Your Powerful Mind and How It Can Affect Labor
The mind is a powerful thing to waste, or misuse, even in labor!
Your mind will play a large role in how your labor unfolds. Feelings of fear, lack of safety or conflict can stall or stop labor. Your cervix may stop dilating, so labor continues to go on without any cervical change. This of course lengthens the time of labor since it is necessary that the cervix dilate completely in order to push a baby out.
On the flip side, when women experience feelings of safety, warmth, compassion and love during labor and when we know we are okay, our bodies can open up smoothly and our relaxed and calm minds can even hasten labor, causing our bodies to open up in an easier way.
Every body experiences labor differently. For some women, labor will be fast and furious, and for others, labor will last a couple days, even with a contented mind. But take note: our minds have an effect on our labor. This is why it is important that the people you want to be with you in labor are there and the people you don’t want around you are somewhere else, and make sure you talk through your fears. Deal with any conflict, fears or problems before labor begins so nothing in your mind keeps your body from opening up and letting your little one out into the big wide world.