Create Your Own Birth Affirmations
Birth Affirmations are all the rage right now! These short, positive are meant to encourage empowerment and confidence for your birth experience. They’re often utilized by people planning unmedicated births, but I believe they can be used for any type of birth you’re planning. When connecting with my clients during prenatal visits, I love to walk them through creating birth affirmations that speak to their unique beliefs about birth, their hopes and desires for their birth and help combat any negative beliefs or fears. I work to help clients personalize their affirmations so that they truly resonate with you! If you’ve thought about creating birth affirmations, but aren’t sure to start, you’ve come to the right place as I’m sharing the exact process I use when working to create birth affirmations with a birth doula client.
A Doula’s Guide to Creating Birth Affirmations:
Step 1: Reflect on Your Beliefs
Before writing your affirmations, I encourage you to open up about your hopes, fears, and expectations surrounding childbirth. This foundation of trust will ensure that your affirmations are tailored to your individual needs and resonate deeply with you.
Consider these questions:
What are your hopes and expectations for your birth experience?
What are your beliefs about birth and where did they come from?
Are there any specific fears, anxieties or uncertainties you have?
Step 2: Reflect on Your Strengths
Take a moment to reflect on your strengths and resilience. Consider past challenges you've overcome and moments of triumph. Consider how you may have managed discomfort or pain (physical or emotional) in the past. What qualities do you possess that will serve you well during childbirth? What personal strengths can you utilize to help you achieve the vision for your birth?
Step 3: Address Your Fears
Acknowledge any fears or anxieties you may have about childbirth. Write them down and then reframe them into positive affirmations. For example, if you're afraid of the pain, transform it into "I trust my body's ability to handle the sensations of childbirth." By acknowledging your fears and rewriting them as affirmations, you reclaim your power and confidence.
Step 4: Visualize Your Ideal Birth
Close your eyes and imagine your ideal birth scenario. Picture yourself surrounded by love and support, feeling calm and empowered as you bring your baby into the world. Use your visualization to inform the creation of affirmations that align with your birthing vision. Visualizing your ideal birth experience will help you manifest it into reality.
Step 5: Put Pen to Paper
Once you’ve established your own beliefs, your vision, your hopes, your fears, and your strengths, NOW you can begin to write down unique affirmations that resonate with you and what you want out of your birth experience. Use present tense and “I am” statements to further impact the effects of the affirmations.
For example, rather than writing “Good things will happen,” write “Good things are happening.”
Here are a few of my favorite birth affirmations to give you some inspiration and help you get started. Feel free to use these or expand on them to really make them your own.
"My body was made to birth my baby, and I trust its wisdom."
"I am surrounded by love and support as I bring my baby into the world."
"Each contraction brings me closer to meeting my baby."
"I surrender to the natural rhythm of labor, knowing my body knows what to do."
"I am strong, capable, and resilient."
"I embrace the sensations of childbirth as signs of progress and strength."
"I trust my instincts and intuition to guide me through labor and delivery."
"With each breath, I release fear and welcome peace."
"I am connected to generations of women who have birthed before me."
"I am worthy of a positive and empowering birth experience."
I’ve also included some beautiful printed affirmations that you can cut out and hang around your birth space. Grab your copy!
Step 6: Repeat and Internalize
Once you've crafted your affirmations, incorporate them into your daily routine. Repeat them aloud or silently during meditation, visualization exercises, or moments of quiet reflection. Internalize these positive statements until they become ingrained in your mindset. By consistently reinforcing your affirmations, you'll cultivate a sense of confidence and readiness for childbirth.
Bonus: Affirmation Hack!
One of my favorite hacks for affirmations is to record myself repeating my affirmations out loud and then playing them back. Hearing them versus saying them gives the affirmation a little extra ooomph. Some days if I’m really busy or driving a lot and don’t have time to read through and repeat my affirmations, I’ll turn on my recording. Other days if I have more time to sit and focus, I’ll read through them and repeat them out loud.
Creating empowering birth affirmations is a simple, yet effective tool for preparing mentally and emotionally for childbirth. Remember, your affirmations are a reflection of your inner power and resilience. Embrace them wholeheartedly as you prepare to welcome your baby into the world.