Affirmations: Essential or Extra?

As you’ve researched unmedicated, natural or physiological birth at any stage in your journey I’m sure you have come across the term “Positive Affirmations”.

Some would argue that having positive thoughts are all fine and well, but do they actually HELP? I’m here to tell you, yes! Positive affirmations during labor and birth (or anytime we feel stressed, challenged or worried) play a pivotal role in outcomes. You see, we quite literally FEEL what we THINK. Ask any doula or midwife and they will tell you - fear slows down and complicates birth. When we know and believe that we possess the strength to endure difficult tasks - we do. It’s that simple.

The people around us play an important role in maintaining our head space to ensure we remain in our power and knowing. For instance, if your care provider is afraid, or doesn’t trust the process, you can easily be pulled from your place of knowing. Other people can inadvertently hinder or impact your focus and mental strength.

When you give work you’re doing big, important work that requires ALL of you—-physically, spiritually, emotionally. The last thing you need is someone taininting your powerful mind and you having to work hard to regroup.

Enter affirmations. Some women use a single affirmation during labor, some women many. There is no one right amount, or a perfect phrase - it’s simply a physical or verbal reminder. Affirmation are our own words to bring us back into our instinctual birth power. Affirmations serve as a way to bring us to where birth magic happens. Affirmations might be physically written and displayed in your birth room, or your birth partner (and/or doula) can recite them to you throughout labor.

Do you have any birth affirmations you used or plan to use in your birth? We have listed some below - please feel free to use them!

“I am enough.”

“This is not bigger than you - this is you”

“I am powerful enough to bring my baby into my arms”

“I am strong, I am powerful, I can do anything”

“I breathe, I open, I release.”