Many women are unaware that where they give birth has quite an impact on their labour and birth.

A safe, calm, secluded, familiar, undisturbed environment facilitates the flow of the essential labour and birth hormones oxytocin and endorphins.

The right childbirth environment differs from one woman to another, but it should be warm, quiet, safe, private and with soft lighting.

The renowned French Obstetrician Michael Odent describes mammals needing low light and quiet, for their optimal hormone production.

Most women choose a hospital birth. While Home from Home hospital units strive to create a more home like environment, the reality is that some labour rooms can still look medicalised and may not feel homely or warm and inviting.

A few simple physical changes and adjustments that you and your partner can make to your hospital room can make a significant difference to how you feel when you are in your birthplace. This has positive effects on your labour and birth and makes your experience more enjoyable.

The positive effects are not just beneficial to you and your partner.

Interestingly, a study has also shown that when a birthing space is changed to promote the production of oxytocin, both the woman and her midwife benefit from the improved environment. Increased levels of oxytocin affect our neurophysiology and reduce stress. When we are in an environment where the noise is low, the lights are dimmed and all our safety needs are met, we are relaxed and at ease and generally happier which is positive for the birth process.

Also making changes to the birthing room can make it easier for you to move around, find comfortable upright positions and can help your labour progress more naturally.

Here are some ways in which you can change your birthing room to make it feel more comfortable and calming.

Create a Birth Nest
Close the doors. The closed door creates an atmosphere of peace, security, and emotional safety.

Pull down the window blinds or draw the curtains to enhance your sense of privacy and to feel cosier. It reduces any outside distractions.

Turn off overhead lights.

If there is a spotlight in the room direct it onto a wall.

Create soft focus, warm, dim lighting. Pack battery operated strings of fairy lights and LED tea lights in your birth bag and string/position them around your room.

Have spare batteries for your lights.

Bring with you a ‘Galaxy’ type night light to turn your room into soft focus colours with clouds and stars. Like a Spa!

Things to have from home
A cosy blanket, throw or shawl from home that is familiar to you and makes you feel safe and calm.

Your favourite pillow or pregnancy pillow or bean bag.

Photographs of family, children, pets, favourite places.

Positive Affirmations, images of birth. Bring some string and pegs to hang them up. Or Blue/White tac to position on walls.

A Bluetooth speaker for your music. Music can help you relax and also cut out any external corridor/traffic noise. Or pop on your headphones. Have your playlists organised.

A small fan. The pram/ stroller clip on type fan is useful as they can be adjusted to clip onto any surface, and they don’t need to be held.

Ask staff to adjust heating in the room until you are comfortable.

Move the Bed

The bed in the centre of the room can take up a lot of available floor space. You can ask for it to be removed from your room and be placed outside until you want it. This creates more room for you to move around as you please and use all the available space.

When the bed is not taking centre stage in the middle of your room, you will be more likely to remain mobile and upright. Out of sight. Out of mind!

Gravity, Gravity and some more Gravity!

Alternatively, the bed may be positioned against a wall.

Adjust the bed so that you can use it in an upright position. Ask the midwife for a demo and how to change the bed into different positions to help you get comfortable.

Ask for birth mats, birth balls and peanut balls to be brought into your room.
Ask midwives to move any medical equipment not in use outside of the room or cover it.

Lose distractions

Ask the midwife to cover the clock or move it out of your line of vision. You do not want to keep track of time when in labour. Instead focus on your breathing.
Your privacy is of utmost significance, so speak to your midwives about minimal staff and disruptions.

Put a polite sign on the door asking staff to always respect privacy. This reminds the team to knock gently and wait to be invited into your room. It can help to reduce unwanted disruptions to your space and avoid disturbing the birthing process.

Your birth space is your sanctuary and should be treated as such by all those in it.

Setting up your birth space gives you access to a place where you can let go and tune in to your baby, your body and your instincts.

And finally

Discuss with your birthing partner the elements that are important to you.

Research and discuss all your options and preferences for your place of birth with your Midwife/Obstetrician.

Discuss with your Midwife/Obstetrician, as to what is available in each birth setting as they do vary.

Remember your labour and birth are yours. Keeping yourself well informed is vital.

Many women are unaware that where they give birth has quite an impact on their labour and birth. A safe, calm, secluded, familiar, undisturbed environment facilitates the flow of the essential labour and birth hormones oxytocin and endorphins.

