292: Sports Psychology Strategies for Empowered Birth with Dr. Carla Meijen

Welcome back for another great episode! I’m joined by Dr. Carla Meijen to discuss her book, Empowered Birth: Lessons From Sport Psychology for Your Maternity Journey. Her book is a fascinating take on how pregnancy can be viewed as an endurance sport. Join us to learn more!

Dr. Carla Meijen is an accredited sport psychologist and Associate Professor of applied sport psychology at St. Mary’s University in London. In her work, she focuses on the mental demands of endurance performance, stress, and emotions in sports, and how to turn pressure into a positive challenge. Dr. Meijen has published her research in academic journals and has provided expert analysis for publications including the New York Times, Runner’s World, The Sunday Times Magazine, Cycling Weekly, Women’s Health, and the BBC. Dr. Meijen explains how to approach birth as a positive challenge and how it can be linked to endurance sports. She also shares sport psychology strategies that can be adapted to the birth process and how decompression can help in the postpartum period. 

Show Highlights:

How Dr. Carla’s work relates to pregnancy and the postpartum as a strength-based approach to the maternal journey

Why people seek out a sport psychologist

How a sport psychologist teaches people to manage pressure, expectations, and challenges

How we learn to view our demands, stress, and resources in terms of perceived control

How anxiety can have beneficial physiological responses

A look at Dr. Carla’s book

How we can think of goals as outcome-based or process-oriented

Strategies that apply well to the pregnancy, birth, and postpartum processes: chunking goals, self-talk, imagery (visualization), and more

Why tools should be customizable to each individual’s needs

How to apply a six-step approach to making sense of emotions and feelings

Why Dr. Carla includes in her book the importance of social support 

Resources:

Connect with Dr. Carla Meijen: Website, Instagram, Twitter, and Empowered Birth book

Mentioned in this episode: The Postnatal Depletion Cure by Dr. Oscare Serrallach

Visit www.postpartum.net for resources and support! 

Visit www.postpartum.net/professionals/certificate-trainings/ for information on the grief course.  

Visit my website, www.wellmindperinatal.com, for more information, resources, and courses you can take today!

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