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5 Tips to Prepare for a Positive Birth After Reflux With Your First

Tips for Preparing for a Positive Birth after a reflux baby

 

Getting pregnant after a journey with reflux is incredibly daunting. So I'm delighted to welcome a guest post from The Positive Birth Company for those of you planning for a baby, perhaps another. Their jam is all about helping and supporting parents to feel more positive about pregnancy and birth.

 

Here are their five top tips, and read to the end, as I have something else for you.

 

1: Breathing

Learning a breathing technique to use during labour is so important and really will make the biggest difference. We teach two breathing techniques in hypnobirthing - up breathing and down breathing. Up breathing is used for the upstage of labour when the uterus muscles are drawing up and the cervix is dilating. Down breathing is used for the down stage of labour, where the muscles are pushing down, and you are birthing your baby.

 

2: Environment

Don’t underestimate how important your birthing environment is! Whether you’re giving birth at home, at a birth centre or in a labour ward, make sure you’ve planned how you’ll make that space calm and relaxing. Things like a birth playlist, battery-operated tealights and a nice room spray can instantly set the mood, transform your space and help you feel much more relaxed.

 

3: Birth Partner

Having someone you trust as your birth partner to advocate for you whilst you labour is so important. Make sure they know what your birth preferences are so they can ensure your wishes are respected. One of our favourite affirmations is ‘My birth partner is by my side, and on my side’, and it’s just so true. They are the keeper of the cave, and they’ve got your back!

 

4: Positive Reinforcement

A lot of what we teach in hypnobirthing is removing the fear around birth because you want to be relaxed. The more relaxed you are, the easier your birth will be. The best way of doing this is through positive reinforcement. Practice using positive affirmations, such as ‘My surges cannot be stronger than me because they are me’ and ‘My baby will be born calmly, gently and safely’. Watch positive birth videos and read positive birth stories. It’s super empowering stuff and will absolutely help you think of birth as a positive and wonderful experience.

 

5: Be Informed

Be in a position where you can make informed decisions that are right for you and your baby. Know your choices and options! You can have a positive and empowering experience no matter how your birth pans out if you feel like you are in control. In hypnobirthing, we teach the BRAIN decision-making framework to help you make these important decisions. This stands for Benefits, Risks, Alternatives, Instinct, and Nothing.

 

Ask yourself and your caregiver:

  • What are the BENEFITS of this decision?
  • What are the RISKS?
  • Are there any ALTERNATIVES?
  • What does your INSTINCT tell you?
  • What happens if you do NOTHING for an amount of time?

For more free hypnobirthing tips, visit The Positive Birth Company’s YouTube Channel.

 

BONUS TIP:

6: Be Prepared

I had to add a footnote to this blog because about 50% of babies born every year in the UK and US will experience infant reflux.

With that number of babies struggling, it is time that we started preparing parents rather than simply reacting, especially when the reactions are typically not fast not helpful.

 I'm here to change that. After years of working with families, I've been able to see some of the areas where parents can prepare themselves and reduce the risk of reflux. It's not a guarantee, however, I explain what are the main causes and prepare you so that you're in a much stronger place than before! Find out more about 'How to Avoid Baby Reflux' here.

 

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