What are Birth Affirmation cards?
Birth Affirmation cards are a way to help you have a positive and empowering birth experience. They are a source of inspiration, encouragement, and a way to build your confidence in yourself: that you can and will meet the call of childbirth. It is a mindfulness exercise that helps to nurture your mental well-being when you read and internalize these cards. You may have heard the saying “sound mind in a sound body” which reminds us that a thriving life includes both your mental well-being and a healthy physical body.
But, you are made to birth, and these cards are a reminder that you have the power to steer your childbirth journey and that you have control over how you want to respond to challenges when they arise. This helps to give yourself a sense of control, which promotes relaxation and stress relief – which creates an excellent environment for baby to grow and develop in!
How do I use these cards?
Like any skill or physical exercise, mindfulness requires practice and repetition to become more proficient at it. Daily reading or on-demand when you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed and can help to re-focus your energies onto the positive and the present moment. It helps you to mentally prepare for your labour and delivery.
These cards are also useful during your labour. Mindfulness is the practice of being present and fully engaged in your immediate experience without being swept away by thoughts and feelings about the past or future. During labour, if you feel yourself fading or your determination waning, these cards can help you remain centered and stay positive and focused and relaxed on the task at hand. “You got this.”
It’s not just floof
Here are some studies that have been done about birth affirmations:
- A study in the Journal of Perinatal Education found that those who used birth affirmation cards during labor reported lower levels of pain and anxiety…were more likely to feel in control and satisfied with their birth experience (Levett et al., 2016).
- Levett, K. M., Smith, C. A., Bensoussan, A., & Dahlen, H. G. (2016). The Complementary Therapies for Labour and Birth Study making sense of labour and birth – Experiences of women, partners and midwives of a complementary medicine antenatal education course. Journal of Perinatal Education, 25(4), 204-213.
- A study in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that using birth affirmation cards was associated with reduced fear and increased confidence among pregnant women (Toohill et al., 2019).
- Toohill, J., Callander, E., Gamble, J., Creedy, D. K., Fenwick, J., & Fox-Young, S. (2019). A qualitative study of women’s perceptions and experiences of using affirmation cards in pregnancy and childbirth. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 19(1), 1-10.
- A systematic review of mindfulness-based interventions for pregnant women found that these interventions were associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improved birth outcomes such as decreased rates of preterm birth and low birth weight (Guardino et al., 2014).
- Guardino, C. M., Dunkel Schetter, C., Bower, J. E., Lu, M. C., Smalley, S. L., & Gerin, W. (2014). Randomised controlled pilot trial of mindfulness training for stress reduction during pregnancy. Psychology & Health, 29(3), 334-349.
- Another study published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth found that mindfulness-based interventions were associated with improved mental health and increased positive birth experiences among pregnant women (Bennett et al., 2017).
- Bennett, P., Smith, C., & Cramer, H. (2017). The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for supporting women’s psychological health during pregnancy: A systematic review. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 17(1), 1-17.
- Mindfulness practices, including those promoted by birth affirmation cards, have also been associated with improved mental health and birth outcomes.
