Visualising your birth - does it help?

Or am I kidding myself?

I have a vision - right from start of contractions through to the final push of how I *want* my birth to go... And it never wavers and even in my dreams its the same.

I know that its helping me and Im feeling confident about it all now - I just hope that Im not setting myself up for a huge fall.

I know that things can go awry - and I have discussed that with my 2 wonderful supportive VBAC pro Obs.... I know what will happen - I have been there before.

So did you visualise you birth?

Kate

With DD1 - no. I could never imagine or visualise myself giving birth in the hospital. Just never came to me.

With DD2 - yes. I didn't visualise myself actually labouring in the birth centre, that part never came to me, but I did visualise lifting the baby up from between my legs and onto my chest after pushing him/her out (didn't know the gender at the time).

This time I haven't yet, but its still early for it to come to me. The birth painting I did the other day really did help me put it out to the universe how I will deal with it, even if there isn't any images of WHERE I will be labouring.

Visualisation is the best, and I don't think you are setting yourself up for a fall. Its just another piece of the puzzle slipping into place for your birth preparations :)

ABSOLUTELY!! To be honest with DD (my first) I didn't and I really noticed the difference in how I coped. Despite being a midwife I still didn't know what to expect/do as a first time labouring mum. With DS for the minute I found out I was expecting him I started imagining his birth and how I would do and what I methods I would. I was a beautiful birth which I felt completely in control and comfortable in. I also believe one of the most important things for a beautiful birth/labour is your support person. They need to be on the same page as you and fully there for you the entire time.
Visulation is really important. Always remember your goal and to visualise with each surge/contraction is your cervix opening up and bringing your gorgeous little one closer.
Best of luck with your birth hun!!

I did - like you, I had an exact visualisation of how I wanted - no, how I thought each part of it would be.

And it wasn't anything like it, but that was ok, I didn't freak out because it was different. I was more annoyed that I had to be on the bed - I really wanted to be mobile - I didn't have any thoughts of 'this isn't how it's supposed to be!' or anything.

I'm a little bit disappointed now, but again, not in how it differed from my ideas, only in the things that I could have changed ITMS. For example, once my waters broke & she moved into the birth canal, I didn't have to be on my back, but no-one thought to tell the midwife, and I wasn't in a frame of mind to think about it.

What visualising it did for me was to make me feel more relaxed about it, I was looking forward to my labour. I think you always have at the back of your mind that things might go differently - but if it gives you something positive to focus on then that's a good thing.

Yep, for sure. It was right both times, pretty much. I didn't have a great idea with DS1 of course, but I could still imagine a fair bit of it. And you know what, with DS2 I tried and tried to visualise this amazing birth we were going to have.......and pretty much every time had a view from the table in the operating room. I could just see it. I blocked it out all of my pg, but you know what? At the end of the day it was a (beautiful) caesar.

I do believe that visualising is very helpful in birth preparation.

ETA Fleur, I think that's how it helped me with DS1. I had thought about it so much, that I went into labour really looking forward to it.......and I ended up loving it!

Thanks Ladies!

I was the same with DD - as she was my first I had no idea what to expect and I got scared.

But this time I feel ready and I am looking fwd to it - I know there will be pain - but Im ready to embrace it this time - go with the labour flow and not fight it.

Ill keep visualising and see how we go in 4-6 weeks!! :)

I am trying really hard to visualise the birth of number 3 - I think it'll really help when the time comes.

I've never been in labour so I can't speak from experience, but I know 'me' and I like to have an idea on how things will play out - so I think its quite a smart thing to do.

I'm your virtual cheering squad hun!!

I visualised... not in detail but in baby and I working with the contractions (surges) and moving down the birth canal and out into the world. I think I was aware in my visualising that if I was set on a certain way I may have to deviate. My first was c/s... I didn't visualise anything, didn't know anything either lol. Second (VBAC) I did hypnobirthing and they teach visualisation but I did have to deviate and had vacuum assistance... so by the 3rd I think that is why I only visualised it as a successful VBAC2 but not the details... if that makes sense? Does it help... for me ABSOLUTELY without a doubt yes!

I did, every last detail, and I really think it helped me. Our doula also recommended writing out a birth script, of just how I saw it all happening, and I found that was helpful too. Naturally there was the odd difference here and there during the real thing, but all in all my birth went just as I had planned (I do acknowledge this could be a fluke though, and how lucky I was!)

Yes I did alot of visualisation for DD's birth, but more for this one as I know what to expect now.

Remember visualisation during labour is also very important too - seeing yourself holding your baby in your arms. When in labour I would look across at the baby's crib that had the blanket she was going to be wrapped up in and I would tell myself "I'm going to see my baby very soon i'm going to see my baby very soon" and that kept me focused!!

YES i believe it does (however i ended up with a CS) but i visulised getting fully dilated and I DID! (but DS was still too high to push and in distress :( )

I spent a lot of time thinking about the way I wanted my birth to go and visualising my DD2 head down and opening my cervix. I am a practical person so visualising flowers opening didn't work for me. I found a really good animation on youTube of a baby moving through the birth canal and the cervix dialating that helped me be able to 'see' it when thinking about my birth.
Everything went as I wanted it to go right down to my waters not breaking before at least 8cm (so baby was nice an cushioned and still had room to readjust position if need be).
I am a big believer that visualisation works.