Harnessing Relaxation For Birth

Relaxation is a powerful tool as your body performs best when your mind is free from tension. So if you want your body to perform optimally during labour you need to teach your mind to naturally and instinctively relax, especially when encountering new and intense sensations. Learning to relax is easy but it takes conditioning. In the months leading up to birth investing time in daily relaxation practice so it becomes second nature is essential to achieving a relaxed state during labour.

Transcript

This audio is presented by Relaxed Birthing.

Please listen to this recording with caution,

It may cause drowsiness or an unintended catnap.

And never listen to this recording if you are driving any type of vehicle or are engaged in any other activity that requires wakefulness.

Harnessing Relaxation for Birth.

You should now either be lying quietly and comfortably on your bed or be seated in a relaxed position in a comfortable chair.

Please take a moment now to adjust your position,

Making sure every part of your body is well supported,

Totally comfortable and ready to relax.

And when you are ready,

Close your eyes and take a full deep breath.

And as you exhale,

Feel yourself naturally settle into the comfort of the surface beneath you.

And take another full deep breath,

Filling your lungs and diaphragm.

And once again,

As you exhale,

Feel your body naturally settle deeper into the softness of the surface beneath you.

Wonderful.

Now take another large deep breath.

Hold it in for just a moment.

Then as you exhale,

Enjoy the relaxing feelings of comfort and peace settling over you.

Tune into the sound of my voice now,

And focus on the words I'm speaking to you.

Disregard all other sounds,

However loud,

Sudden or close they may be.

And allow any stray thoughts to just drift by,

As it is your choice to focus on the sound of my voice and the words I'm speaking to you.

And take another full deep breath.

And as you exhale,

Move your attention to your feet.

Imagine your feet are sinking down into a soft surface beneath them.

And allow your feet to settle deeply into the softness.

And continue focusing on your feet and imagine now a warm,

Relaxing glow radiating up through the soles of your feet,

Slowly enclosing your feet and moving upwards into your ankles.

And with that lovely warm glow comes feelings of deep,

Peaceful relaxation.

Picture the relaxing warm glow moving up from your ankles and into your calf muscles,

Across your shins and through your knees.

And allow feelings of deep,

Restorative relaxation to set in.

Imagine the warm glow slowly moving upwards from your knees into your thighs and hamstrings.

The deeply,

Wonderfully relaxing glow continues upwards into your hips and glutes.

And with it,

Your whole legs feel wonderfully relaxed and heavy.

They settle deeper and deeper into the softness of the surface beneath you and into that lovely feeling of relaxation.

Now allow the warm glow to move into your lower pelvic area,

Your abdomen and your lower back,

Totally relaxing them.

It is so essential that this part of your body remains loose and limp,

Allowing your birthing muscles to be free to relax and tighten.

And as you let your abdomen relax,

Really,

Deeply relax.

The glow moves upwards into your chest and upper back and feel your torso settle deeper back into the ever-increasing softness of the surface beneath you.

Allow your chest to rise and fall easily with every breath.

And with every exhaled breath,

You naturally and easily settle deeper and deeper into relaxation.

The warm glow reaches your shoulders and they feel heavy as you permit them to deeply relax down.

The glow moves through your shoulders to your biceps and into your elbows,

From your elbows into your forearms,

From your forearms into your wrists,

From your wrists through to your hands and your fingers.

And with that wonderfully warm sensation of relaxation that the glow brings,

Comes a deeper,

Limper,

Looser and more tired feeling surrounding your body.

Imagine the glow now moving up and into your neck,

Through your spine and up into your head.

And with every exhaled breath,

You feel your neck become limper,

Looser,

More tired.

And your head becomes limper,

Looser and more tired.

You allow all the little muscles in your face to be surrounded by the warm glow,

Which brings a wonderful sense of relaxation,

Your forehead relaxing down onto your eyebrows,

Your eyebrows relaxing down into your eyelids,

Your eyelids feel heavy as they relax down onto your cheeks,

Your cheeks onto your jaw,

Your chin and mouth.

And as you feel yourself drifting further into total comfort,

Really allow your jaw to relax down.

It is so important that your jaw,

Chin and mouth remains loose and limp during labour,

As it directly affects the relaxing and opening of your cervix.

So now very softly rest your tongue in your mouth and allow your lower jaw to really recede and relax.

And soon every part of your head is wonderfully relaxed,

Your mind releases and your body releases.

Take another full breath,

Deeply filling your lungs and diaphragm and as you exhale,

Please settle down deeper and deeper and deeper.

Wonderfully relaxed,

Wonderfully relaxed,

Easily breathing and listening to the sound of my voice in the words I am speaking to you,

Allowing all other sounds,

However loud,

Sudden or close they may be,

Only to take you deeper and deeper into relaxation.

Now imagine yourself standing at the top of a short staircase.

Picture in your mind that there are 10 steps leading downwards to a wonderfully luxurious bed of clouds.

Shortly,

But not just yet,

You are going to walk down each step as I mention its number,

Towards that enticing bed of clouds.

