When a woman comes to the decision to go for a VBAC for her next birth, we hope that the outside world will do nothing but support her; however, we know that’s not always the case.

Today we want to talk about how we, as moms, can stay in a positive birth space during pregnancy and birth.

Birth is a major event in our lives and we want it to be a positive one. How can we get ourselves in a positive place and not let the fear creep in?

Here are our five favorite tips.

Tip 1: Prepare Your Mind

We encourage you to work through any past experiences that bring on fear, trauma, or doubt for any upcoming births.

Talking about your past experience with someone who is supportive of your decisions is important. Birth trauma isn’t uncommon in women who have had a difficult birth previously.

In our VBAC course, we do a fear release activity with our couples. Another great thing to do is read stories and listen to birth stories on podcasts like The VBAC Link that can help inspire and hopefully clear a lot of fear through the stories and education.

Tip 2: Get a Good Birth Team (Family, Provider, Doula)

Getting your birth team set in stone early on can bring you comfort. They can help you as questions come up and give you education to eliminate your fears and uncertainties.

Your birth team will also bring positivity to your space when you need it. They can listen to you when and if you need to vent, hold you if you need to cry, and continue to support and educate you along the way.

Want to know more about what a doula can do for you? Check it out here.

Tip 3: Get Educated

Educate yourself. Having the facts can truly help so much when someone presents you with negative questions, comments, and stories.

If you have this tool in your back pocket, it puts power in your seat and will help you continue to help educate those who are not supporting the decisions you’re making.

Tip 4: Envision Your Birth Space

Meditation is not for everyone, and that’s okay! However, it’s a good idea to take 10-20 minutes each day to slow down, close your eyes, and picture your birth.

Picture your body dilating and pushing your baby out of your vagina. Maybe you are in low light, maybe it’s a sunny day and the sun is peeking through the window–see yourself in that very moment.

Who is with you, what is being said, what type of touch do you want/need. Our minds are so powerful and if we close our eyes everyday and picture what our birth looks like for us, we can get our minds in a positive uplifting space.

Tip 5: Slow Down

This is the best gift you can give to your baby and yourself. Try and avoid overthinking and overdoing and allow yourself rest and downtime.

The last couple weeks as you’re gearing up for the big day, your mind tend to race and may even start doubting.

Providers may cause a sense of urgency for scheduling another C-section due to size, due date approaching, etc… It may be hard, but try so hard to slow down and stay in that positive space.

Apps and Extras

There are so many things out there that we use to get us into a good mental space. Along with classes like hypnobabies, hypnobirthing, etc., there are many apps and activities available. (See our post “Does Hypnobirthing Work?” for more information about hypnosis for VBAC.)

We recommend the following apps: Headspace, Calm, and SimpleHabit.

Have a mother’s blessing, print and say positive birth affirmations, attend positive birth groups with your ICAN chapter, and join positive VBAC groups on Facebook. We have a supportive VBAC Link Facebook group you can join here.

Check out episode 39 of our podcast to hear about Caitlin who is the perfect example of mentally preparing for VBAC. You will never guess what her mantra was!

Feeling nervous before your VBAC? Enroll today in our Ultimate VBAC Prep Course for Parents, the most comprehensive course you’ll find about what to expect from a VBAC!