44 Positive Birth Affirmations to Empower you during Labor

ByPranali Patel, M.Sc

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Going through labor doesn’t have to be a scary process. Positive birth affirmations can make a huge difference in how you handle contractions. Here are 44 positive birth affirmations to empower you during your labor.  

You may have heard of the horror story of giving birth to a baby from your friend or colleague and wondering if that is what you have to go through too!

In reality, no two birth stories are the same, and your birthing experience depends largely on how you perceive your birth will be like.  

Positive Birth Affirmations to Empower you during Labor-pregnant women holding her belly

If you are scared about the birthing process, then this is exactly what you will feel when you will go into labor. And this is because your fear of the birthing process didn’t let you prepare for your labor.

But, if you change your mindset and prepare your body for your labor and delivery, then you will be more than ready to handle what labor brings for you. Labor is by no means easy (take it from a person who has gone through it twice), but developing a positive attitude toward the birthing process, makes a huge difference in how you handle each contraction and labor pain.

The idea of giving birth to a baby is scary for many women (myself included). This state of mind of many women during their pregnancy is largely because they are unaware of what to expect at their labor and delivery.

There are ways to educate yourself about childbirth, but preparing a list of positive birth affirmations and repeating it to yourself can be a game-changer in prepping your mental state on how you handle each contraction during labor.

According to Liesel Teen, Birth It Up! – Online Childbirth Class creator, going natural is 90% mental and she talks about listening to “that little voice in your head” a lot in her course. And if you fill that little voice with positive birth affirmations, then you will be more confident in handling your labor.

Let’s talk about Birth affirmations and how it helps alleviate pain followed by 44 powerful birth affirmations to empower you during your labor.

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What are Birth Affirmations?

Birth affirmations are positive phrases or statements used to challenge negative or fearful thoughts about giving birth. Simply said, birth affirmations are positive, uplifting statements about giving birth.  

These phrases are repeatedly said to motivate you and recognize your body’s strength to give birth to your baby.

Saying these positive Birth affirmations repeatedly to yourself will help alleviate any fear or negative thoughts you might have about your impending labor.

How do Birth Affirmations work?

Practicing positive birth affirmations can be very simple. You pick a couple of these phrases and repeat them to yourself.

The popularities of positive affirmations are based on well-established self-affirmation theory (1). According to this theory, we can maintain our self-integrity by telling ourselves what we are capable of doing.

According to a study published in 2014, “self-integrity is a sense of global efficacy, an image of oneself as able to control important adaptive and moral outcomes in one’s life” and capable of adapting to different circumstances. (2). 

By repeating positive birth affirmations to yourself, you are positively preparing your body and brain to adapt to forthcoming labor pain and remind yourself that your body is capable of going through it.

Neuroscientific research supports this idea. According to several research studies, certain neural pathways involved in positive valuation and self-related information processing become more active when people practice self-affirmation tasks (3-4).

So, Birth affirmations are a great way to let go of any fear you are holding to yourself about your impending birth.

Can Birth Affirmations help Alleviate Pain?

The birth affirmation can help you mentally and emotionally prepare for birth. It may not directly help alleviate labor pain, but it psychologically prepares you to face the pain.

Birth affirmations are positive statements that you repeat to yourself, eventually, with enough repetitions, the positive thoughts rewire your subconscious mind. It pretty much trains your brain to think positively about your labor.  

Thinking positive while you are in labor is a great way to reassure yourself about the strength of your body, which helps through the contraction and birth of the baby.

Can Birth Affirmations be Used for all forms of Labor and Delivery?

Whether you are planning a natural birth, epidural birth, or C-section, birth affirmations help you release your fears of giving birth and help empower you for this new journey.

If you have planned for a natural delivery, coming up with a list of positive birth affirmations can be very important. Your positivity will help you cope with the pain of contractions while you are in labor. Psychologically preparing your mind is very important for going natural.

Even if you are getting an epidural, you still experience pain. Birth affirmations can help cope with contraction pain pre-epidural. Sometimes, it takes a while for an Anesthesiologist to come and give you an epidural depends on how busy they are. Also, sometimes your labor progresses so quickly that you don’t have time for getting an epidural. Sometimes, epidural don’t even work. So, chanting the birth mantra can help you stay calm if things don’t go as you planned during your labor.

How to use Birth Affirmations?

All you do is, repeat your birth affirmation (s) to yourself as your own personal mantra. Pick few mantras that resonate with you and chant them out loud or meditate them silently.

