Introduction - Why the Five Senses Matter in Labor
Average Read Time: 1-2 minutes
Eyes (sight), ears (hearing), nose (smell), m
outh (taste), s
kin (touch)
We all have personal preferences when it comes to the senses above. For example, I am not a sweets girl and would prefer cool ranch doritos over chocolate everyday! Who, after reading this, thought, “Wow, Leila is wild for that!” - See? We have different opinions about what our senses want and need to be happy.
Our five senses also matter in labor. At the end of the day, we are mammals, which means that when giving birth, we ultimately need to feel safe. When talking with clients, I add in the words “loved” and “respected” to safety, because those two words play a deep role in our feeling of safety when giving birth. When clients feel safe, loved and respected, they are more likely to feel empowered and calm through their childbirth journey - something everyone deserves to feel through their birthing experience.
While there are many ways to help foster feelings of safety, love, and respect in labor and delivery (see my blog on birth plans for another tool of empowerment!), I always start my first prenatal by gathering information about my client’s preferences about their five senses. How can we create an environment to foster birth empowerment? What makes each client unique in their needs for feeling safe, loved, and respected? If the birthing parent has a partner, what do they notice about their partner that can help build up a space that is specifically designed for their labor?
Now, this isn’t just me on my soap box. Research shows that creating a protected environment increases birth satisfaction overall (1). There is also strong evidence that environment can reduce stress hormones in the birthing person and also aid the transition of the newborn to the outside world (2).
For the next five blog posts, I will dive into each of the five senses specifically. The goal will be to explain why this sense is important to protect and uplift in labor, as well as some different ideas for how to start planning to foster this sense in your own birthing journey. I’ll look at research, both evidence based and anecdotal, to help you start planning for your unique birthing environment.
Have ideas? Want to talk more about your labor environment? Contact me here!
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