Happy New Year! A New Year is so exciting, so thrilling. A blank piece of notebook paper stands in front of you, waiting to become your novel for the new year. We have a chance to start anew, and if you are anticipating the arrival of a new little bundle of joy this year, we congratulate you! Many of us are in the habit of creating our lists of new year’s resolutions. Some fizzle out, (I’ll go to the gym EVERY DAY and love it!) and some are easier (if I resolve to eat chocolate every day, I know I will succeed.) Either way, it’s always fun to make a list of resolutions for the fresh, new year to come. We thought it would be fun to put together a list of New Year’s “Birtholutions”, based on what we’ve heard from clients and pregnant friends over the last year! Some of these may apply to you, and some may not. Everyone is different when it comes to birth, depending on your own desires and personal situation. Talk to your care provider about your options! What is on your New Year’s Birtholutions list?
* I resolve not to listen to scary stories from friends and family members regarding pregnancy and birth, but surround myself with positive birth stories.
* Speaking of scary stories, I resolve to toss my copy of What To Expect When You’re Expecting and buy The Birth Partner instead.
* I resolve to just smile and nod to that unsolicited advice from Aunt Peggy about the best way to parent my baby. I’ll breathe calmly while she chatters on, and feel secure in my own choices.
* I resolve to push my baby out not just on my back, but on my side, on my hands and knees, using a squat bar, or any other positions that may work.
* I’m getting an epidural, and I resolve to be proud of my choices for MY birth, no matter what others may say.
* I’m having an unmedicated birth, and I resolve to pay no attention to those who tell me I can’t do it and I’m crazy.
* My New Year’s Birtholutions also include taking a childbirth education course, so I’m prepared for my birth! Maybe it’s Lamaze, or Bradley, Hypnobabies, or classes at my local hospital (like these classes at Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, or check out our classes and workshops)
* I resolve to spend some time learning and preparing for the postpartum period, or that tricky “4th Trimester” I keep hearing about. (And maybe even hire a postpartum doula to help!)
* I resolve to breastfeed my baby wherever they need to be fed, without shame. At a restaurant, at the mall, at family gatherings, wherever!
* I resolve to bottle feed my baby without shame, whether there’s formula or breast milk in that bottle. Wherever I am, and whomever I’m around, I will bottle feed with love and feel proud.
* My placenta is a pretty cool organ, and guess what? I resolve to encapsulate it, despite the raised eyebrows I got when I discussed it with my family over the holidays. (Check out Wombmart for local placenta encapsulation options in the Greensboro, Winston-Salem and High Point areas)
* I resolve to have an awesome birth team! A supportive doctor or midwife, my partner and a birth doula!
However you plan to bring your baby into the world, we wish you luck and happiness on that day! Prepare and surround yourself with non-judgmental, caring support, and happy birthing! And of course, Happy New Year!
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