Transform your labour by activating your five senses

This is a guest blog by Emily Hanton, founder of Bloom in Birth.

Transform your labour by activating your five senses (in the right kind of way)

Did you know that being relaxed during labour is fundamental to keep labour progressing well AND make it less painful?

What you need to know is that birth is the work of muscles. When you are relaxed, your muscles are loose, and your birthing muscles are able to work with ease. In contrast, when tense muscles try to function, it’s so much harder for them to do their job properly and makes it feel more painful. 

When you are relaxed, the hormone oxytocin will flow in abundance which keeps labour progressing efficiently (say hello to a shorter labour!) and helps the production of endorphins (your body’s very own powerful pain relievers). This is exactly what we need to help us through labour.  

There are many things that can cause us to feel tense during labour; one thing that often gets overlooked is how you perceive your birth setting. The things you can see, hear, smell, touch and taste can either increase your level of tension, or contribute to feelings of relaxation. 

Transform your hospital birth setting
If you plan to give birth in hospital, the bright lights, the smell of cleaning chemicals, the noise of strangers (maybe even the sound of other women in labour), beeping machines and the general feeling of unfamiliarity that comes from being somewhere new can cause anxiety, overwhelm and tension. So instead, what if you consciously create a peaceful delight for your senses? A wonderful, relaxing and familiar set-up can put you at ease, allow the tension to dissipate and make you feel much more relaxed. Here are five simple things you can do to engage your senses in a way that supports relaxation.

1. What can you see – hospital environments and especially all the bright lights can be visually overstimulating, making your brain work overtime and taking you out of your birth bubble. One solution for this is to remove visual distractions by wearing an eye mask (for extra luxury you could use a lovely, soft, silky one).
2. What can you hear – giving birth in hospital can be noisy. My top tip for this is to take some headphones with you so you can play your favourite music, a relaxing playlist or if you have done a hypnobirthing course, you can listen to your powerful hypnosis audios for ultimate relaxation. You would never know what is going on in the background and this is exactly how it should be!
3. What can you smell – smell is incredibly powerful when it comes to associations. Think about a time when a smell reminded you of something else, maybe the smell of a particular food unlocks a childhood memory. You can be instantly comforted by a particular smell, and on the flip side, certain smells can bring unhappy memories to the surface. You can use this to your advantage by using a calming, uplifting scent repeatedly throughout your pregnancy whilst you spend time relaxing and then use 
   this scent during labour. This can bring you an instant feeling of relaxation and calm. You can get rollerball scents that can be used anywhere and are perfect for popping into your hospital bag to take with you on the day. Don’t forget to check the scent is safe to use during pregnancy.
4. What can you feel (touch) – you would be surprised by how a comforting, cosy blanket, favourite old t-shirt and your own pillow can make such a big difference. It helps to bring a sense of familiarity to an otherwise unfamiliar space, which is really important for allowing the birth hormone, oxytocin, to flow beautifully.
5. What can you taste – some food and drinks are extremely comforting and relaxing. If you have been drinking a specific tea during pregnancy, one that brings you a wave of relaxation, drink it during labour to initiate that same feeling (it will help to keep you hydrated too). As a bonus top tip, add your tea to an insulated bottle with a straw for easy accessibility and to keep it warm throughout labour. Hot Tea Mama have a variety of award-winning teas that have been specially designed to support your body in the first, second and third trimester. See their fantastic selection here. 

Things to add to your hospital bag checklist:
 - Eye mask
- Headphones
- Rollerball scent (if you don’t have one, you can take a pure essential oil and pop some on a tissue to smell)
- Plenty of tea bags or other favourite food and drinks
- Insulated bottle with a straw
- Own pillow, blanket and clothing (don’t buy new ones, use the ones you know and love!)

Hopefully these simple, yet effective tips have inspired you to think about the kind of birth setting you want to spend time labouring in. Don’t underestimate the importance of being relaxed during labour, anything you can do to support this will be massively helpful. 

Emily Hanton, the founder of Bloom in Birth, is a Hypnobirthing Specialist and Antenatal Educator. She is passionate about helping women to have a positive birth experience and offers transformative birth preparation courses that help women feel calm, confident and capable as they approach labour. For further information about Emily and Bloom in Birth, please visit their website.