Planning for childbirth: How to best prepare and alleviate any anxiety

In this expert guide, highly respected consultant in obstetrics and maternal and fetal medicine Dr Spyros Bakalis offers detailed advice and reassurance on preparing both for childbirth itself and the first weeks at home with your new baby. The renowned specialist also explains the importance of sharing any concerns which may come up throughout your pregnancy in order to create the most comfortable and relaxed atmosphere possible for your labouring process.

When should I start preparing my body for childbirth?

Ideally, one should start preparing their body for labour six months before they are pregnant.

However, with busy lives this can sometimes be difficult and if you find you are pregnant, it’s still possible to start getting fit using either swimming, gentle sports or light jogging until around twenty to twenty-four weeks. Following this, Pilates or yoga can help you to stay flexible. It is important to maintain the flexibility of your muscles and tissues to prepare for labour.

How can I prepare my body for childbirth?

Preparation for childbirth should ideally start before you go into labour by staying fit, flexible and maintaining a healthy diet.

Once you are pregnant, it is important to keep as active as possible. You can still exercise through pregnancy, though balance tends to change from around twenty to twenty-four weeks onwards which can make some activities, such as running, difficult. Any water-based or flexibility activities, like yoga, swimming or Pilates, are helpful throughout the entirety of pregnancy as they allow your muscles to be in perfect condition for the labouring process.

From around thirty-four to thirty-five weeks, women can start perineal massage which helps to soften the tissues in the vagina and perineum to reduce the chance of tears in labour.

How can I calm my anxiety before giving birth?

Calming anxiety can be very difficult and it is natural to feel worried about giving birth. It is important that you have as many conversations with your partner beforehand to help keep the atmosphere in your labouring room as relaxed as possible. When you select your partner or additional partners to attend your labour, it is advisable to choose people that will help you to feel relaxed and won’t make you feel anxious.

You have to trust your body and allow your maternal instinct to let the energy flow through your body appropriately so that your labour can go as smoothly as possible.

Who should I speak to if I am worried about giving birth?

If you’re worried about giving birth, you should let your partner know and make an appointment with your midwife or consultant obstetrician as soon as possible to discuss your anxieties. Most of the time, these can be alleviated with simple explanations of what to expect so that you can prepare for any eventualities that may occur during your labour.

Most women find these appointments very useful and often have follow-up appointments to clear up any other concerns they may have. The important thing is to raise any issues as early as you can so that the people looking after you have plenty of time to respond to your concerns and offer you reassurance.

If you still feel anxious towards the end, you should discuss your concerns with your midwife or consultant obstetrician as soon as possible, to ensure that they are appropriately resolved.

What else should be planned before birth?

One of the main things to plan before birth is how you intend to feed the baby, whether through breastfeeding, bottle feeding or a combination. Each option has its pros and cons and so you should look into each to establish which is your preferred method.

In addition, you will have to consider how you are going to get home from the hospital, either by car or taxi. I would recommend having a car seat ready to put the baby in for the journey home.

Home life is another area to consider. You should think about where the baby is going to sleep, either in the same room as you or in a separate room, and how you will monitor the baby if they will sleep in a different room in the house.

It’s also important to consider how you intend to feed the baby and how you will deal with night time feeding.

Dr Spyros Bakalis is one of the UK’s leading consultants in obstetrics and maternal and foetal medicine. If you would like to schedule a consultation with Dr Bakalis, you can do so by visiting his Top Doctors profile.