Webster chiropractors can play a revitalizing and inspiring role in a new childbirth conversation. Regardless of a pregnant mother’s risks, choices, or unexpected circumstances, resources exist that can be offered to help the birthing family take charge of their birth experience in all births. Simply offering the message that pregnant couples can self-learn pragmatic skills to use in the activity of birth, allows any family to approach birth with newfound confidence. Please refer families to the list of skills-based resources.

When pregnant, it is normal and beneficial to self-learn birth skills and use those skills in the activity of giving birth, no matter the circumstances.

Creating a Skills-Based Birth Plan

(Tips for Parents)

Pregnant mothers and their partners can choose one or more skills-based resources to learn in the weeks and months leading up to birth. In partnership with their birth providers, pregnant women can ask that the skills they learn be noted by the birth professionals at each appointment. When the activity of birth commences, they can ask that their providers acknowledge the use of skills, and to remind us to use the skills if any challenges arise, encouraging us in our continued activity of giving birth.

Learning skills and sharing a “Skills-Based Birth Plan” with the obstetrician, midwife, or doula, helps assure that the birth team is congruent with the mother’s efforts. Birth skills help mothers achieve a positive birth experience, by providing an underlying sense of coherence amid the stresses of pregnancy and birth. Learning and applying skills for birth helps create a sense of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness during the birth experience. Birth is more than a physiological event that “happens to us.” It is something we can actively engage in using skills, for the mutual benefit of ourselves and our babies.

What are Birth Skills?

Within these skills-based resources, you will find techniques and methods to utilize breath and relaxation to better cope with the pain and intensity of birth. In addition, you will learn practical ways to prepare the soft tissue of the birth canal; learn methods to soften the muscles within the pelvis; and how to position the body to create greater space for the baby in labor. In addition to the chiropractor’s ability to balance the pelvis reducing uterine constraint and supporting greater physiological function within the body—self learning birth skills equips the birthing family with knowledge to work with the baby’s efforts during birth, in a conscious and empowered way.

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