Think Open in Labour

During labour, you may have a quiet setting at home or one with many health care professionals coming in and out of the room. By remaining open in mind and body, you can help your labour progress efficiently.

Keep you mind open to the different possibilities. Labour is about listening to your body and allowing the cervix to open (dilate and efface). Your doula and health care providers can provide you with different comfort positions - some may seem odd, but stay open to the possibility. You can also use visualization to see your cervix open. One common visualization is to use the analogy of a flower in bloom, opening up to the sun.

Open your pelvis! How do we do that? Walking, lunges, sitting on the birth ball or toilet are all simple ways to open your pelvis. By openning your pelvis, you allow the baby to have space to move down and become engaged - making your labour very effective. You can complement the work you have done up to this point by pushing in a sqatting position. It allows you to take advantage of gravity making pushing easier and gives the baby maximum space to be born.