How Do I Prepare for Birth?
Preparing for birth and parenthood can feel uncertain and disorienting. How do you prepare for something when you don’t know what’s going to happen?
You can take the courses, pack the bag, read the books, and buy all the things. And still, somewhere beneath all of that, you’re probably still asking yourself, am I actually ready to have a baby?
Labyrinth walking is one of the oldest practices for helping ourselves prepare for transitions into the unknown. It’s been used across cultures and centuries as a tool for reflection, rites of passage, and moving through thresholds. Personally, I found walking a labyrinth a powerful way to prepare for birth.
What Is a Labyrinth?
A labyrinth is not a maze, although the terms are often used interchangeably.
A maze is designed to confuse and disorient. It has dead ends, wrong turns, and carries the risk that you may not find your way out.
A labyrinth has one path. It winds inward toward a centre, and then back out again. There are no choices to make and no wrong turns. You simply follow where it leads.
The labyrinth asks nothing of your thinking mind. It asks only that you keep walking.
Take a second to trace this labyrinth path with your finger. You’ll notice there’s no choice where or when to turn. You simply follow the path to the center and then back out again.
What Labyrinth Walking Can Offer During Pregnancy
Birth is itself a labyrinthine experience: A journey that turns back on itself and that asks you to trust the path even when you can’t see where it goes. The labyrinth gives your body a chance to practice walking a winding and uncertain path.
You don’t need to hold any particular belief for labyrinth walking to be useful. It works through the body, not through ideology.
Here’s what the practice tends to offer:
A chance to catch your breath and regulate. Walking slowly and rhythmically, without rush or fixed destination, naturally shifts the nervous system towards rest. You might notice it’s a bit easier to quiet your mind after you have moved through the labyrinth.
Build a relationship with uncertainty. Birth is unpredictable. The labyrinth, by design, takes you away from the centre before it brings you closer. You may feel, at some point in the walk, like you’re moving in the wrong direction. Notice your response to that and continue anyway.
Time with yourself and your emotions. Many people find that the walk surfaces feelings they didn’t know they were carrying. Grief, anticipation, fear, love, ambivalence…. The steady rhythm of walking creates space for these feelings to emerge. For those working through a previous birth experience or anxiety about the upcoming one, this might be significant.
A ritual of transition. The threshold into parenthood deserves to be marked somehow. Labyrinth walking offers a form for that marking that doesn’t require words.
What to Expect If You’ve Never Walked One
There’s no correct way to walk a labyrinth. Some people walk slowly, some pace naturally. Some pause at the centre. Some turn away before they complete the entire path. Some feel nothing in particular and just find the fresh air and movement pleasant. All of that is fine.
If you’d like some structure, a traditional three-phase approach can be useful:
Releasing (walking in): As you enter the path, let your attention settle inward. Some people choose a word, an intention, or a question to hold. Others simply notice their breath and their feet.
Receiving (at the centre): When you arrive at the centre, pause for as long as feels right. This is the place rest. Notice what’s present.
Returning (walking out): The return path is an integration. Many people find this is where things begin to clarify. There may be a sense of having shifted something, even slightly.
Where to Walk a Labyrinth in London, Ontario
If you’re local to London, there are a few public labyrinths available
Moonstone Path in Byron Village — Located in the heart of Byron, next to the London Public Library branch. It’s a lovely, quiet spot, particularly in the early morning or evening. Note: I’d recommend confirming accessibility before visiting, as I haven’t personally visited recently.
McKillop Park, Wonderland and Riverside – If you really want to test your mindfulness skills, try this labyrinth located close to a busy intersection. This location may feel busy, stressful, or just right. Take the opportunity to see how it feels for you.
The Circle Women’s Centre at Brescia University College – 1285 Western Road
The labyrinth is located on the most southwestern point of the Brescia hill. It is open to the public with parking on nearby side streets.
If you’re open to a short drive, there are additional labyrinths at retreat centers and outdoor spaces across southwestern Ontario. The World-Wide Labyrinth Locator lets you search by postal code.
A Note From My Practice
As a therapist with a background in midwifery, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what genuinely prepares someone for birth. Most of us spend a lot of time learning factual information and collecting physical supplies. These things are really important, but I often wonder about the limits of these forms of preparation. What about opportunities to increase your sense of capacity, explore your relationship with your own inner resources, and build trust in your physical body?
Labyrinth walking is one small practice that can contribute to developing your internal resources. It can be a quiet, embodied ritual in the weeks before birth, offering something that no book quite covers.
If you’re navigating birth anxiety, a previous difficult birth experience, or simply want to approach your upcoming birth with more intention, I’d be glad to talk. I offer a free 15-minute consultation, and I work with people in person in London or virtually across Ontario.
Alison Bekendam is a Registered Social Worker and perinatal therapist in London, Ontario, with a background in midwifery. She offers birth trauma therapy and perinatal mental health support in person and virtually across Ontar
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