If you’re like me, you crave hugs, I don’t think enough people talk about the benefits of hugs or even physical touch in general. We all know what it takes to become pregnant, but lets talk about how hugging and other forms of physical touch can affect us during pregnancy, during the labor, and after birth.
Everybody is different, some ladies love language is touch, for others quality time, and some would rather receive a gift than have a cuddle session. However, it amazes me how many things a simple hug can cure, no matter who you are, and what your love language is. Usually when you hug someone, there is a sense of trust that you feel for the person, and of course there are hormones that a hug can evoke that are essential during different times of our lives.
During your labor everything is about YOU, who you trust, what makes you comfortable, how you want things to go. Hugging and having physical touch with your partner, Doula or Midwife can be an influential part of success in your birth, having his arms wrapped around you, feeling his body behind yours while you’re experiencing everything that birth is. Touch can be healing, and even pain relieving if received from the right person and at the right time.
Labor is all about the mindset, and it’s been proven that when hugging or kissing there are more positive emotions at play while also allowing for a deeper connection to the individual involved. What could be more affirming than a reassuring arm around the shoulder or a strong chest felt on your back as you are going through so many emotions and physical feelings all at once? A large percentage of ladies, don’t think they can have a baby without pain medication, but have you tried a hug? Have you thought about all of the support you will receive and connection to your husband you would feel to have him there with you, confirming that you were created for this?
Lets be honest, for the men in the picture, when you are in one of the most important, emotional, painful, powerful, physical, heart wrenching, wonderful situations in your life. When you are going through that, and they get to watch, if you allow them to be apart of it how much more of a connection to you and your baby will they have?
There’s a reason why after birth we recommend having your baby skin to skin, it helps form connection, trust, and even healing after such a physically traumatic situation. It makes it worth it. Pain? What pain? Here is your baby, would you do it again? Yes! We are women. We were made for this. We grow a baby in our stomachs, our vaginas expand and all sizes of babies come out. We are bad butts! But, we need that physical connection. That trust, that hug. The reassurance in the height of it. The acknowledgment that we are women, we are strong, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t needing of a strong man behind us. Hugs are a cure all. They allow us a second to take a deep breath. When your child scrapes his knee, what is he going to need? A hug! When there are no words for a situation, what can you do? Offer a warm hug. When you’re writing your birth plan, pinning pins on your Pintrest board, include physical touch in there.
Sometimes the simple things, are the best things.
Author of post,
Ashlynn Brown