Intentions for labor and birth:

PATIENCE

TRUST

LOVE

JOY

At yoga class this week, Britt asked us each to come up with one word to describe what we would like our birth experience to include. Like setting an intention for our labor and birth. The first thing that came to my mind was "love", then I thought of "joy" (which is also a name we like for a girl's middle name), and then I decided on "patience". I have used intentions before in yoga classes, and when I first became a dedicated yoga student, keeping the word "patience" in mind with each breath helped me a lot to get through the classes (as opposed to leaving the class early which was sometimes my gut reaction to an uncomfortable pose).

I think that keeping PATIENCE in mind during labor and birth will help me. It will also help to remember to TRUST my body and my birth assistants, and to keep in touch with feelings of LOVE and JOY.