In a previous article, I talked about how I prepared for labor the way I would prepare for a marathon–and the pitfalls I discovered on delivery-day with that particular method! In this article, I want to tell you everything I have since learned about the ideal birth environment, and how I now understand why my body balked at my running playlist during labor, craving instead a setting of quiet and calm.
A place of safety and calm
Labor often begins or rapidly intensifies in the middle of the night. This is because an essential chemical for early labor is melatonin [1]. The dark calm of the night is the ideal birth environment, the perfect setting to bring a baby into the world. Given the chance to progress through labor uninterrupted, a woman will continue to crave a calm, den-like setting. But if labor is disrupted by some kind of stress, labor may actually slow until the woman is in a safe, calm space again [2].
That’s why the ideal environment for labor is a dim room, free of harsh blue lights [3]. Quiet, calm music or silence should fill the space. Some research indicates that some kinds of music can decrease anxiety during labor, while other research finds there is no difference compared to silence [4]. Notably, research does not find that calm music increases anxiety, pain perception, or length of labor, so playing your favorite calming playlist is worth trying if you enjoy music! Other women might prefer the repetition of prayers, counting, or mantras while laboring.
As labor progresses, women say they find themselves retreating inwards to a quiet, simple place within themselves [5]. Some crave being alone, describe a feeling of being suspended in time, or a narrowing of reality to just themselves in that place and time. This won’t necessarily preclude you from feeling the pains of childbirth, but the intensity of the chemical cocktail your body produces to promote labor and maternal-infant bonding (including the all-powerful “love hormone,” oxytocin) has the side effect of relieving some of the memory of pain and length of labor [6].
Reality vs fiction: laboring conditions in the movies and hospitals and what women really need instead
The description of labor above differs markedly from the way the media depicts labor in movies and the stories our culture tells. I prepped for a birth experience more like one in the movies—you know, the ones where a screaming woman is wheeled into a bright birthing room with five doctors all surrounding her. Thankfully, the experience I actually had was one of peace, quiet, and solitude. But many women are not so lucky.
I was fortunate to have a midwife lead my labor at the hospital. She ensured that I was able to move around and create an ideal labor environment. Most American hospitals do not naturally lend toward ideal birthing environments; instead, they have rooms filled with bright lights and other stimulants [10]. The experience of being hooked up to monitors and surrounded by strangers can be overwhelming. Instead of a calm, safe den, women find themselves in an environment that lends to stress, which can potentially stall or impede their labor.
How can a pregnant woman create an ideal laboring space?
It is for the reasons outlined above that women are increasingly looking towards birth at home or in a birth center. Many find that the features of these settings naturally lend themselves to the feelings of peace and calm that a hospital setting may fail to inspire. But my experience shows that with the right providers and care team, you can still create a place of calm for yourself to labor, even within a hospital setting. Here are some things to consider when preparing for labor that will benefit you far more than any playlist ever could!
- Remove stressors (like phones and other devices with notifications) from the environment. Also think of things like mess and clutter that you might be able to remove beforehand, or too many people in the room (like students there for observation), whom you may ask to leave.
- Turn down the lights and find a comfortable space to settle. Consider facing a wall or going into a smaller space like a shower.
- Find the ideal sound environment. Music may work for some women, but others may prefer silence–or the sound of their own voice or their partner’s.
- Center yourself and allow yourself to fall into an inner space. This might look different for everyone. What is key is not fighting the body’s natural rhythm as it leans into the labor process.
- Don’t be scared to ask for what you need. If there are too many doctors in the room or the lights are too bright, let someone know. Many hospital staff want to make sure mothers are comfortable, but can’t help unless moms (or their partners or doulas) speak up.
The bottom line
My next pregnancy, I still plan to train my body for labor, but I plan to do it much more tenderly. No more cold showers for me! And while exercise during pregnancy definitely has its benefits, I’ll probably stop doing intense hill workouts as soon as my normal pants stop fitting. And when the time comes, my ideal birth environment likely won’t involve pump-up music. I know now what is most important is listening to my body while in labor—it will tell me what it needs!
Additional Reading:
6 tools for your best labor ever
Should you eat and drink during labor?
Positions to speed up labor, and can you really speed up labor?
