birthing affirmations and flags

when i first found out i was pregnant, i decided right away that i needed some birth affirmations to keep me positive and to trust in my body. see, i was planning a hba2c (you can read about my birth story here) and since i had two cesareans before, i couldn't help but think that there's a possibility i might again. i know; that sounds incredibly pessimistic and negative! which was exactly why i needed some positive words and phrases to help me trust in my body.

i made a quick search on pinterest and found that there were so many references for birthing affirmations. after scouring through them all, i found some that really spoke to me and were just what i needed to meditate on. i immediately knew that these affirmations would help me stay positive. i downloaded them all and printed them out on card stock, then cut them out and started reading through them daily.

 out of the twenty three that i printed, i really focused and meditated on a few every day.

i would sit in bed every morning, afternoon, and evening (i envisioned i would do the bulk of my laboring in/on the bed and wanted the energy of these affirmations to really resonate there) reading through them and letting them be a part of me and the room itself. they became essential to my sanity when i reached forty one weeks and two days and there was still no sign of baby, yet.

another piece of my birthing preparation and process were birthing flags that i made. during our second birthing class with our (unofficial) doula and friend, jennifer stover, she had us write down three words each of what we want the labor and birth to be. she suggested we put them up around the house so we could see them every day and envision the labor and birth to be those mantras. once we had our six words, i decided to put them on flags to hang up in our room. that way, during labor, i could focus on those and create that environment that our words really embodied. and in the meantime i could meditate on them as well.

our words/mantras were 'beautiful, vibrant, joyful, intimate, personal, spectacular'.

visit trustbreathebirth blog to download the birth affirmations, which are courtesy of graphic designer sashi hesson. you can find her on facebook, instagram, pinterest, and twitter. such beautiful designs! and she is such a sweet gal and gave me all sorts of positive support when i had a couple lapses in sanity thinking my baby would never come!

do you have any birthing affirmations that really spoke to you? what about mantras or birthing flags? i'd love if you shared!