And at the bottom of the staircase you'll take a deep breath and imagine sinking deeply into that bed of clouds.

So shortly,

When you descend the staircase,

Please allow yourself to relax more and more deeply into a wonderful sleepy state.

Ready now?

Stepping down from the 10th step onto the 9th and instantly feeling more relaxed as you do so.

As every step that I mention,

You allow yourself to become more calm and more comfortable.

Down now onto the 8th step,

Deeper and deeper to the 7th,

Feeling more and more relaxed now as you go down to the 6th step and then the 5th step.

Every step that I mention you are traveling deeper and deeper downwards towards that soft luxurious bed of clouds that is waiting for you at the bottom.

Now you're down already to the 3rd step where you're feeling very,

Very relaxed.

Now further and further down and onto the 2nd step.

Down now to the 1st step,

The last step.

Turning your attention downwards you see that within reach the bed of clouds looks so soft,

So warm and so inviting.

Imagine how comfortable,

Safe and secure sinking into its luxurious depths is going to feel.

Now take a slow deep breath all the way in and hold it for a moment and as you let that breath out imagine yourself falling deeply into the softness of the bed of clouds.

Downwards,

Downwards,

Downwards.

Safely and happily sinking deeper and deeper into its comfortable depth,

Feeling yourself drifting towards a wonderfully relaxing sleep.

Settled down right comfortably into the bed now,

Feeling safe and secure,

Positive,

Calm and happy to listen to and absorb the words I am speaking to you.

Each and every time you practice harnessing relaxation for birth you will find that you go more soundly and more deeply into this wonderful place where you will be aware of only how deeply relaxed and comfortable you are.

Each and every time you commit to conditioning your body and mind for a positive labour you will be able to achieve this deeply relaxed state in a shorter amount of time.

Yes,

Each and every time you actively relax you will be able to go deeper and deeper into an ultimate state of relaxation,

Preparing your body to respond with the same deep level of relaxation that you will call upon as your labour advances on your baby's birthing day.

Soon you will come to find that you can bring yourself into this deeply relaxed state at a moment's notice.

Your breathing is soft and rhythmic and you feel your body respond to the soft rhythmic breathing as your breathing and heartbeat slow to a perfect resting rate.

Thoughts of how your relaxation is benefiting both you and your baby are reassuring.

You are acutely aware of how your abdomen and lower pelvic area are totally relaxed and you know it is so essential that this part of your body remains loose and limp when you are in labour.

Allowing your birthing muscles to learn to instinctively relax,

Letting the blood flow freely so they can rhythmically,

Naturally and intermittently relax and tighten as you labour on your baby's birthing day.

A sense of confidence washes over your mind as you innately trust your baby and your body to know exactly how to birth.

All of nature is in tune with relaxed birthing and you are in tune with your body's birthing ability.

You know birth is normal and healthy.

You know labour is a natural function of your body.

You have faith your lower body is designed to give birth and that your baby's body is designed to be birth.

With this knowledge you free your body and mind to work with the natural energy of birth and find yourself deeply welcoming your birthing instincts both now and as your labour advances.

And you resolve to remain deeply relaxed,

Keeping your mind open and free as your labour advances and intensifies on your baby's birthing day.

Your abdomen,

The area that houses your womb and reproductive organs,

Is like a sponge and every time you condition it for relaxation it absorbs calmness and positivity,

Gently soothing your baby and creating a glow of tranquility.

Every muscle and nerve and every cell relaxing and you know that this relaxing energy is helping to positively prepare you for a healthy birth.

Your mind is filled with assurance,

It's awash with calm and you feel confident.

Your mind has untold strength and capacity to withstand all intense feelings you may encounter when labouring.

And as you further tune your mind into thoughts of relaxed birthing,

You trust that your mind and body will be well prepared when it is time to birth your baby.

You approach birth as an informed and protective parent,

Making decisions that you know are exactly right for your baby and yourself in line with your trusted caregivers.

And you now become acutely aware of the growing feelings of positivity,

Confidence and calm which are developing and getting stronger day by day as you embrace the knowledge that birth is a normal life event.

And please take another full breath,

Deeply filling your lungs and diaphragm,

And as you exhale settle down deeper and deeper and deeper.

Wonderfully relaxed,

Easily breathing and listening to the sound of my voice and the words I am speaking to you.

You are so deeply connected to your relaxed body and positive mind and you can enhance their strength and utilise their protective qualities.

In fact,

Right now you can project your positive,

Relaxed and calm feelings like a warm and wonderful glow to surround your whole body.

Now imagine and allow this warm,

Relaxing glow to softly encompass your body like a dim,

Warm,

Fuzzy light and you can come to a deep understanding that this relaxing glow surrounding you is your protective shield.

Its positivity protects you from any potentially negative words,

Thoughts or feelings.

And you can carry this positive shield wherever you go,

During pregnancy,

Birth and beyond.

See yourself surrounded by your protective glow,

Become filled with the positivity of the glow as your mind and body work in natural harmony with your baby.

