So was I frightened to fly in a helicopter? Hell no! I couldn't wait! It was exciting, a new experience and I enjoyed every minute of it...today I experienced something new...but would everybody approach this in the same way? Probably not. For some this gift would have filled them with pure dread. Putting that much faith in a process they don't know enough about. Although I joked to my Daisy mums if you don't see me next week you'll know it didn't go well I had complete trust that the pilot knew what he was doing and that the helicopter was mechanically sound and that should something go wrong he would have the skills to handle an emergency landing. I had faith in the process.
So how does flying in a helicopter relate to giving birth? Well fear of course and a lack of faith in the process.
Let's be honest most of us know lots of women who've had a pretty rough ride when it comes to giving birth and those who do have a great time, well it must be a fluke right? We get told not to bother preparing or planning because what's the point? We can't predict birth. Take your birth plan and rip it up because it won't really help you! I can guarantee that every pregnant woman has had this or something similar said to them at some point during their pregnancy. I know I did!
So it's no wonder why with this attitude that so many women approach birth fearing the worse.
I recently read a quote by the French Obstetrician Michel Odent which really resonated with me, 'there is a physiological pain during labour, but there is also a physiological system of protection against pain.' This well known secret is endorphins; our bodies own natural pain relief system.
So why as women have we never really been told that labour doesn't have to be painful? Why have we only been given the first part of the sentence...'there is a physiological pain.' We don't know that if we work with our own bodies we can create our own pain relief systems. It took a traumatic first birth for me to learn this shit but learning is what helped me have a fantastic second birth.
So what did I learn?
I learned that birth preparation is a gift to yourself.
I learned that no matter how much I read about birth it meant nothing to me without learning some actual practical skills to use in birth. Don't rely on someone else to help you achieve what you want to achieve without being clear on how you want to get there yourself.
Have faith in yourself and your body...I got this by learning how my body worked in birth.
I learned how to breath to help me stay calm, how to move to work with contractions, how positive touch from my partner could relieve pressure and how warm water was the best feeling to ease the intensity of labour for me.
I learned how to let go of my thinking head to stop fear interfering with the process.
And by doing all this I learned how to tap in to my physiological system of protection, my own pain relief system.
Although today I put my faith in the helicopter pilot, when it comes to giving birth we definitely need more faith in ourselves and what our bodies and minds can do.
So if the fear of birth has been holding you back then fear no more...if you'd like to learn how to prepare for birth and harness your bodies own pain relief systems then try Daisy Birthing...trust me this stuff works! 😉
Jo-fellowes@thedaisyfoundation.com
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