The right childbirth environment differs from one woman to another, but it should be warm, quiet, safe, private and with soft lighting. The renowned French Obstetrician Michael Odent describes mammals needing low light and quiet, for their optimal hormone production.

Most women choose a hospital birth. While Home from Home hospital units strive to create a more home like environment, the reality is that some labour rooms can still look medicalised and may not feel homelyor warm and inviting.

A few simple physical changes and adjustments that you and your partner can make to your hospital room can make a significant difference to how you feel when you are in your birthplace. This has positive effects on your labour and birth and makes your experience more enjoyable.

The positive effects are not just beneficial to you and your partner. Interestingly, a study has also shown that when a birthing space is changed to promote the production of oxytocin, both the woman and her midwife benefit from the improved environment. Increased levels of oxytocin affect our neurophysiology and reduce stress. When we are in an environment where the noise is low, the lights are dimmed and all our safety needs are met, we are relaxed and at ease and generally happier which is positive for the birth process.

Also making changes to the birthing room can make it easier for you to move around, find comfortable upright positions and can help your labour progress more naturally.

Here are some ways in which you can change your birthing room tomake it feel more comfortable and calming.

Create a Birth Nest

Close the doors. The closed door creates an atmosphere of peace, security, and emotional safety.

Pull down the window blinds or draw the curtains to enhance your sense of privacy and to feel cosier. It reduces any outside distractions.

Turn off overhead lights.

If there is a spotlight in the room direct it onto a wall.

Create soft focus, warm, dim lighting. Pack battery operated strings of fairy lights and LED tea lights in your birth bag and string/position them around your room.

Have spare batteries for your lights.

Bring with you a ‘Galaxy’ type night light to turn your room into soft focus colours with clouds and stars. Like a Spa !

Things to have from home.

A cosy blanket, throw or shawl from home that is familiar to you and makes you feel safe and calm.

Your favourite pillow or pregnancy pillow or bean bag.

our favourite pillow or pregnancy pillow or bean bag.

Photographs of family, children, pets, favourite places.

Positive Affirmations, images of birth. Bring some string and pegs to hang them up. Or Blue/White tac to position on walls.

A Bluetooth speaker for your music. Music can help you relax and alsocut out any external corridor/traffic noise. Or pop on your headphones.Have your playlists organised.

A small fan. The pram/ stroller clip on type fan is useful as they can be adjusted to clip onto any surface, and they don’t need to be held.

Ask staff to adjust heating in the room until you are comfortable.

Move the Bed

The bed in the centre of the room can take up a lot of available floor space. You can ask for it to be removed from your room and be placed outside until you want it. This creates more room for you to move around as you please and use all the available space.

When the bed is not taking centre stage in the middle of your room, you will be more likely to remain mobile and upright. Out of sight. Out of mind!

Gravity, Gravity and some more Gravity!

Alternatively, the bed may be positioned against a wall.

Adjust the bed so that you can use it in an upright position. Ask the midwife for a demo and how to change the bed into different positionsto help you get comfortable.

Ask for birth mats, birth balls and peanut balls to be brought into your room.

Ask midwives to move any medical equipment not in use outside of the room or cover it.

Lose distractions.

Ask the midwife to cover the clock or move it out of your line of vision.You do not want to keep track of time when in labour. Instead focus on your breathing.

Your privacy is of utmost significance, so speak to your midwives about minimal staff and disruptions.

Put a polite sign on the door asking staff to always respect privacy. This reminds the team to knock gently and wait to be invited into your room. It can help to reduce unwanted disruptions to your space and avoid disturbing the birthing process.

Your birth space is your sanctuary and should be treated as such by all those in it.

Setting up your birth space gives you access to a place where you can let go and tune in to your baby, your body and your instincts.

And finally.

Discuss with your birthing partner the elements that are important to you.

Research and discuss all your options and preferences for your place of birth with your Midwife/Obstetrician

Discuss with your Midwife/Obstetrician, as to what is available in each birth setting as they do vary.

Remember your labour and birth are yours. Keeping yourself well informed is vital.

Counter pressure is a great comfort-giving technique for birth partners to learn.

The evidence supports the view that counter pressure and massage are effective non pharmacological measures in helping to reduce labour pain. It’s great at helping to relieve any back pain and pressure felt during uterine surges and as the baby moves down in the pelvis. It can be a great coping and support tool for the birthing mum. Lessening the sensation of pain in that moment, promoting the flow of natural pain relieving endorphins, reducing the stress hormones cortisol and adrenalin, helping her to stay focused. Touch can convey pain reducing messages. A hand placed on a painful spot communicates caring. If she loved it, do it again.  Sometimes as the baby’s head moves down, the perfect spot for counter pressure changes and may move down, so keep communicating with your partner.

