I created scrapbook pages or mini posters of the strategies or ideas that resonated most with me. I am a very visual learner and learn even more when writing or manipulating information with my hands, so creating posters helped me absorb all the information. Also, making them was therapeutic and relaxing.
The pages are hanging in our bedroom above the crib where we can read them everyday.
The first one has positive affirmations for me to think about throughout the pregnancy. I really believe in the quote: "The mind determines what the body experiences." I have had to reprogram my mind to remove our society's view of birth being a medical emergency in which women need drugs and doctors to cope with the pain. I feel so sad that in the United States we have allowed this wonderful, natural experience to be taken away from women and their babies and partners.
These give me prompts to remember information about early labor and strategies to use during early labor. I read these and visualize what the day will be like.
The first Active Labor poster are prompts for me, and the next two are for Andy and have more the hypnosis techniques.
Surrendering is going to be very important for me. I read an amazing birth story in which a woman described her contractions as surging ocean currents sweeping in and out of her body and she and her husband rode the currents together. I think this visualization will help me to surrender and trust my body, the universe, God...trust that everything will be okay.
These have prompts for both Andy and me to remember what happens during the 2nd stage of labor and a few additional techniques to add to the others.
Our birth instructor included a page in our manual titled "Let Your Monkey Do It" to keep things lighthearted. I created this page for the same reason to add humor and remind Andy and me to stay lighthearted and not get too caught up with memorizing hypothesis scripts or trying to remember all the information from our class or books.
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