So, you’re pregnant, and that means that, at some stage, you’re going to give birth. As much as the idea might be a scary one that you’d rather not think about, it’s also inevitable, and thinking about it is a very good idea indeed because the more you think about it, the more you can get ready and be prepared, the better decisions you can make and, ultimately, the calmer you can be about the whole thing, which is going to be best for you and your baby. With that in mind, here are some things you need to know before giving birth. 

Prenatal Care

Prenatal care is something you need to know about as early on in your pregnancy as possible, and seeing your doctor and midwife when you discover you’re pregnant, as well as regularly throughout your pregnancy, will help you understand what prenatal care is all about and why it’s so important. In fact, these appointments are one factor of prenatal care, so you can tick that off your list already. 

As well as seeing the professionals to have your baby’s development checked over and to get your questions answered, there are other aspects of prenatal care to think about too – eating a healthy, well-balanced diet and drinking enough water is one of them, and exercising throughout your pregnancy is another (that sounds tricky, but there are exercises designed for all stages of pregnancy, so you can keep your fitness levels up). Plus, you can take folic acid and other vitamins to help keep your baby safe and healthy, and that’s another aspect of prenatal care to put in place. 

Birth Plan Options 

When you create a birth plan, it’s going to help you feel more in control of the birth and labour, and although there’s a lot to research so you know that what you’re including is what you want, going through all that information slowly and methodically is worthwhile. Not only will you learn a lot, but you’ll find you’re a lot more confident and feel more prepared when you know every aspect of what will and could happen during labour and delivery.

Things to consider include where you want to have the baby, what pain management to use, who you want with you, and what interventions you’ll be happy with (sometimes birth doesn’t go according to plan, and the midwife or a surgeon may need to get more involved, using tools or surgery). There’s risk to any of these interventions, but equally, there’s a risk when they’re not used, and birth injuries that require birth injury solicitors to help with in the aftermath can occur – that’s why this is such an important thing to be sure about and to research as deeply as you can. 

Self-Care

As a mum-to-be, you’ll be thinking of your baby all the time, especially as the due date gets closer, but one thing you need to know before giving birth is that you also need to practice self-care and look after yourself at this time. Labour is hard and it’s going to take all your strength when you go through it, so the more you can look after yourself in the lead up, the more energy and strength you’ll have. 

Make sure you get plenty of rest – listen to your body and take all the naps you need (especially as that’s going to be a lot harder to do once your baby arrives), and take care of your mental health too; meditation, yoga, and mindfulness can be really useful.