Counter pressure is firm pressure applied to the lower back or the bony sacral part of the pelvis or pressure on the side of each hip using both hands. It can be used in conjunction with heat using hot water bottles, hot moist compresses over the lower back.

Use the fleshy heel part of your of your hand, it provides an even, steady pressure. You canuse both hands one on top of the other to provide even more pressure to one spot. Some women like the pressure to be steady and unmoving.  Some women like to feel some movement, so see what she likes better. Remember to communicate.

Any position that is comfortable for her and where you have access to her back is a good place. Lots of different positions can be used and you need to be willing to follow your partner as she moves from one position to another as her needs change. On hands and knees on the floor or bed or couch, leaning over or sitting on a birth ball, sitting on a toilet, leaning over a kitchen counter, leaning against a hospital corridor wall on the way to the birthing room, in the shower, bath or pool.

Remember to nurture yourself regularly too as supporting birth, bending over applying counter pressure for longer periods at a time can be straining on your back and energies too. Check in with yourself every hour. Do you need food or a snack or a drink? Do you need to have a stretch?

There is no need to wait until labour to try counter pressure. It can provide relief during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester and give a feeling of togetherness as you prepare for birthing.

We have compiled our top tips for breastfeeding after having the privilege of supporting hundreds of women to breastfeed.

Did you know a stress free breastfeeding journey begins before your baby is born? Please take a few minutes to read our guide so you have all the tools you need to make the best possible choices for your baby and you. 

Did you know that both your labour and birth can greatly affect your breastfeeding journey?

Be informed about pain relief
To make an informed choice on pain-relief, make sure you research your options. Opiate pain relief such as diamorphine and epidurals can affect your newborn by making it sleepy, thus delaying the very important first feed in the Golden Hours after birth. They may also delay your milk coming in. There are many options for pain relief so discover what is best for you both.

Avoid unnecessary interventions
If possible, it is best to avoid unnecessary interventions during birthing. Discuss with your care provider any procedures such as ‘sweeping your membranes’ or induction and ask the benefits, risks and alternatives to these. It is important to understand that unnecessary interventions may increase the need for pain relief.

Immediately After Birth
As far as possible, protect the golden hours after your baby is born. Often in a hospital setting it can feel rushed so here are our top tips to help you:

1. Skin-to-skin. Hold your baby on your chest and in your arms immediately after birth. This has physical and emotional benefits for both your baby and you.
2. Avoid routine procedures, e.g. weighing of your baby. Instead, prioritise skin to skin.
3. Ensure only you touch or hold your baby – your partner may hold your baby too but it is best to avoid visitors particularly in the early hours after birth.
4. Look at and observe your baby in your arms and watch your baby breastfeeding. This increases the oxytocin level in your bloodstream.

Breastfeeding
Your new baby will naturally and instinctively move towards your breast when it is having skin-to-skin with you.The correct poisoning and latch is important and the first feed may take a few hours to complete. The rich colostrum is full of goodness for your baby and will soon make way for your breastmilk to come in.

The simple act of snuggling your baby on your bare chest has powerful benefits and helps babies adjust and adapt to life outside of the womb.

Skin-to-skin. So Simple. Hugely Powerful.

It is as simple as it sounds and is when baby snuggles on mum or dad’s chest bare chest, covered in a warm blanket. Skin-to skin is good for all babies, whether they are breastfeeding or formula feeding.

Babies need lots of skin-to-skin with mum and dad, both in hospital and at home. Skin-to-skin time is precious time and one of the loveliest moments in birth:

The benefits of skin-to-skin

• Triggers the powerful oxytocin ‘hormone of love’ that lowers mums stress levels as well as promotes healing and mothering.
• Calms your baby ensuring that they feel safe and cared for.
• It can help to reduce cortisol (stress) levels in baby.
• Helps baby to cry less.
• Regulates your baby’s body temperature, breathing rate, heart rate and blood sugar following birth.
• Improves baby’s oxygen saturation levels.
• Helps your colostrum (the first milk that is full of nutrients that protect baby) to flow more easily.
• Stimulates baby’s digestion and encourages an interest in instinctive feeding behaviour.
• When breastfeeding, it will boost baby’s immune system and helps to protect against illness and disease.
• Helps mum to breastfeed longer by building her milk supply and helping her to make a stronger connection with baby.
• If expressing milk, volumes improve if mum expresses following a period of skin-to-skin contact.
• Builds a strong baby brain.
• Increases baby’s senses of touch, taste, textures, smells and sounds the baby experiences in their environment while they are on mums or dad’s chest.
• Gives mums a chance to take a rest or take a break.
• The rush of hormones does not just happen to mums. A similar rush happens when dad has skin to skin contact with baby. For your new-born, the next best thing is skin to skin with dad.
• Research shows that it relaxes dad too and has an important parenting role.
• Promoting an important bonding experience between a father and his new-born child.

