I share some of my favourite pregnancy and labor affirmations, meditations, and visualizations.
Have a look and find what resonates with YOU!
It was not until my second pregnancy that I looked into hypnobirthing, meditations and affirmations. I have to admit it took some practice before I recognized their benefits. The affirmations and visualizations greatly helped me to have the beautiful second birth I had been envisioning. That is why when I got pregnant for the third time, during a pandemic, I immediately added affirmations to my daily routine. The more affirmations I read and used, the stronger I felt. So inspired I got that I created my own affirmations.
How to use the affirmations
We all know it is important to take the time to relax- to rest physically and to practise mindfulness.
But we are busy, oh, so busy.
I hear you say, “But how I am going to do this?!” Do not worry, I assure you, you don’t need hours and hours unless, of course, you want to spend hours meditating. A few minutes can do wonders. How do I know? That is what I did. All I could do was a few brief moments here and there. So remind yourself that your physical and mental health matters and make a little time for relaxation.
Some simple ideas
One way you can do this is, throughout the day, set a few reminders to take a minute or five to breathe deeply and tell yourself that you are safe and your child is safe. Or simply read through some affirmations and choose only one to remember. Then try to repeat it aloud or in your mind as you go about your day.
You can do a new affirmation each day or try the same affirmation for a week. Some people like surrounding themselves with affirmations on post-it notes. If you like drawing or coloring you can even create your own posters with your favourite affirmations. Even though I am a terrible singer, I often took an affirmation and turn it into a little cheer-up song – great while cooking, walking, or in the shower.
If you are curious about what else helped me prepare for labor, check Pregnancy and birth preparation.
Finding simple ways to step out of the daily hassle and to connect with yourself and your baby does take a little time and intention.
Fears, worries, concerns, negative thoughts
I believe that a big part of pregnancy and birth preparation is related to:
A: pinpointing our fears and (read more about how I deal with my countless fears)
B: setting up a safety net to help ourselves release some of the fears and accept those fears that are here to stay, even make friends with them.
Meditating, listening to, and reading affirmations may help you better understand your own fears. Throughout the day whisper to yourself a favourite affirmation and notice how you feel and what your body tells you. Let your fears emerge. The first step of finding peace is to allow your fears and worries to emerge, to take form, and then find a way to release them. And you do not need much time to do this. At the same time, be prepared that you cannot rush the process and allow time to process what you feel.
These are my own affirmations that grounded me when I got anxious. Just imagine the affirmations are the armor that covers you to protect you from self-destructive thoughts.
I also made these cards that I kept in my purse when I needed some reassurance. They are available for free and you can get them here.
These affirmations I found to be gentle and empowering. And the video is only ten-minute long and easy to add to your morning or evening routine.
These are Christian Birth affirmations that I found towards the end of my pregnancy. They gave me calm and brought great joy.
Christian Hypnobirthing is an app that I found almost at the end of my third pregnancy. I loved the tracks and they put me to sleep every night for the last weeks. This is what I listened to throughout my whole labor.
There are quite a few apps for mindfulness during pregnancy and birth so just try a few and see what resonates with you.
If you want to read more about my personal pregnancy and birth experience, head to this post.
Affirmations and meditations were only a part of my pregnancy preparation journey. Here you can read more about what I found useful and helpful.
You do not need to be perfect. Remind yourself that it is important to stay calm- of course, it is not possible to be calm all the time. When I start feeling overwhelmed and my situation scares me I gently whisper to myself, ” I choose to stay calm, I will refocus and feel loved. ”
It is more powerful than you can imagine.
Stay connected and trusting.
You are strong!