From Surviving to Celebrating: How to Have a Positive Birth Experience

Birth is not something you just survive. It’s something you are meant to experience fully, something you are allowed to celebrate. After all this is your baby's first birthday party!

But if you've been pregnant for more than five minutes, you've probably already picked up on the narrative most people push: “Just get through it.” Whether it's horror stories shared by well-meaning family members or television portrayals that make labor look like pure trauma, the message is clear: birth is scary, chaotic, and painful, and the best you can do is endure it.

I’m here to tell you something different.

The Cultural Narrative Around Birth Is All Wrong

We’re often taught to fear labor from the moment we find out we’re pregnant. That fear is everywhere, on our screens, in casual conversations, even in some prenatal care settings. It’s no wonder so many women go into birth bracing themselves for the worst. It’s presented as an emergency, a battle, a thing to be managed.

And when we brace for survival, we disconnect. We become passive participants instead of active creators in our own birth stories.

But here’s the truth: birth is not a medical event by default. It’s a physiological one. Your body is designed for this. And when you’re supported, informed, and emotionally prepared, birth becomes something else entirely, powerful, raw, transformative, and even joyful.

What Happens When You Expect to “Just Get Through It”

When birth is framed as something to suffer through, it impacts everything from your mindset, to your preparation, and even your experience in the moment. I've seen clients come into labor tense and fearful, just waiting for someone to save them from the pain. That fear blocks progress. It creates resistance. It feeds into the idea that you're not in control of what's happening to your body.

And that fear doesn’t just show up in labor, it lingers. It contributes to birth trauma. It affects your postpartum healing. It can even shake your confidence in your ability to parent.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

The Hidden Truth: You Can Have a Positive Birth Experience

I’ve attended births that were loud and wild, silent and still, fast and unexpected, slow and sacred. Every one of them had one thing in common: the birthing person was doing something absolutely magnificent. Not surviving. Becoming.

When you shift your mindset and start to view birth as a celebration of your body’s power, the energy changes. You walk into labor with strength, not fear. You make decisions from a place of grounded clarity, not panic. You move through waves knowing your body is working for you, not against you.

You’re not just getting through it. You’re living it.

How to Reframe Birth as a Celebration

This kind of mindset shift doesn’t just happen. It takes intention. It takes support. And it takes a willingness to question the stories you’ve been told.

Here are a few ways to start:

1. Consume positive birth stories

Flood your mind with empowering, diverse, and inspiring birth experiences. Read books like Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth or listen to podcasts that feature natural birth stories. Follow doulas and birth educators who celebrate what the female body can do. You can start with mine, I share real stories and tools daily on Instagram.

2. Watch your language

Start by changing the way you talk about birth. Instead of saying, “I just want to get it over with,” try “I’m preparing for an empowering birth.” Words matter. They shape your mindset. Read my blog about affirmations to learn even more about this.

3. Create a birth environment that feels sacred

Think about what makes you feel safe, powerful, and calm. Music, lighting, scent, and affirmations. These things aren’t fluff. They ground you. They remind you that you’re in charge. You don’t need to have a home birth to make birth feel sacred; you can transform any space, even a hospital room, with intention.

4. Choose a care team that respects your body

This is huge. You need providers who believe in your ability to birth. If your OB or midwife treats you like a ticking time bomb, that fear will rub off on you. Interview your care team. Ask about their approach to natural birth, interventions, and informed consent. Don’t be afraid to switch providers if something feels off.

5. Use affirmations to rewire your thinking

Daily affirmations may sound woo-woo, but they work. They literally reprogram your neural pathways. Try these:

    “My body was made for birth.”

    “Each contraction brings me closer to meeting my baby.”

    “I trust the wisdom of my body.”

    “Birth is not something I fear, it’s something I welcome.”

Write them on sticky notes. Put them on your mirror. Say them out loud every day.

6. Process your fears—don’t ignore them

Shifting into celebration mode doesn’t mean pretending fear doesn’t exist. It means facing it and unpacking it. Ask yourself: Where did this fear come from? Is it mine or someone else’s? Journaling, talking with a doula or therapist, or doing a fear-release exercise can be incredibly healing.

7. Educate yourself like your birth depends on it (because it does).

Knowledge is confidence. Learn about the stages of labor, your rights as a patient, comfort techniques, and common interventions. When you know what to expect, you feel more in control. And when you feel in control, birth stops being something that happens to you and becomes something you’re doing.

Your Birth Story Deserves to Be One of Power, Not Survival

You get to write your own narrative. You don’t have to carry the fear that was passed down to you. You don’t have to brace yourself. You can prepare yourself. You can celebrate this. You can walk into labor feeling strong, centered, and ready.

You were made for birth. You’re not just going to get through it. You’re going to rise in it.

Next Steps: If this shift in perspective resonated with you, let’s work together to prepare your mind and body for the birth you deserve. Whether you need personalized birth planning, private coaching, or just a doula who sees your power, I’m here for that. Let's help you get your positive birth experience! Reach out or explore my offerings here.