Unhelpful Beliefs During Childbirth
“I have to be in control” is a very common unhelpful thought/belief.
There are a variety of reasons this belief is developed, including:
Your childhood home felt unpredictable, erratic, and/or unsafe
Parent figures were very controlling, where they may have been power struggles between you and your parent
You experienced abuse, neglect, or other traumas that were beyond your control
This belief is also VERY common in childbirth.
When we are giving birth, there is little to nothing within your control, in terms of how the labor and delivery pans out.
Yes, you can follow the medical practitioner’s recommendations, ask to go by your birth plan, and do all the labor and delivery prep - such as learning and practicing hypno-birthing.
At the same time, doing these things will not ensure that your birth will follow your plan; remove all risk of complications (for example, a hemorrhage); and automatically lead to a perfectly healthy baby.
As a result, people often feel anxious about their birth experience and grasp for what they have control over, including:
Reading as much information about pregnancy and birth as possible, in hopes that being informed enough will prevent ‘bad’ things from happening
Creating a detailed birth plan, without preparing for how you will cope if the birth strays for what you wish for yourself.
If you had previously experienced birth trauma, obsessing over the things that went “wrong” and thinking of ways to prevent the things from occurring again
If you resonate with any of this, and you are interested in identifying, and changing, your own unhelpful thoughts or beliefs…
Try my free eGuide, What’s Holding You Back?: 10 Common Limiting Beliefs in Parenthood.
Click here to get access to my eGuide!
