To bring you calm at the end of the day and even during actual labor and delivery, create a playlist of all your favorite, most relaxing music. Kick your feet up on the sofa or soak in a tub and listen to it in the weeks before delivery, so your baby can relax with you.

I brought my iPod and sound dock to the hospital and had it going the whole time as I delivered my daughter. At one point in the final pushes, my contractions started to slow, my husband asked me if I wanted the music off. I don’t remember answering him, but I clearly remember the nurse, sweet Paulette, as she held up one of my legs, say, “No, I like it. It’s so relaxing.”

Weird as it may be, to this day, whenever I hear Norah Jones, or Yo-Yo Ma, or any other artist’s song on my playlist, I have calm, happy thoughts of Vivienne’s delivery. Also, whenever she needed calming after she was born, I played the songs for her and they worked like a charm.

Note: A lot of hospitals won’t allow you to bring anything that plugs in. So get a docking station/speakers or CD player that runs on batteries.

And sign up for No Fear Birth updates now. They will be sent to your inbox fresh off my keyboard. Got a comment? Let me know what you think in the Comments area. Got friends? Let them know about this site. We want everyone to experience an incredible, no fear birth. It can be done. And you can add your name to the list of women who attest to it. This is just the beginning… Stay tuned for the forum coming in the next week.

Cheers and Blessings,
Jennifer

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Women across the nation scowl at svelte Hollywood celebrities who have just birthed their glitzy little bundles and wonder, “Seriously! How did she get that body so soon?” Well, trainers are great, but so is the knowledge you’ll get right here at No Fear Birth. We’re from LA, too, so what do you expect?

Step 1 – Get your granny on. What? That’s right. Get a big ol’ girdle and wear it with pride. It’s called “shapewear” now. But whatever it’s called, I call it the great re-shaper. My mom recommended it to me (that was the big secret back in the day) and I can fully attest to its greatness. It pulls all our stuff in and reminds it where it belongs. I wore mine for the first three or four months. Get one that’s made especially for post preggers. Mine was a genuine granny panty made with comfortable yet strong fabric. Your friends will glare at you with loving disdain. And you can just smile and say simply, “Thanks!”

Step 2 – Breastfeed. You know it was coming. Yes, breastfeeding releases oxytocin in your body that causes your uterus to contact back to its original size and place. And it burns a lot of calories to boot.

Step 3 – Eat healthily and drink plenty of water. Yes, you do need more calories if you’re breastfeeding but they shouldn’t come from saturated fats or sugars. Even if you’re not breastfeeding, you should avoid these. And do not eat high fructose corn syrup or trans fat (hydrogenated oils). Some people think they need to consume more fat or drink…

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It’s interesting to me how many women, it seems, don’t really plan on preparing physically for birth. As an average Jane, you wouldn’t wake up and say, “I’m going to run a marathon today.” Even if you plan on an epidural or a C-section, your body needs to be in good shape. The good news is that it doesn’t mean sweatin’ to the oldies.

In a word: yoga. It’s nature is in line with what labor is about: relaxing and stretching and breathing. I tried several yoga videos but many of them were too “spiritual” in a weird way for me. The best one I found is Prenatal Yoga With Shiva Rea, available at Amazon.com. It has three women you can follow depending on your comfort level and trimester. Their names are Shiva, Britta and Poppy, but I’ve got a feeling that their mom’s call them Julie, Pam and Karen respectively. Anyway, my husband on occasion would join me. I was driven to follow Shiva, the first trimester girl, for as long as possible, while he could only follow Poppy, the third trimester girl. What a sight - especially when it came to the Kegel exercises (see below). I say it’s those loose ligaments that helped me. I am usually the one who’s lagging or using all the props otherwise. I recommend doing yoga at least 3 times a week, for 30 mins. (or in two 15 min. increments). I like to set my goals within an easy range so I feel better when I exceed my goal, but that’s me. By “doing” I mean: following a DVD, taking a prenatal yoga class, or even just following the exercises below.

Best poses to prepare for birth (and relieve everyday pregger body stress): You can benefit a ton from these no-sweat exercises. You don’t need special equipment, just comfortable clothes, and blanket, and a little space.

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