five ways to boss your birth environment

1) Dial down that lighting

Low lighting, like candles or fairy lights, create a dim, cosy environment where oxytocin (the hormone you need to get you into and keep you in labour!) can thrive. The flip side of this is the classic clinical environment, bright overhead lighting & a feeling of being observed. If the vibe isn’t somewhere you could nap in, it ain’t the one!

2) Add scents that you love

Scents are super evocative - just think of the perfume you get a whiff of in Boots when you’re immediately reminded of a teenage party!

Using a room/pillow spray or essential oil on a small cloth, can help create a sense of calm, particularly if you use the same smell during your pregnancy during yoga, visualisation/relaxation tracks or sleeping. Your brain already associates that smell with those ~chill vibes~ so when it smells it in labour, it will help you to feel safe and relaxed.

3. Crack out a banging playlist

A birth playlist is a cliche but great part of a good birth environment. Chuck a Bluetooth speaker in your birth bag and you’re ready to go. Wireless headphones are also useful if youre walking the corridors or when transferring to the hospital.

Some people like to listen to their visualisation tracks in labour, or make a music playlist - you might want to make several depending on the mood - chilled, energised or upbeat for different parts of your labour!

4. Move the bed and roll out your yoga mat

Of course I was going to say this, wasn’t I?! If possible, moving the bed out of the way is a great visual cue to remind you (and others) that the bed is probably not the place you need to be whilst in labour. Moving around, staying upright and keeping off your back is a great way to speed up labour and use gravity to help you.

Using a yoga mat means you can adopt a variety of poses (like squatting or all fours) in a comfortable way. Just use a cheap one off Amazon because ... you’re likely going to want to throw it awat afterwards, trust me!

5. Chill vibes only, please

It may sound diva-ish, but please remember, this is YOUR birth. Asking midwives to refrain from chatting, or talking loudly, and requesting that any prolonged conversations are taken in the corridor, can help to maintain chilled, calm, quiet vibes in your birth room.

Asking health care professionals to speak with your birth partner (rather than you) can also help keep you in ‘the zone’.