GUEST BLOG POST FROM OUR DOULA, JESS MARTINSON
When you picture giving birth, what comes to mind?
Some imagine being at home, surrounded by dim lights and their closest people. Others feel safest in a hospital, with a trusty nurse by their side. Both settings can be beautiful—it all depends on your needs, your pregnancy, your medical caregivers and your wishes for birth.
Many parents love the calm, intimate atmosphere often associated with home birth—the warmth, soft lighting, and sense of control, but they don’t feel comfortable birthing outside of the hospital or home birth isn’t an option for them. The good news is, you can bring those same elements into your hospital birth. With preparation, intention, and communication, a hospital room can feel just as nurturing and personal.
As doulas, we often encourage clients to labour at home for as long as they feel comfortable, because home helps you relax—and relaxation boosts oxytocin, the “love hormone” that supports labour progress. There are countless ways to bring your home’s cozy, grounded energy into the hospital so you can have a birth that feels safe, supported and your own. Here are our top tips to bring the comforts of home to your hospital birth.
- Craft an outline of your birth preferences ahead of time that focus on what is important to you and how you think you will find comfort. When you think about your birth, what do you see, hear and feel? These details can help you build a comfortable environment that feels like home.
- Build a support squad that can guide you through birth and ground you in the overwhelm. Whether it’s a combination of your partner, doula, close friend or parent, familiar faces help create emotional safety. Your support team can:
- Set up the atmosphere and ambiance you are hoping for
- Protect the space by limiting other visitors or distractions
- Encourage you through your labour and help you advocate if plans change
- Set the mood lighting. Hospitals are notoriously bright and your room doesn’t have to be for much of your labour. Dimming the lights and switching over to battery operated candles can provide a much cozier atmosphere. Soft lighting helps encourage oxytocin and oxytocin helps labour progress.
- Use comforting scents. Scents have a powerful link to comfort and relaxation and while most hospitals are scent-free zones, there are ways to include scent in your space. Dab a few drops of your favourite scent onto a cotton swab and keep it nearby. That way if you get sick of it, or someone on your birth team is scent sensitive, it is easy to get rid of. A few of our favourite scents are:
- Lavender for relaxation
- Peppermint for headaches, nausea and for a boost of energy
- Citrus like lemon or orange for energy
- Clary sage for strengthening contractions
- Pick the soundtrack. A playlist and a blue tooth speaker can go a long way in limiting outside noise, like other labouring families, and helping you find your rhythm. Build a playlist that energizes you and one that relaxes you – both can be helpful. We’ve had families labour to disney hits, electronic, R&B, 90’s country and spa music. If music isn’t your comfort, try downloading a few episodes of your favourite show (the funnier the better) or some podcasts you like to listen to.
- Bring cozy extras from home. Hospitals provide everything you functionally need for birth, but a few meaningful pieces from home can add warmth and familiarity.
- A blanket, special robe or thick warm socks can help you feel cozy
- Pictures from home or posters taped to the wall can transform the space
- Broth, teas, electrolyte drinks and easy snacks can taste like home
- Use gentle comfort measures. Movement in labour is so important, but sometimes it can be hard to recall in the moment without someone guiding you. Labour tools like a birth ball, TENS machine or massage tools can help you move more freely and find comfort.
- Just add water. Warm water helps relax tight muscles, ease intense contractions and create a sense of calm, everything your body needs to support steady labour progress. Most labour and delivery rooms come equipped with showers or bathtubs so you can make use of this space for as long or as little as you like.
- Picture this: You and your partner have a warm bath running, battery operated candles glowing and relaxing music playing – you are safe and cared for and have everything you need to flow through your labour.
A hospital birth can absolutely be cozy, intimate, and empowering. With the right mindset and a few thoughtful touches, you can bring the essence of “home” — warmth, calm, and connection — into any birth setting. Where you birth your baby is not the most important piece, it’s that you felt safe, supported and loved in the process.
Jess Martinson is a birth and postpartum doula, prenatal educator and perinatal cook who is dedicated to supporting families from pregnancy to the fourth trimester. She loves to walk alongside new parents by offering education, support and nourishing meals. Jess is a mom of two and loves biking around the city with her family, looking for new playgrounds and great cafes.
