Your Five Senses in Labor - Sight

Average read time: 3-5 minutes

“The eyes are the window to the soul.” So says William Shakespeare, who so simply captured why sight is something to consider deeply during childbirth (although I’m sure he wasn’t thinking about this at ANY point of his writing career!). 

This is part three of a series to unpack the five senses during labor. Check out the introduction, part one on sound or part two on smell to gather even more information as you plan for your own birth! 

<— Check out this spa-like bathroom a client set up for her labor! She spent A LOT of time in here!

The eyes are so important in labor. When the eyes are closed, it can represent a turning inward - something that happens to almost every birthing person as they move more deeply into their labor. You see it as a doula, partner or healthcare provider - the eyes close at the beginning of a contraction, maybe the brow furrows to try to shut them more tightly. Turning off this sense can help with the inward focus needed to get through the contraction. 

Equally as important is what happens when someone opens their eyes. What they see is going to have an impact on how safe, loved and respected that person feels in the moment. Who is in the room? What’s happening with the lights? What’s around them that might activate a previous memory, thought, fear, or feeling of safety? Whether consciously or not, what we see impacts our feelings and emotions. So thinking about your relationship with sight and light matters deeply as you labor. I’ll break down sight and light more specifically below. 

LIGHT

<— This is a galaxy light a client used throughout labor to help set the mood she needed.

You have a lot of power over the light you see, both at home and at the hospital. At home, you know your house, your lights, your candles, etc. As you begin laboring at home, you can tailor your light experience for whatever you need. Think about the different places you’ll labor, and control the light accordingly! (Pro tip - I always think candles in the bathroom make for a beautiful laboring experience!)

At the hospital it’s a bit different, but not completely out of your control! You can still dim or turn off the lights in your laboring room as much as necessary. I also recommend bringing LED candles or a galaxy light to your labor, so that you create the atmosphere you want. Illinois Masonic knows how important this is - they actually have candles and galaxy lights you can borrow for your labor! I carry both in my doula bag for clients, and one of the first things I always do when arriving at a birth is setting up candles around the room and in the bathroom. 

One thing to note: the healthcare providers will have their own relationship and needs around light as well. Some nurses and doctors walk into a dim room and really understand that there is a specific vibe in the room. Others come in and immediately turn on the lights. If having the lights turn on suddenly will feel really jarring to you, I recommend communicating that with your nurse early! They might be able to help protect the light you need to keep laboring. That being said - if the healthcare team needs the lights for medical reasons, they need those lights! If that’s the case, we step back and let them do their thing. 

SIGHT

What you see also really matters in labor. Anna, a recent new mama and client of mine, told me of sight in her labor: “seeing all women during labor gave me comfort and encouragement.” Another client brought a photo of her father, who had recently passed away. One client’s partner had made them a blanket for labor that had pictures of all their pets on it! You can get creative with what you need in your room to aid with creating that feeling of safety, love, and respect. That includes the people in the room! While you may not be able to control the nurse or OB/midwife (although you can always request a different person if you need to!), you can control the rest of your birth team. If you’re partnered, where do you want them? If you’ve hired a doula, find someone that sparks a feeling of trust. Are there other people, family or friends, who would help you in your childbirth journey? 

Think also about how you feel in your birth setting. Inevitably if you’ve chosen a hospital birth, you’re going to see hospital-y things - gloves, masks, IVs, monitors, etc. What is your relationship with these things? Do they bring up feelings of safety or fear? Would it bother you to see tools that might become necessary, like needles or clamps? All of these tools are symbols, with different meanings for each person entering a hospital. Think about your own relationship with hospitals, the people and tools that exist in them, and whether or not they will fuel your experience during childbirth. Once you’ve reflected for yourself, communicate that with your birth team! If your partner knows you don’t want to see the clock on the wall, they can help come up with a solution with the nurses once you get to the hospital. 

I hope that this helps you think more deeply about the sense of sight, and its role in your childbirth journey. Want help, have ideas, or would like to connect more? Reach out to me here!