.
The same applies to breastfeeding: preparing support and help for the postpartum period allows the mother to focus on her baby and breastfeeding, if that is her choice and will. The maternity hospitals do not always support the mother in the best way, either due to the lack of information or the scarcity of professionals. The success of childbirth and breastfeeding is greatly influenced by the spiritual and mental work that the mother does during the pregnancy, becoming aware of her power, her will and contact with her intuition, entering a bubble with a different vibration from the rest of the world.
For medical and scientific information about the fear and the pain in childbirth, please read the book Childbirth Without Fear- The principles and Practices of Natural Childbirth, from Grantly Dick-Read, Pinter and Martin, Great Britain, 2013
With love,
Rute Candeias Vinagre