Visualisation: a powerful tool for confidence

Trust is one of the most powerful things during your pregnancy and birth. Trust in your right to make your own decisions, your intuition, your body and your inner strength. Still, that trust can sometimes be hard to feel, especially when you’re feeling unsure or anxious. Visualisation techniques can be a powerful tool here, but what are they exactly and how do you start? Like breathing, visualisation is a valuable relaxation technique during labour; see here how you can combine it with breathing.

Visualising means imagining or remembering images, situations or events. It goes further than just seeing something in your mind. It also includes what you might hear, feel, taste and smell. It’s a powerful technique because your brain doesn’t distinguish between what you see with your eyes open or closed. It barely tells the difference between ‘real’ and ‘imagined’ experiences. A positive visualisation is therefore stored as a positive experience, as a success. That gives your self-confidence a huge boost straight away!

In short, it works by calling up positive, vivid images in your mind, which bring your body and mind into a state of relaxation and trust. The process isn’t complicated, but it does take some practice. After all, we’ve become used to our beliefs, behaviours and thoughts. That’s why practice and repetition are essential.

Why not try it now? Create a comfortable spot for yourself where you won’t be disturbed. Sit or lie down comfortably. Imagine how you want to feel during labour. Feel the self-confidence and the connection with your baby. Feel yourself moving along with what your body needs. What can you see? Can you see where you are? What does it look like? Can you perhaps smell something too? You can use all your senses. How are people speaking to you? Feel yourself expressing your wishes and needs from a place of trust. You feel supported and carried by the people around you. Let this feeling sink in for a moment.

Below are a few visualisations that are often used during birth. You can adapt these exercises to your own needs. Just make sure they have a positive theme.

With this technique you imagine yourself in labour, with everything going smoothly and calmly. Visualise your body working well with each contraction, while your baby moves calmly and naturally through the birth canal. Visualising the journey your baby makes to be born helps you build trust in your body and in the birth process.

Many women imagine natural, calming images, such as:

A blossoming flower: you can imagine your body as a flower that opens slowly and effortlessly with each contraction. This can help you let go of tension and focus on relaxing your pelvic floor muscles. Of course, you can also simply visualise your cervix opening. It doesn’t have to be realistic at all. Just let whatever images come up for you.

Waves in the ocean: contractions can be seen as waves that come and go. A wave rises, peaks and fades again. Visualise yourself moving effortlessly with the waves, with every contraction bringing you one step closer to the birth.

With this technique you imagine yourself in a safe, relaxing place. This could be a favourite place from your memories, such as a beach, a forest or a quiet room. While you imagine this place, you focus on the smells, the sounds and the feelings of safety and comfort. This can help you feel calm, even when labour becomes intense.

Link your breathing to visualisation. With each in-breath you can imagine breathing in strength and relaxation, while with each out-breath you let go of tension or fear. This strengthens the connection between mind and body, giving you more confidence that you can handle the birth.

During a visualisation you can repeat positive affirmations such as: “My body knows what to do”, “I trust the process” or “My baby and I are helping each other”. These affirmations, combined with visualising the journey your baby makes to be born, can be very powerful.

Imagine what the moment will feel like when you meet your baby for the first time. Visualise your baby’s face, the feeling of holding your child, and the joy and relief you’ll feel. This positive, goal-focused visualisation can help you through difficult moments by focusing on the reward at the end of labour.

1. Sit or lie down in a quiet place.
2. Close your eyes, breathe in and out calmly for a moment, and make sure you’re nice and relaxed.
3. Connect with your body for a moment with a short body scan, or by placing one hand on your heart and the other on your belly.
4. Now picture the situation you’d like.
5. Do this in as much detail as possible, with sounds, colours, images, feelings and taste.
6. Use all your senses and do everything that fits the situation you wish for.
7. Immerse yourself fully in the good feeling it gives you. Become aware of your confidence in your own body, of your own strength.
8. At the end of your visualisation, while you’re still in it, tell your partner, a loved one, your midwife or your doula how wonderful the experience was.
9. Enjoy the success, feel the happiness that comes with it, and then let it go again.
10. Finish with a powerful statement such as: ‘I’m ready for this’ or ‘I can do this!’

Curious how I can support you and your partner during your pregnancy and the birth of your baby (or babies)? Book a free introductory chat.

I look forward to meeting you!