Silent Birth Tips

One of the most important things to remember when a woman is writing her birth plan, is that no matter what, it's about making her comfortable during the birth. Whether she chooses to have a silent birth for religious, personal or comfort reasons, it's important for her to decide what suits her best. Here are some tips for planning a silent birth:

• If you just like the concept of a silent birth, you don't need to follow it exactly. Instead, you can use it as a general guide for your birth, requesting that people in the room only offer an instruction once or only talk in whispers. It's your birth, do it your way!
• Talk to your midwife or doctor as early as possible about your silent birth plan. If you are set on having a silent birth, you may need to change carers if yours are not open to the idea.
• Make sure you have a support person who knows exactly what you want. This way, even if you're in the middle of labor and unable to give instructions, your support person can make sure your wishes are being followed.
• If possible, work with a single carer or small group of carers (or midwives) during the pregnancy. This will increase the chance that they're all familiar with what you want at your birth, instead of ending up with unknown carers who don't understand the reason for your wishes.