No matter how you end up giving birth – labor and delivery can be tough. Not only is it physically exhausting, but you will often times wind up emotionally exhausted as well. Using birth affirmations is one way to naturally control how you feel and experience your pain.
Having a set of printable birth affirmations can go a long way in helping your mental health and positivity on this big day.
Your mindset plays a huge role in how you handle labor and childbirth. A positive mindset that believes you are capable of hard things will change how you approach challenges and problems.
Tapping into your natural pain relief system – your mindset – during birth reduces pain more than morphine. Some studies suggest that these pain relief systems, such as using birth affirmations, decrease the pain up to 355.
You’d be crazy not to give that a whirl! Keep reading to learn more about how to use these mantras for childbirth.
Related: 91+ Love Affirmations to Attract Positive Romance and Love in Your Life and Marriage
What are Birth Affirmations?
Your body and mind are connected in ways you may not even understand. If you go into labor and delivery expecting the birth to be traumatic (like it often is in the movies), that will likely be how your labor and delivery turns out.
However, you have a choice. You can choose to change the narrative about your birth and change your body and mind.
One of the most powerful and effective tools for pregnant women is birth affirmations.
Positive birth affirmations can empower you during labor. They are simply positive phrases or statements about birth that you repeat over and over again.
Repeating these positive birth affirmations with confidence will allow you to challenge any negative or anxious thoughts about your upcoming birth. They convince you to go after what you want – your baby – and give you the courage to believe in yourself.
Why Should You Use Birth Affirmation Cards?
Using birth affirmation cards is scientifically proven to help you to reprogram and rewire the negative thoughts that are in your brain and to reaffirm positive thoughts to help you overcome your fears and overwhelm during labor.
Printable birth affirmations will allow you an easy way to have these affirmations right where you need them. Once you print out your positive birth affirmations, simply repeat them to yourself over and over again.
Eventually, through tons of repetition, using these positive birth affirmations will begin to rewire your subconscious mind.
Birth mantras work on their own, but you also can tie them to other forms of pain management. Hypnobirthing goes well with mantras and affirmations. Hypnobirthing combines controlled breathing, guided visualizations, and using positive thoughts to help reduce pain.
Related Post: 18 Things Not to Do After Giving Birth
Are Birth Affirmations Just For Non-Medicated Births?
Contrary to popular belief, birth affirmations are not only for non-medicated births! You can use positive birth affirmations during any type of delivery including natural birth, induced labor, medicated labor, or even a c- section.
Most women think that if they are getting an epidural, they don’t need to learn any pain management techniques. However, you never know how your birth will pan out.
You could still be laboring for hours before you receive the epidural or you may not even get to the hospital with enough time to get it. You’re always going to experience some pain, negative thoughts, and emotions during labor with or without an epidural.
It can also be useful to repeat your birth affirmations during the time between being cut open and your baby being pulled out during a c- section.
Related Post: Signs That Labor is 24-48 Hours Away
Can Positive Birth Affirmations Actually Make Childbirth Easier?
When you use positive statements that are related to birth it can increase your confidence and comfort. When your body feels more relaxed and at ease, your labor can move quicker and feel less painful.
Here are 25 natural birth affirmations that can encourage you to think differently about birth, and set you up for success in your journey.
If you would like to have your affirmations as a set of printable birth affirmations this set on Etsy is prepared and ready! All you need to do is print, laminate, and start using!
How to Use Birth Mantras During Childbirth
You might wonder how to actually use birth affirmations while in childbirth. These mantras help reprogram your thoughts throughout the birthing process. Thoughts control your actions, so as you shift your thoughts, you will be able to change how you behave throughout your contractions.
Birth affirmations work by reading them, but when you tie emotions to them, they become even more effective.
Here are some suggestions.
- Record yourself before labor repeating the mantras, so you can listen to them.
- Hang birth affirmation cards in your hospital room.
- Make a poster with your favorite affirmations.
- Read your affirmations and ask yourself how it would feel if you embodied your mantra.
You can use the affirmations to prepare for birth and during it. Childbirth is as much mental as it is physical.
52 Birth Affirmations to Empower You Through Labor
The most powerful birth mantras are those that empower you and help you remember you are capable of doing hard things. They should be positive, persuasive, and meaningful.
1. It’s not pain it’s power.
2. I am a strong capable woman, and I can do this.
3. I trust my instincts.
4. My mind and body are relaxed.
5. My baby is working on a perfect position for birth.
6. I am surrounded by love and so is my baby.
7. Each wave of my body brings me closer to meeting you.
8. I put all fear aside as I prepare for the birth of my baby.
9. I will be calm for the sake of my baby.
10. Inhale strength, exhale pain.
11. My body is powerful.
12. I can do anything for a minute.
13. I look forward to my birthing day.
14. With this pain, I am giving life to my child.
15. Soon I will meet my baby, and the pain will go away.
16. I put all fear aside as I prepare for the birth of my baby.
17. I cooperate with my body and my baby.
18. Soft jaw, soft hands, breathe.
19. I will meet my baby soon!
20. Birth is the ultimate act of love!
21. I relax and my body relaxes with me.
22. My muscles work in complete harmony to make birthing easier.
23. My birth is going exactly as it should.
24. My body was meant to do this.
25. I am flexible and receptive to change.
26. Birth is miraculous no matter what happens.
27. The most important thing is the safe delivery of my baby.
28. I am giving my baby the best birth possible.
29. I am brave confident and able.
30. Open. Surrender.
31. I can do it because I am doing it.
32. I can’t go around it; I have to go through it.
33. Breathe in ability. Breathe out resistance.
34. I will never have to do that contraction again.
35. Women all over the world are birthing with me right now.
36. I am stronger than I ever imagined.
37. Sink into it. One at a time.
38. Fear is a liar.
39. My contractions can never be stronger than me. They are me.
40. It can’t last forever. Babies always come.
41. Pain is part of the process. I let it be. I know it will be over soon.
42. I welcome surges. I don’t fight against them.
43. I look for breaks and sink into them.
44. Change makes change.
45. I keep breathing. I keep relaxing. I listen to my body.
46. I am strong enough to let my baby be born the way baby needs.
47. I continue to ask for what I need.
48. I have time, support, and all the tools. I need to process my experience and find myself in it.
49. My birth is full of possibilities.
50. I am able to encourage myself no matter the circumstances I find myself in.
51. I gracefully surrender to the process of creating life.
52. I am proud of who I am.
What Should I do With Printable Birth Affirmations?
What you choose to do with your natural birth affirmations is totally up to you! Some mothers choose to laminate their birth affirmations and put them in their hospital bag so that they can then tape them around the hospital room or birthing room.
You may also choose to put them on a ring, and carry with you for months before the delivery. Reading the affirmations before labor can help you to get encouraged.
During labor, you can also have your partner read the affirmations to you.
Postpartum Affirmations
After childbirth, you may feel a poor sense of body image. It happens to most new moms because of the huge change your body has just gone through.
Serenity Kids’ positive affirmations for body image can help with those feelings of discontentment with your body and feel more empowered than ever.
However you choose to use your natural birth affirmations, I am sure your birth will be everything you expected and more!
