Why should you prepare consciously for childbirth?

It is important to highlight that being prepared is not just about gathering information; we can distinguish three key areas on the topic.

1. Physical preparation helps strengthen those muscle groups that will be most stressed during childbirth.

2. Mental preparation can help among other things to acknowledge and ease fears, and provide a sense of control.

3. Approaching and gathering information from a social perspective means it is worthwhile to get familiar with the environment and mentality that characterizes the society and the chosen institution/staff, as well as knowing the procedures, purposes, and potential side effects of different interventions.

Physical preparation

Childbirth is a physically exhausting process. For first-time mothers, labor can last 9-11 hours, and the pushing can take about an hour (these phases are somewhat shorter for those who have given birth before) (Kovács and Pál, 2017). Understandably, one can get tired from this long process, and it physically strains the birthing woman.

Numerous studies have addressed whether performing different forms of exercise during pregnancy affects the course of childbirth. The length of childbirth is one of the most easily measurable variables, so researchers often observe this in women participating in their studies. A 2004 study (Salvesen and Mørkved) examined the effects of strengthening the pelvic floor muscles on the duration of childbirth. The results showed that strengthening these muscles decreases the chance of prolonged pushing. So, what is noteworthy from this study is that not the duration of the pushing stage decreased among women in the study group, but they experienced fewer prolonged (longer than 60 minutes) pushing phases.

Strengthening the pelvic floor muscles also offers other benefits. It has proven effective in preventing incontinence and perineal tears (Zhang et al., 2024). Several studies have examined incontinence.

Childbirth preparation programs that include pilates exercises also reduce incontinence both before and after childbirth.

Pilates also has other positive effects. Among women practicing pilates, a greater number had vaginal births, and their labor was shorter (Braun and Avci, 2024). A study conducted in 2022 (Zhang et al.) mentions that exercises focusing on the abdominal muscles reduced back pain and fatigue during pregnancy and increased the frequency of vaginal births while decreasing the need for episiotomies.

Based on all this, we can say that it is important to remain active during pregnancy. Different forms of exercise can strengthen different muscles in our body, and this can not only ease the process of childbirth but also alleviate unpleasant symptoms experienced before or after pregnancy.

It is important to emphasize that exercises should always be performed with a specialist to minimize the risk of injury and maximize effectiveness.

Mental/psychological preparation

The period of having children is known as a normative crisis for both the mother and the father. This means that the crisis is a natural part of this period, a part of it. This challenging period is aided by understanding the psychology and biology behind the changes.

A 2022 study (Onchonga) showed that women who participated in childbirth preparation programs were less afraid of childbirth. But conscious preparation can reduce more than just fear. In 2023, a study found that, aside from this advantage,

the occurrence of postpartum depression was also lower, and the pain experienced during labor was milder among women who participated in childbirth preparation (Alizadeh-Dibazari, Abdolalipour, and Mirghafourvand).

Moreover, a recent study indicates that there is a difference in childbirth methods. Mothers who participated in childbirth preparation programs had a higher rate of vaginal births (Zaman et al., 2025).

We can also say that childbirth preparation courses reduce anxiety, shorten labor duration, improve childbirth experience, and promote long-term breastfeeding (Yohai, 2018).

There are several ways to mentally prepare for childbirth. You can join a pregnancy group or go to some specialist individually. It is advisable to choose a specialist with special knowledge on the subject. Such as a perinatal consultant, who learns about the period around childbirth in great detail during a two-year course.

As mentioned earlier, this period is a normative crisis, so it is no surprise that many experience fear and anxiety regarding childbirth or even significant changes in everyday life.

One important thing is that if we understand the process, it will be less frightening.

Childbirth is a complex biological and psychological process, where everything has its role. When conducting researches for my thesis and collecting birth stories from mothers, I found that a significant number of women are not aware of what exactly happens in their body during those hours when they bring their children into the world.

Unfortunately, in Hungary, the system does not adequately inform women in the healthcare system. Many don't know whom to turn to or why it is worth preparing. It is important to emphasize that this is not the women's fault. Very little is said about this important topic in public education or public discourse, so it is not considered obvious to deal with this issue.

In addition to learning about our body's processes, it is also important to dedicate time to what is happening within us emotionally. Childbirth and the postpartum period have their own hormonal processes, which affect behavior and mood. Distinct emotional patterns and behaviors emerge in different stages of childbirth (Dixon, Skinner and Foureur, 2013). If we understand both the biological and psychological sides of childbirth, we will realize that it is a phenomenon that is indeed challenging but not impossible.