You can also create your own mantras depending on your biggest concerns surrounding birth. Start with journaling your fear about birth and then come up with positive mantras to negate them.

When I was pregnant with my first one, my biggest fear was to cope with contraction pain. So, I created birth affirmations that said, “My body is powerful to handle contractions”.

Create your own birth affirmations, print them or write them down on Post-It and stick them on your refrigerator, on a bathroom mirror, on kitchen backsplash tiles,  around your office or places where you can see it frequently.

Birth Affirmations for Natural Childbirth and Epidural Childbirth

  1. I put all fear aside as prepare for the birth of my baby.
  2. My Body is powerful to handle Contractions.
  3. Inhale strength and exhale pain.
  4. I can do anything for 1 minute.
  5. I breathe deeply and eliminate tension.
  6. I look forward to my birthing day.
  7. Soon I will meet my baby, and the pain of birth will dissipate.
  8. With this pain, I am giving life to my child.
  9. I am relaxed and happy that my baby is finally coming to me.
  10. I am focused on a smooth easy birth.
  11. I feel confident, safe and secure.
  12. I am totally relaxed and at ease.
  13. I will meet my baby soon!
  14. Birth is Ultimate Act of Love.
  15. My Body is designed to do this.
  16. I believe in myself.
  17. My Body knows exactly what to do.
  18. Birth is safe for me and my baby.
  19. I am surrounded by love.
  20. Birth is a powerful, positive experience.
  21. I visualize an easy labor and birth.
  22. My body will give birth on its own time.
  23. I experience the power of my body and I am not afraid.
  24. I breathe deeply and I am calm.
  25. I relax and the baby relaxes with me.
  26. My birth is going exactly as it should.
  27. I am flexible and receptive to change. 

Birth Affirmations Printable

Printable Birth Affirmation Cards

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I found Birth Affirmations incredibly helpful to ease the fear of birth during my first pregnancy. And because I truly believe in the power of positive birth affirmations, I have designed these beautiful birth affirmation printable cards that focus on 17 of the more standard positive statements that you can use whether you are going for natural or epidural childbirth. For only $5 these affirmations will be helpful in easing fears and worries about your upcoming birth. Get it Now!!

Birth Affirmations for C-section Birth

  1. Birth is miraculous, no matter how it happens.
  2. The most important thing is safe delivery of my baby.
  3. I am giving my baby the best birth possible.
  4. My doctor knows what is best for my baby and me.
  5. Every birth is a valid birth.
  6. Giving birth via C-section is not weakness but it is my strength to give up what I planned.
  7. Going for C-section is my informed choice.
  8. My love for my baby makes me a good mother, not how I give birth.
  9. Safe delivery of my baby is my priority and if c-section is what it takes to make it happen, then I am ready for it.

Spiritual Birth Affirmations

  1. I trust God to guide me through the labor.
  2. My baby will arrive when God deems the time is right.
  3. God has already decided the day my baby’s birth.
  4. I trust God’s decision on how my baby comes into the world.
  5. God will give me strength to bare the pain of contractions.
  6. I trust God for the safe arrival of my baby.
  7. God is beside me and I am doing what he has planned for me.
  8. God will take care of me and my baby during birth.

Conclusions

I hope you find these positive birth affirmations to help prepare for your labor. Choose the ones that resonate with you and print it. Stick them where you can see it frequently. Keep repeating those statements to yourself and chant them

on your way to the hospital. I am confident that it will help you fight your fear about labor.

I wish you safe and easy labor, mama! Keep chanting your mantras!!

What are your favorite birth affirmations? Please leave your comment below.

References

  1. Steele, C. M. (1988). The psychology of self-affirmation: Sustaining the integrity of the self. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 21(2), 261-302.
  2. Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The psychology of change: Self-affirmation and social psychological intervention. Annual Review of Psychology, 65, 333-371.
  3. Cascio, C. N., O’donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2015). Self-affirmation activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 11(4), 621-629.
  4. Falk, E. B., O’Donnell, M. B., Cascio, C. N., Tinney, F., Kang, Y., Lieberman, M. D., … & Strecher, V. J. (2015). Self-affirmation alters the brain’s response to health messages and subsequent behavior change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(7), 1977-1982.

Image of pregnant women touching belly – Photo by Anastasiia Chepinska on Unsplash

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Hey everyone !! I’m Pranali – science researcher, a wife, mom to two adorable boys. From natural and non-toxic pregnancy to motherhood, you will find experienced-based information here!

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