Doula Blog
All about Pregnancy, Birth, & Postpartum
“Hygge has been called everything from “the art of creating intimacy,” “coziness of the soul,” and “the absence of annoyance,” to “taking pleasure from the presence of soothing things,” “cozy togetherness,” and my personal favorite, “cocoa by candlelight”.” ― Meik Wiking, The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well Hygge [pronounced hyoo·guh] is a Danish & Norwegian word and has been culturally embedded into the Scandinavian people. It has recently been taken up by people all over the world who are searching for ways to embrace the coziness and simple joys of life. It can also be used as an adjective to describe something that has 'hyggelig' qualities.
Hygge is about connection; with nature, ourselves, family & friends. It is the feeling of warmth and contentment you get from a candlelit atmosphere and fuzzy socks. When you experience Hygge you feel cozy and safe. From Meik Wiking in his book The Little Book of Hygge, he includes elements of hygge to be candles, having friends over to share a meal, slowing down and allowing yourself to be present and live in simple, cozy spaces. It includes a generous amount of movement and getting outdoors for fresh air and nature walks. It is a delightful little book filled with ideas of ways to be more grateful for the little joys in our day to day lives. It surprised me how much a book would make me want to go out and buy a sheepskin for my couch- for the hyggelig effect! • • • “Hygge is humble and slow. It is choosing rustic over new, simple over posh and ambience over excitement. In many ways, hygge might be the Danish cousin to slow and simple living.” ― Meik Wiking, The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living Now.. onto the main topic of how embracing Hygge can be applied to the realm of birth and postpartum care! HYGGELIG BIRTH The idea of shaping your birth space and vision with people and things that bring a feeling of hygge to you is helpful not only to 'feel cozy' but it actually physiologically helps you in the birthing process. Birth is powerful & so are you. It is challenging and hard and deserves awe for the process. When we feel feelings of fear, scarcity or anxiety our body produces fight or flight hormones that cover the ‘cuddle hormone’ oxytocin that helps labor to progress naturally and effectively. When we feel safe, comfortable, known, cared for and loved, oxytocin stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin (other 'feel good' hormones in the brain) to increase relaxation and confidence & decrease our sense of pain. Isn't that incredible?! Your Doula should be someone who you feel safe and comfortable with and a person who you trust to be with you in your birthing space; enhancing your partners ability to care for you. Your husband/partner plays an important role in giving you boosts of oxytocin with his/her calm presence and comforting massages. Don't be afraid to kiss & snuggle- it just might allow you to relax and progress more quickly in your labor! In all birth environments [whether you choose: your home, hospital or birthing center] there is a type of planning that is required to ensure you feel safe and comfortable during labor. For example: choices surrounding privacy during labor, types of interventions/monitoring devices, dim lights/bright lights, which comfort items you bring with you, clothing you choose to wear, people you invite to the birth and to visit afterwards etc. Start thinking now of comfort items, support people, environmental considerations you'd like to make to have a Hyggelig birth space to welcome your baby into! POSTPARTUM The postpartum period is often defined as the first six to eight weeks after your baby is born. This is split into two phases; the first ten days after the baby arrives and then up until eight weeks. In the United States there is often a lack of support for women and their families to have education for what to expect in this period as well as appropriate follow up. Women who are unsupported during this time have higher rates of postpartum depression, infant feeding issues, and can even have long term lack of confidence in their role as a mother. This is where the role of the postpartum doula comes in! Postpartum doula support varies for each person depending on their need. This type of doula work involves light cooking/cleaning, swaddling baby, newborn care teaching, help with nursing/referral to a lactation consultant if indicated, an opportunity to process the birth, as well as tips for postpartum healing and infant soothing techniques. This is a specific type of doula but most birth doulas (including myself) provide support in the postpartum period during follow up visits and in the form of additional hours (included in certain birthing packages). HYGGE IN POSTPARTUM You should be hiding granola bars in your couch cushions. [When you find yourself sitting on your couch with a newborn nuzzled onto your chest, enjoying cozy closeness with your little one and then you realize you haven't eaten anything and you'll be there for 20-40 minutes.. you might be glad you have those granola bars! haha] In all seriousness, planning the postpartum period is IMPORTANT and should be done carefully and thoughtfully. The Hygge concepts I think of when planning for after baby arrives are: planning your nursing space (large water bottle, comfy & supportive chair, snacks, blankets etc), inviting friends and family to help with meals for several weeks (https://www.mealtrain.com/), and planning your healing and transition in this time that is often called the "fourth trimester." I generally recommend the 5-5-5 "rule" for postpartum. More on this and tips for postpartum to come in another post. Planning the first weeks postpartum can be daunting; hiring a doula can help you prepare for this time so you have the confidence and reassurance you have a good, supportive plan in place! References: Team, A. B. (2020, August 28). Serotonin and the other happy hormones in your body. Atlas Biomed blog | Take control of your health with no-nonsense news on lifestyle, gut microbes and genetics. Retrieved November 24, 2021, from https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/serotonin-and-other-happy-molecules-made-by-gut-bacteria/#:~:text=These%20hormones%20or%20neurotransmitters%20are,oxytocin%20is%20the%20cuddle%20hormone. Books for Continued Learning:
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