In this week’s episode of The Mommy Labor Nurse Podcast, we talked ALL about preparing for labor….and specifically 10 things you shouldn’t forget! Because for most mamas, birth feels like the great unknown amiright?
You’re going to your prenatal visits, checking things off your third-trimester to-do list, maybe your hospital bag is even packed.
Yet as your due date draws closer, feelings of anxiety, what-ifs, and maybe even some fear are filling your head. Maybe you’re actually thinking, “Can I really do this?”
I’m here to tell you that you CAN. It’s going to be ok! In this podcast episode, my main focus is giving you 10 things you should do before labor starts. Here’s a peek into what I talked about:
- Our first ever free birth prep workshop!
- Tip 1: Keeping a positive mindset
- Tips 2 and 3: Think through the logistics and pack a hospital bag
- Tip 4: Prep your body for labor
- Tips 5, 6, and 7: Create a birth plan, take a birth class, prepare your partner
- Tips 8, 9, and 10: Practice your pain-coping strategies, lean into your nesting instincts, and prepare for postpartum
- Wrapping up the episode
- This week’s sponsor: Kiwico
- Want to erase anxiety and actually feel excited about birth?
- Have an even better birth!
Follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over 640k for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!
Our first ever free birth prep workshop!
If I piqued your interest with the “birth prep” talk – you should TOTALLY check out our free birth preparation workshop we just released this past week! In fact, this podcast episode is SPECIFICALLY in honor of this free class we just put out.
Inside you’ll…
- Discover the 3 elements of birth preparation that pack the most punch towards a positive experience
- Walk away with tons of actionable tips you (and your partner!) can start practicing right away
- Participate in live demonstrations of pain coping strategies
- And, be well on your way to an even better birth!
We’ve had over 6,000 mamas take the class already, just in the first week, with so much amazing feedback! You can check it out right here!
Tip 1: Keeping a positive mindset
To kick off this list of 10 things to do before labor starts, I talk all about mindset! This one has such a big impact on your perception of birth and is something everyone can start working on no matter where they’re at in pregnancy.
Inside of the episode, you’ll hear me discuss ways you can cultivate this positive birth mindset, including listening to positive birth stories, using birth affirmations, and getting educated about birth to boost confidence!
Tips 2 and 3: Think through the logistics and pack a hospital bag
Okay, this one might seem obvious, but I actually don’t hear it talked about enough! When I say logistics, I mean things like what car will you take, what’s the fastest route to the hospital, where do you park, is your bag packed, car seat installed, etc.
When you tune in, you’ll hear more details about all of these points – with a special emphasis on that dry run to the hospital, because I’ve seen it TOO many times that couples don’t know where to park or don’t know what entrance to go in (especially if it’s after hours!)
Here’s a quote from this part of the episode:
“Working through and planning out the logistics surrounding birth can eliminate so much mental burden from your mind, thus leading to the positive mindset in tip number one!”
You’ll also hear me talk about packing your hospital, but making sure you do it with intention! In the episode, you’ll hear me reference these resources to help you out:
- Tips for Packing the Perfect Hospital Bag from an L&D Nurse
- Mommy Labor Nurse Hospital Bag Checklist
Tip 4: Prep your body for labor
“So point number four is prep your body for labor and delivery. We actually just put out our brand new free birth preparation workshop. If you guys haven’t heard about it, it’s awesome. It’s a whole hour long. It’s like a free little class that you can sign up for. And spoiler alert one of the things that we talk about really heavily in this class is prepping your body for labor and delivery and how important that is.”
When you tune into the episode, you’ll hear me explain more about the why behind prepping your body, and what I’m even talking about. Most specifically we’re talking about encouraging baby into an optimal position and ripening your cervix.
Be sure to listen in to learn some tips on how to do this and the role that prenatal fitness plays in this process!
Tips 5, 6, and 7: Create a birth plan, take a birth class, prepare your partner
All right, I’m consolidating these three tips for the show notes because they really all kind of go together! Many of you probably know that I’m a big fan of birth plans (with a flexible mindset) because the process of making one helps facilitate conversations with your partner, provider, and yourself!
Taking it a step further, a birth class will erase unknowns, eliminate fear, and give you the tools you need to feel confident and excited about birth! And completing these two tasks with you partner is a powerful way to prepare them to.
When you tune into the episode, you’ll hear a lot more details on all of these topics! During the episode I mention a few resources:
Tips 8, 9, and 10: Practice your pain-coping strategies, lean into your nesting instincts, and prepare for postpartum
Okay, so as we round out this list of ten things to do, you’ll hear me talk about the importance of actually practicing the pain-coping strategies you’ve learned.
Seriously! You can’t be trying them for the first time when you’re in labor at an 8/10 on the pain scale. Familiarize yourself with different breathing and relaxation techniques and practice them now.
I teach you how to do this in the free birth prep workshop, and you’ll learn a TON of pain coping strategies inside our full-blown birth course to use on the big day.
As far as your nesting instincts and postpartum go, I discuss how nesting is a way to eliminate clutter from your mind and get your house feeling prepped!
I actually think cleaning, stocking up, and organizing are really valuable things to do before baby comes because it’ll be one less thing to stress about during postpartum.
The same thing goes for preparing for postpartum too! In the episode I give some specific tips and things to do including:
- Setting up a safe sleep space for baby in your room
- Stocking your freezer with either homemade or store bought meals
- Having personal care products on hand
- Gathering breastfeeding essentials if you plan to nurse your baby
Wrapping up the episode
Are you ready to get prepared for labor? You are going to birth it up, mama! These actionable tips will get you totally prepared and ready to rock your birth in no time.
If you have a tip to add to this list, I would love for you to comment on the show notes page on our blog, send me a DM, or leave a comment on one of my posts.
Let’s keep this conversation about labor prep going!
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Want to erase anxiety and actually feel excited about birth?
Get instant access to my FREE Birth Workshop to learn tons of pain-coping strategies and actionable tips today!
Have an even better birth!
CLICK HERE to learn more about our online birth classes that will help you feel prepared and in control – no matter how you deliver.
And be sure to follow @mommy.labornurse on Instagram to join our community of over half a million for education, tips, and solidarity on all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum!