Preparing for institutional childbirth

Nowadays, most births occur in a hospital environment under medical supervision. The modern medical science has saved the lives of many mothers and babies, but we cannot ignore that in many cases, doctors intervene more often than necessary. There can be many reasons why this is the case (e.g., fear of malpractice suits, shortage of doctors and nurses, etc.), but this is not the topic of this article.

What is important to highlight is that a significant task during these 9 months is for the mother to find a facility where she can fully trust the staff and accept medical recommendations during childbirth. Unfortunately, this is not an easy task today, but when preparing my theses, I encountered birth stories that assured me it is not impossible.

Of course, it is also necessary for the expectant mother (and partner) to be familiar with the most common interventions and understand when and why they can be useful. Trust in healthcare institution staff is important for us to feel safe and accept and understand the necessity of interventions more easily in case of complications. Often on the delivery room there is no time to start explaining potential side effects of an intervention or how it will affect the baby. It is good to prepare with this information in advance.

In summary, preparation for childbirth should be done in three areas. One is physical preparation, another is mental/psychological preparation, and the third is gathering information about the chosen institution. From scientific writings, we can see that women remember certain details of their childbirth vividly even years later (Simkin, 1992), and what they experience during this period can affect their attachment to their child (Allen, 1998). Among other things, this is why it is important for every woman to have the opportunity for the best birth experience possible.

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References

Alizadeh-Dibazari, Z., Abdolalipour, S., & Mirghafourvand, M. (2023). The effect of prenatal education on fear of childbirth, pain intensity during labour and childbirth experience: a scoping review using systematic approach and meta-analysis. BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 23(1), 541

Allen, S. (1998). A qualitative analysis of the process, mediating variables and impact of traumatic childbirth. Journal of reproductive and infant psychology, 16(2-3), 107-131.
doi: 10.1080/02646839808404563

Buran, G., & Erim Avcı, S. (2024). The effect of pregnancy pilates-assisted childbirth preparation training on urinary incontinence and birth outcomes: a randomized-controlled study. Archives of gynecology and obstetrics, 310(5), 2725-2735.

Dixon, L., Skinner, J. P. and Foureur, M. (2013). The emotional and hormonal pathways of labor and birth: integrating mind, body and behavior. Journal-New Zealand College of Midwives. 2013, 48 (1), 15-23.

doi: 10.1111/j.1523-536X.1992.tb00382.x

Kovács, L., & Pál, A. (2017). Élettani vajúdás és szülés. In Z. Papp (Ed.), A szülészet-nőgyógyászat tankönyve (3rd ed., pp.  249-270). Budapest: Semmelweis Kiadó – Medicina Könyvkiadó Zrt.

Onchonga, D. O. (2022). The impact of integrated childbirth education on fear of childbirth among Kenyan women[Doctoral dissertation, University of Pécs]. Pécsi Egyetemi Archívum. https://pea.lib.pte.hu/bitstream/handle/pea/34381/onchonga-david-ondieki-tezis-eng-2022.pdf?isAllowed=y&sequence=3

Simkin, P. (1992). Just another day in a woman's life? Part II: Nature and consistency of women's long‐term memories of their first birth experiences. Birth, 19(2), 64-81.

Yohai, D., Alharar, D., Cohen, R., Kaltian, Z., Aricha-Tamir, B., Ben Aion, S., ... & Weintraub, A. Y. (2018). The effect of attending a prenatal childbirth preparedness course on labor duration and outcomes. Journal of perinatal medicine, 46(1), 47-52.

Zaman, A., Fadlalmola, H. A., Ibrahem, S. E., Ismail, F. H., Abedelwahed, H. H., Ali, A. M., ... & Saad, A. M. (2025). The role of antenatal education on maternal self-efficacy, fear of childbirth, and birth outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Midwifery, 9, 10-18332

Zhang, D., Bo, K., Montejo, R., Sánchez‐Polán, M., Silva‐José, C., Palacio, M., & Barakat, R. (2024). Influence of pelvic floor muscle training alone or as part of a general physical activity program during pregnancy on urinary incontinence, episiotomy and third‐or fourth‐degree perineal tear: Systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 103(6), 1015-1027.

Zhang, R., Xiao, Y., Wei, W., & Wu, B. (2022). Effect of birth ball abdominal core training on pregnancy fatigue, waist pain and delivery outcomes. International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics, 158(3), 613-618.