Last weekend I’ve started the gentle birthing class with AMANI. Our chosen educator is Diana Shuwardi, from Shah Alam. It was only the first 2 sessions, yet I’ve already learned so much, that it made me feel as if I am a first time mom.

We attended antenatal class at the hospital with our first, but this birthing class is so much detailed. Since it is personal class, I had the opportunity to ask questions until I am satisfied with the answer and truly understand the topic.

Birth ‘Training’

Among important things that I’ve learned, is birthing is like a marathon. It’s going to be painful but with rewarding ending. Do you join a marathon and not train for it? Of course not! That will be like booking a torture session for yourself! So, in order to do well in the marathon and be glorious at it, you will have to train for it. And that includes being physically and mentally ready for the marathon. You will need all the stamina, endurance and to endure through labour while still remain calm.

Starting now, my everyday routine will include ‘training’ in preparation of birth.

1. Exercise 3-4 times a week such as yoga or swimming.
2. Daily breathing practice and pregnancy exercise (squatting, the butterfly, pelvis tilt, etc)
3. Balanced nutrition as taught in class.
4. Positive birth affirmations for mental preparation. Practice labour positions.
5. Most importantly, prayers and Qur’an recitations.

Birthing Partner Role

The class is also teaching my husband to learn what are his roles during labour. I was surprised to find out his feelings. He said he felt helpless during labour. To me, during our first labour, I was grateful to have him by myself. Somehow I feel like the class is giving us the opportunity to share and speak up about our opinions during labour since both of us are being educated about it. So it is good that I also get to know about his opinion on a particular matter, it makes me feel that he is more involved. He is getting to his role as an important birhting partner rather than just a husband on companion duty (haha).

Now, having learned his duty, I realized there are so many ways a birthing partner can support and help me to go through labour. We are going to make a photocopy of his roles at different stages of labour and paste them on the walls in the room to so that we can read it everyday.

Birth Plan

What I like about the class, is making the birth plan. I had a birth plan for my first labour but some of it didn’t go quite as planned because my husband didn’t know what it meant. So, by making the birth plan together, he is going to be aware of it, and will be the enforcer and my representative for the times I won’t able to.

Understanding how to work with your body
Birthing is a natural processs. Your body knows how to give birth and your baby knows how to birthed. It is the mother who is clouded by fear, anxiety and lack of knowledge that’s interfering with the birthing process, that can result in poor progress, fetal distress and so on. So, what should we do?

Keep active, practice the positions to help labour process and relax.

All in all, I am so glad to attend the class. Labour should be a wonderful and joyous experience as it is a celebration to welcome a new baby into the world! It has made me look forward to my labour instead of fearing or being nervous about it. The only thing though, I just need to do all my ‘training’ in such a short time! InshaAllah, as long as I do it with discipline, it will be worth it.