Skin-to-skin with baby is vital in neonatal units where it is sometimes known as ‘kangaroo care.’

From the Start

What happens during this special time?

The first hour after birth is sometimes called the Golden Hour. It is an incredibly special bonding time that begins when your baby is snuggled skin to skin with you right after they are born. Baby emerges from the warm dark haven of your womb (uterus) into an unfamiliar world. It is cold by comparison and has new lights and sounds. When a mum holds her baby in skin to skin after birth, it initiates a strong response connecting the mum’s body to the baby’s body. It connects the mum’s brain to the baby’s brain and the mums mind to the baby’s mind. Your baby can be soothed by hearing the comforting sound of your heartbeat, which is familiar from time in the womb. If you talk softly, baby will recognise your voice and will also be familiar with dad’s voice.

After birth you can expect the baby will have:

• The first birth cry. It is so distinctive.
• A relaxation period as they recover from the birth
• Increased alertness. Opening their eyes, looking at you for the first time, responding to familiar voices, smells, and becoming more active, moving hands to mouth, and exploring your breast and suckling for the first time.

Make undisturbed and uninterrupted skin-to-skin part of your birth preferences if your baby is stable. Discuss with the Midwives before your birth that you wish to treasure and enjoy this special time.

Allow yourself plenty of time to hold your new-born and gaze at them.

Most healthy term babies will follow this process, providing that they are not interrupted by anything. Most routine things like putting on baby identity bands and checks can be done with baby skin to skin and obtaining a birthweight can be delayed until after this important period. Try not to hurry or interrupt this process as some babies and mums take a little longer particularly after a long or difficult labour or birth when adrenaline levels have been higher. Stress reduction with skin to skin helps to maintain new-born blood sugar levels and general stability. Let it continue for as long as you wish if there are no concerns for the health of you or baby. Skin to skin is an important part of the care provided by your maternity team following birth, so they will know to prioritise this crucial time.

This also and importantly applies to babies born by assisted and caesarean section birth.

Dad may also like to be prepared and wear a loose tee shirt or shirt that can be unbuttoned so that he can easily snuggle baby skin to skin. Your midwife will show you how to hold your new baby.

The benefits of skin-to-skin care extend beyond the moment of birth. Skin to skin can take place at any time a baby needs comforting or calming. There is no specific age when skin to skin should stop if your baby is happy with it. It provides powerful benefits for baby the entire time they are an infant, in the hours, days, weeks and months to come. Ongoing skin to skin contacts during the early days and weeks release oxytocin and prolactin which can give stress reliving benefits for mum too.

If your baby has medical problems and needs urgent treatment, it may not be possible for either of you to hold baby straight away. Any touch is a comfort to your baby. If you cannot cuddle baby skin to skin, you could hold their hand so they can feel your warmth and recognise your smell.

You can catch up with skin to skin as soon as you are both well enough. Whenever you start skin to skin, it will have lots of benefits for your baby, and for your relationship.

How to do skin-to-skin?

If you are doing immediate skin to skin following birth, the midwife will dry your baby, place them on your chest and cover baby’s back with a clean dry towel or light blanket. The midwife will continue to observe both you and your baby. That is all there is to it!

You can lie down with your baby on your chest, if you are sure, you won’t fall asleep. Ask for assistance when you need it.

Otherwise, sit up while holding your baby skin to skin, and keep baby upright with their chest against your chest. Wearing a nappy on baby is ok if you are worried about soiling.

You are allowed to ask for help. In fact, you should.

Following birth, feeling tired afterwards is very normal and it can take time to ease into motherhood. Motherhood is full on and lots of mums can find it hard to ask for help. Do not be afraid to reach out for help and support from midwives, other health professionals, family and friends as you adjust to life with your new baby. Identifying things that people can help with and allowing others to support you is a giant leap to nurturing yourself.