Coping Strategies for Any Birth

Photo credit: @dearbirth

Labor differs dramatically from person to person! So how do we plan to cope, when we never know how labor will unfold?

One method or tool that can help to cope during labor is to use what Penny Simkin coined “The Three R’s”…

✨RELAXATION ✨
In early labor —>
🎥 Watch a movie
🛀🏼 Take a long shower or bath
Later in labor —>
💤 Relax between contractions by resting in child’s pose, side-lying, or leaning against a partner; some people even sleep! 

✨RHYTHM & RITUAL ✨ 
Anything repeated rhythmically through each contraction becomes a ritual! 
Some are completely spontaneous and emerge during labor 🎶, and others are learned before birth 🧘🏻‍♀️

Here’s what to keep in mind with these coping strategies: 
💥 Use them as long as they work, and then shift when they aren’t serving you. 
💥 Your birth team can be a huge help in getting you back on track if you’ve lost your rhythm. 

Interested in learning more embodied coping strategies for labor Join us for our prenatal and our embodied childbirth education series!