Let the glow permeate every part of your essence while you continue to grow in confidence and belief that you will indeed have a positive birth.

The positive,

Protective glow is so strong that you allow any negativity you encounter to be gently pushed away from you,

Your baby and your family.

Inside your protective,

Warm,

Glowing shield are only positive thoughts of confidence and comfort.

And any negative thought,

Word or message that tries to get in just makes your warm,

Glowing shield even stronger.

So that only positive messages,

Positive images or positive comments can filter through to you.

And this shield will always be surrounding you,

Your baby and your family,

So that you can feel peace,

Comfort and safety always.

You are so safe and warm in your glowing protective shield of positivity that whenever someone may tell you a stressful story,

Or someone shares their own experiences in a negative light,

You can simply block out the negativity.

It cannot penetrate your calm,

Protective,

Glowing shield.

In fact,

Even if you have experienced a stressful labour in the past,

You notice now that you have already begun filtering out the negative thoughts and feelings associated,

And are left with positive,

Comforting thoughts about the upcoming birth of your child.

This warm,

Glowing shield that you have created protects you in many other ways as well.

It gives you complete peace as a parent,

A partner and an individual.

It keeps you grounded,

Focused and rational in regards to any challenges you face.

And please take a full deep breath,

And as you exhale,

You can mentally confirm to yourself,

I am confident,

I will positively birth my baby.

And each time you condition your body and mind to relax,

Your shield becomes stronger,

And you are overcome with positive thoughts and feelings.

Your confidence is unwavering.

You are truly empowered to birth your baby positively,

Empowered to make all of the right choices for you,

Your baby and your family.

You innately know that your body and your baby have the natural ability to work together in childbirth.

That's right,

You know your body instinctively knows how to give birth,

So you choose to trust your body and the natural labour sensations.

You allow your instincts to come to the surface,

You easily relax your body and release to the natural sensations,

Accepting that the ever increasing intensity of your labour signifies that you are progressively getting closer to meeting your baby.

You inhale deeply and fully to meet each sensation,

Surge or contraction,

And you exhale to release as any intense sensations pass and melt away.

As you do so,

You feel strong and confident.

You easily tune in and listen to your inner voice and find positions and movements that feel natural,

That feel like they are progressing your baby's arrival.

You trust that your baby's birth has its own perfect time scale,

And you surrender to the natural human experience,

The unique flow and rhythm of your birth.

You understand your labour may start and then stop,

It may speed up or slow down,

But it will still be normal.

You also know that remaining deeply relaxed will help your labour unfold at its own unique pace.

You accept whatever path your baby's birth takes,

With peace and comfort.

With each sensation you are more and more relaxed,

At ease and focused,

Tuning in to the wonderful amazing strength and power of your body,

Trusting your body,

Feeling nurtured by those around you,

Encouraging you.

You are doing an amazing job.

Trust that there is nothing you need to do except breathe,

Relax and listen to your body and your caregivers.

And when the time is right,

You surrender to the increasingly powerful downward sensations,

Meeting the different energy and intensity of transition with courage and acceptance,

Knowing that you'll soon meet your baby,

Breathing and bearing down to your belly,

Your bottom and your baby,

Open to all the different rhythms of the birth journey,

Welcoming your baby with open arms.

And now it is time to continue on your birth journey in a relaxed,

Calm and confident manner,

Trusting your body and your baby.

Whatever stage you may be currently in,

Tap into your innate ability to identify what you need and where you need to be,

And know you are able to easily call upon these deeply soothing feelings of relaxation anytime you wish.

All you need to do is intentionally take a full,

Deep,

Relaxing breath in and out.

Whatever stage you are in your pregnancy,

Allow yourself to feel content,

Calm and relaxed as you continue to build trust in your body and your baby to carry out the natural progression of pregnancy and birth in exactly the time frame that is perfect for you both.

So just allow yourself to relax and trust,

Feeling deeply,

Deeply connected to your body and baby,

Remaining positive,

Comfortable and calm.

And you know it is important to relax often and well.

And you can revisit this audio experience regularly to continue to hone the skill of utilizing your relaxation response.

And you are going to feel so refreshed and calmed.

And this calmness will spread to all types of situations and times in your life.

Shortly,

I am going to count slowly from one to five.

And while this signals the time to end this audio recording,

The choice is yours as to whether you slip into a deep,

Relaxing,

Natural sleep or awaken immediately.

If it is the right time to choose to enter sleep,

Then you will find it deeper and more restful than normal.

Easily able to wake in the event of an emergency or the call of nature.

And when you do awaken,

Either after my count from one to five,

Or after your restorative sleep,

You will find yourself calm and refreshed.

You will find that you are wide awake,

Feeling very positive,

Motivated and happy.

Looking forward to the birth of your baby,

Bringing with you renewed optimism and positivity.

Feeling relaxed,

Happy and confident.

At ease in your own skin,

Peaceful in your mind.

Here we go now.

One,

Two,

Three,

Four,

Five.

And if it is time to open your eyes,

Feeling alert,

Feeling confident and looking forward with joy to the birth of your baby.