Maintaining Modesty In Birth
When I was preparing to give birth I did one of the ‘cardinal sins’ I tell my clients not to invest too much time in - watch a ton of birth videos!
One thing that I was having an extremely hard time with was the idea of being vulnerable and immodest while pushing out my baby. I couldn’t, however, wrap my brain around how NOT to be exposed during birth. I wanted to be comfortable, but wasn’t sure how to relay that to my care providers.
Many of our families have a hard time thinking about being on display while they’re working towards birthing their baby. I’ll say this now - for the people in the back:
IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AT ALL TIMES THAT YOU ARE COMFORTABLE AND FEEL SAFE IN YOUR BIRTH EXPERIENCE.
If that means that you do not wish to be in a certain position, unburdened of certain amounts of clothing, touched in a certain way, or more - you do not have to.
Babies can be born fully clothed, draped with a hospital gown. You can deliver your baby standing next to the bed with the gown on, with your provider catching baby with a pen light to assist with view. You can intrinsically catch your OWN baby, without a million spectators.
This is one reason we highly encourage families to consider who is allowed in the room for their birth experience, and to feel comfortable with those who might see them in various states of vulnerability. While many women at a certain phase of their labor experience lose their sense of modesty and transcend that, some don’t.
Your body will betray you if you feel unsafe, or uncomfortable.
The toilet and shower are great places to labor that make many feel comfortable. If the hospital gown itself makes you feel too exposed, consider wearing comfortable clothing of your own. Push in positions that don’t feel subservient, like on your back, if you find those to be exposing.
Discuss these items in detail with your trusted partner and your doula. There is no need to birth a way that doesn’t feel natural to you - so explore your options and maintain your sense of self!
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