The context for this training might sound unusual in terms of the typical sport and performance zones of my work, but the training is actually very similar with the same goal in mind…To help expecting mums go through the process of their big event with an optimal state of mind and less stress, fear, and anxiety.
Generally it is approximated that clinical fear of childbirth complicates some 20% of pregnancies in developed countries.
It is expressed as being severe by 6% to 10% of expecting mothers and is manifested as nightmares, physical complaints and difficulties in concentrating on work or family activities.
In Finland, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, fear of childbirth or maternal request is the reason for about 7–22% of cesarean section (CS) births.
Research has shown, that fear of pain, a self-suspected low pain tolerance, and fear of being incapable of giving birth (unrelated to previous experience of childbirth), are the most common reasons for fear of childbirth.
What Contributes to this Fear of Child Birth?
At the most fundamental level of human nature, we are hard-wired to emphasize or talk about negative experiences over and above positive experiences. Google searches of the birth process are dominated by stories of adverse experiences, and the media sensationalizes birth in negative ways.
In addition, a significant amount of advertising used to sell products to mothers and mothers-to-be utilizes fear as a key selling technique.
We love drama, it is more compelling, but it can contribute to the development of unhealthy perceptions.
All of these external forces coupled with our own personal perceptions and experience influences the negative schema we can develop about the birth process as expecting mothers and fathers-to-be.
In general, anxiety during pregnancy is very constant, declining somewhat in the second trimester, but being most significant during the last trimester
About 80% of low-risk pregnant women experience some fear of childbirth and most doctors provide reassurance that this is normal.
When we place the mark of normality or routine on anxiety, it stops pro-activity in terms of change in its tracks. We settle and accept it as something we just have to live with.
While it’s normal and common to have some anxiety it’s far from optimal. There are ways to reduce the anxiety associated with birth and create a mind-set that is empowering.
One study In Finland, including 117 women who had fear of childbirth, showed that more than half withdrew their request for CS after being able to discuss their anxiety and fear with their practitioners, and natural deliveries after treatment were successful.
Ms MJ Ong, 31, Founder of Emendare Health and Wellness for women, had this to say about her birth experience: “The second time around, mentally there was a lot more acceptance that the body knows what it is doing, it is the boss in the business of childbirth, and pain is a natural response. I did not try to control everything. This allowed me to better focus on the most important part of the process, pushing the baby out and giving it all you got!”
There is a process of mental skills training that can help with building this acceptance and trust from the start.
The aim of psychological training to treat fear of childbirth is to help the expecting mum to control her pregnancy and childbirth-related anxiety, in a way that she can accept the uncertainties associated with the future childbirth.
The Training Process:
Breaking Down Unhelpful Beliefs
We work to remove the interference first, the unhelpful beliefs an individual has about birth or their capacity for birth.
I am not an expert in the birth process, my expertise lies in helping individuals remove road-blocks to peak experience in sport, business and life. In the context of birth, I work with individuals to break down unhelpful beliefs and build new alternative perspective using factual evidence.
Shifting these belief patterns that are the root cause of anxiety, gives way for mind-to-body techniques such as, mindfulness and visualization to really be effective.
Paying attention to and altering the language we use when talking about birth is also part of this process. The language of dread, fear, pain, and trauma are replaced with natural, intuitive, and instinctual.
It is not just about positive thinking, it is about being “realistically optimistic” and providing tools for expecting mums to better respond to uncontrollable events during the birth process.
Visualization and Mindful Breathing Techniques
I work extensively with individuals in various contexts on mindful breathing, coupled with visualization associated with calmness, and enhancing the mind-body connection without judgement of feelings and sensations.
In the sport context, young athletes often appraise “nervousness” as a bad thing that can negatively affect their ability to perform. However, factual evidence tells us that nervousness is the body’s natural response to performance cues, letting the mind know it is ready to perform. When an athlete adopts a rational perception of nervousness, this removes negative judgement of these sensations in the body before competing, hyper-vigilance is also reduced, allowing room to focus on the task-at-hand in the present moment.
In the context of birth, fear interferes with our ability to process sensory information and increases psycho-physiological reactivity. Fearful individuals react more strongly to possible signals (hyper-vigilance) and appraise them as dangerous. Mindful breathing can be a powerful technique to promote mind and body awareness without judgement of our feelings and sensations.
When negative judgement is removed, we can be proactive rather than reactive and feel more in control, no matter what is happening inside and around us, and this is a powerful tool to have in the birth process.
An additional body-to-mind technique I practice involves progressive muscle relaxation, that teaches individuals to recognize the difference between full tension and full relaxation and practice deliberately tensing and relaxing muscle groups in the body.
Pre-Performance Rituals and Routines
Nothing facilitates control and empowerment better than the feeling of preparedness for any big event. When I work with athletes and corporate professionals, we create detailed routines for the day of their competition or major presentation.
Pre-Performance routines involve a series of actions combined with specific thoughts at every step to zone one’s focus and optimism leading into the main event.
Once the routine is carved out, time is spent visualizing one’s self executing these steps and activating the helpful thoughts. Rehearsing these steps in your mind can help you feel ready, prepared, and more settled.
Unlike the sport context, in the birth process, there is uncertainty around “when” the big event will begin (unless you have a scheduled C-section). In this regard, it’s even more important to feel like you have a plan for the very initial stage. Of course, it’s unrealistic to have a strict routine once you have reached the hospital under the guidance of health professionals, but you can take control of developing a ritual or routine to follow at home before heading to the hospital to facilitate calmness and incorporating the skills of mindful breathing and progressive muscle relaxation.
Our greatest interference creating stress and anxiety is in our minds. My philosophy is that if we can train our bodies to become fitter, tougher, and more skilled, we can do the same for our minds, and achieve positive experiences in even the greatest of life’s challenges.
Visit Dr Jay-Lee today to find out how you can better manage your stress and anxiety.
