How to Make Your Birth Space Special

Many of us spend a lot of time envisioning not only our birth day…but also our birth space.

How it will look, smell, even feel.

And while I firmly believe you don’t actually need anything to birth your baby…I do think it can be beneficial to take the time and energy to bring items that will make you feel safe, supported, and peaceful.

Oxytocin, often referred to as the "love hormone," is a powerful neurotransmitter that is associated with social bonding, trust, and feelings of love and well-being. It plays a vital role in labor, birth, breastfeeding, and overall emotional health.

While we know that things like physical touch and meditation can increase oxytocin…physical items that make you feel peaceful or remind you of people you love can increase oxytocin too.

1 Candles

If you give birth at home, lighting a few candles in your birth space can add the right amount of light…and also help create a calm and even romantic atmosphere. If you aren’t giving birth at home (or don’t want to worry about burning a candle…there are now so many options for fake candles (some of which will even emit a flickering light!)

2 Fresh Flowers

Fresh flowers can make any room feel brighter and more connected to nature. Some of my clients even like looking at a blossom to help visualize their own cervix opening. For my last three births, I’ve bought flowers when I thought I was going into labor. It was a special treat for myself…and a nice early labor distraction errand (although I did end up buying a couple of bouquets during my last birth…thanks prodromal labor!)

3 Affirmations and Images

This is an easy one…and I see these used across all types of births - homebirths, birth center births, hospital births, cesarean births. Some of my clients even laminate their birth affirmations so that they can get wet. Others hang on the walls. My client below laminated pictures her older kids had drawn or written. And many of my clients will bring pictures of their family to hang next to the affirmations or to place near them as they labor.

4 Twinkly Lights

Whether you decide to hang these on the wall or run them underneath your birth tub liner…twinkly lights are such an easy and affordable way to designate your birth space as somewhere special. One of my clients even purchased lights that turn on when placed in water, and she floated those in her birth tub at the hospital. The result was magical!.

5 Welcome Signs

Letterboards and printed signs are an easy and fun way to make your birth space special. I loved the simplicity of the paper taped up against the window…and the sweet words in Spanish at a recent Denver homebirth.

6 Texture

I remember the texture of my living room pillows as I labored at home with my 4th baby. This may seem like an odd one, but I do think there is something nice about having a variety of blankets or pillows with different textures or patterns. During labor, sometimes it’s nice to zone out and to focus on something small…like a pattern on your favorite throw pillow or the way your favorite blanket feels between your fingers. Yes, there’s a chance these things will get dirty, but it’s usually fairly easy to move items aside when baby decides to come. I think they can make your birth space cozier and also can provide some simple tactile distraction during labor.

PS. This birth took place inside a tiny home! You can read more about that birth story here.