The Ritual

Written by Midwife Kaleen Richards

At around 36weeks I encourage my pregnant moms to start a nightly ritual to prepare themselves for labor and the birth of their baby. A ritual is defined by Wikipedia as “ a stereotyped sequence of activities, performed in a sequestered place, and designed to influence preternatural entities or forces on behalf of the actors ’goals and interest”.  And so I had to Wikipedia “preternatural” from that point which is defined as “that which appears outside or beside the natural. In contrast to the supernatural, preternatural phenomena are presumed to have rational explanations that are unknown.” Okay so like when I still get blown away at a birth that a little human somehow comes through our bodies and is absolutely perfect……totally preternatural!

To prepare for this event that, in actuality there is no way to prepare for because it requires the complete release of control (am I freaking you out yet lol), we perform a nightly ritual. This mentally gives us or our ego, the security that we have prepared. It physically strengthens our body and encourages good fetal position. It also connects us with our partner and/or our baby and focuses our soul on what our hearts desire.

The ritual generally occurs at night with a hot bath or shower. We encourage practicing with a bath because it is what we use in labor. When you completely relax in the bath now your muscles will remember once in labor and do the same.  Making a playlist of music you enjoy and hope to use for your birth can be listened now to enhance relaxation. Hot baths are fine in pregnancy as long as you get out once cold and don’t keep refilling with hot water. Jacuzzis are not. When you get out of the bath oil up! I like Apricot oil because it is light, odorless, and high in vitamin E but you can use olive oil, coconut oil, or jojoba oil. Get the breasts and appreciate how they have changed and are preparing to grow your baby on the outside. Rub your belly and baby and connect with what position they are in and how much they have grown to prepare for their journey earthside. Spinningbabies.com is a great website for baby mapping and determining how they are lying. Head down most important then back along the front not your back is the second goal. Take your thumb and dip in the oil. Rub it on your perineum to help saturate the area with vitamin E. We don’t need to “stretch” the vagina or perineum for birth, just reinforce it with vitamin E oils for elasticity. Continue down to your legs and now you are truly glowing! Next get into bed and do a few stretches. Cat- Cow, butterfly, inversions, hip flexors, whatever feels good or what we have told you to do for optimal fetal positioning. Lastly, with your partner or by yourself, practice Hypnobirthing.  Even if you fall asleep in the first 5 minutes, subconsciously you are getting the techniques and your muscles are going to remember!

Try to practice your ritual nightly or at least 4 times a week. We all have things we are busy with but this is important…..you are important…..your birth experience will forever change you and this will help you know what you want and prepare  body-mind-and soul for it to happen.