The Gift of Creating Safe Spaces in Labor
Den of Zen for Labor
Labor and birth are full of mystery. They are intense, beautiful, raw, and everything in between. To help ease a laboring mother into her birthing space is to create a Den of Zen, which helps her feel calmer.
When a woman in labor feels safe in her birthing space, she is much more able to let go and move through her labor with more efficiency.
Let’s go through how the birth companion can help create this Den of Zen.
Lighting
Turn off all the lights. Set up about 8-10 pillar sized LED candles around the room and a few in the bathroom. Lighting Is very key in the laboring room. The dimmer, the better!
Sounds
If laboring at the hospital, ask the nursing staff to turn down the sound of the monitors to extremely low if the mother has to be on the monitors (ideally intermittent monitoring if low risk and no other factors require continual monitoring). Sounds of the monitors, especially hearing the baby’s heartbeat can actually cause more anxiety in the mother. Sounds in the entire laboring room should be minimal. Birth companions should keep conversations to a minimum with each other. TV should be on low volume as well as any other electronics. Too many distractions can cause a mother to feel more discomfort. Instead, bring a blue tooth speaker and play playlists she had created for her labor day. A playlist of ambient music and a play list of music that connects her to her experience and motivates her. White noise is also a great idea to mask other unwanted sounds in the environment.
Aromas
Aromatherapy can be super effective in labor and the olfactory is deeply connected to emotions. Bring a diffuser and her favorite essential oils. Use half the amount of the essential oils than usual as the mother’s sense of smell is very heightened in labor. Here is a link to the oils for birth I highly recommend as a certified aromatherapist: https://www.myyl.com/robin-ross?share=basic-labor-essential-oils#bwm/basic-labor-essential-oils
Nonetheless, limit other smells. Do not wear colognes/perfumes, avoid bringing strong food scents in the rooms (eat sandwiches over fried chicken, etc).
Visuals
Have her make birth affirmation cards using index cards and place them in various areas of the labor room. Putting up an ultra sound picture can be helpful for the mother to remind her of the purpose of her labor-she will be meeting her baby soon!!!!!! Any visuals that will help to connect her with her experience in a positive way (even creating a slide show of favorite vacation spots).
Touch
Light strokes up and down her arms or across her back can be very soothing. Counter pressure on her lower back as well as squeezing her hips in (hip squeezes) can be super helpful especially in active labor. A warm rice sock on the lower back can be soothing too. This also brings up hydrotherapy. Shower and/or a bath can be super helpful in early labor and in transition of labor; having access to both at home and hospital is ideal.
Other things that can be helpful
Bringing her own pillows from home; about 2-3, just make sure they are in pillow cases that are not white. A favorite throw blanket can be comforting. Electrolytes that can be added to water for energy is very helpful as the laboring body uses a lot of calories and energy.
Creating the Den of Zen is super helpful in promoting the health and wellbeing of the laboring mother. She will remember this day for the rest of her life, as support people, let’s make it a beautiful day as best as we can!
Robin Ross is a certified HypnoBirthing® Practitioner affiliated with the HypnoBirthing® Institute , a certified birth doula CD(DONA), and a Certified Lactation Educator (CAPPA). In birthing and rearing her own children (all three born completely natural two in hospital and the last at home), as well as formerly working in a Montessori school as a Directress, her goal is to create positive and empowering experiences. Robin is the owner of Blissful Births and Babies and you can learn more about her services here: https://blissfulbirthsandbabies.com/
