Shadowing Practice: 7 Ways To Prepare For Birth | 3rd Trimester Easy Birth Prep - Learn English Speaking with Video

I'm currently 31 weeks pregnant so I'm really starting to get into the mindset of preparing my body for birth and I want to share what I'm doing with you I'm Bridget I'm a doula I'm a

child birth educator and a momed two with a third on the way I want to preface this video with this advice with my first baby I focused a lot on my mindset going into labor because I had never done

it before and I had fears of the unknowns and uncertainties of giving birth like most women do birth is 90% mental so having a strong mind that feels safe and understands birth is the

foundation of a happier healthier and easier birth I've seen women who have their body so primed for labor but they have not worked on their mindset and this is detrimental to their birth so

if you're feeling scared about birth make sure you're building up your mind to lead your body in the direction you want it to go and go check out my free mini birth class linked down below now

with that being said there are things that you can do for your body to prepare it that really Aid in the labor process I'm sharing with you what I'm doing right now at 31 weeks to prepare

for birth number one forward leaning most of us spend a lot of our time in a reclined position that is actually tipping our pelvis backward and rounding our spine and this encourages baby

to be in a backto back position also called op so if this is my back baby's back is also against it again this is called oxop posterior or op and sometimes this op position that baby

is in actually makes it harder for baby to get into the top of the pelvis and can potentially make the early part of Labor longer and more uncomfortable not always but often so to help

avoid an OP position for baby and to encourage the back of their body to turn onto the front of Mama's body forward leaning is very helpful so when I'm watching something or even doing

computer work or reading I lean forward on a stack of pillows my birth ball or my peanut ball and I do one forward leaning inversion per day which I explain how to do in the video that's linked up

in the corner of this video now if baby is op at the start of Labor that's okay don't freak out surges are really effective at getting baby to move into a position that helps them navigate

the pelvis better if you want to learn several positions that open up the top of the this to make more room for baby to move on through it I encourage you to take my built to birth course

that is linked down below number two when I am sitting I sit on a birth ball I'm not doing it right now but most of the time I am birth balls are so great for helping put the pelvis into

a more neutral position where it's not tilted back and the spine is able to be long and Tall this again is going to Aid in baby's position in the womb it also encourages more mobility

in the pelvis so if you are sitting in a static position all day in a chair using a birth ball will help you find more movement in your hips and pelvis which will be beneficial for labor as well

I'll link my favorite birth ball down below and on their website it gives you the sizing recommendation based on your height so you can find that information there number three eating iron rich foods it's important to have strong blood as strange as that sounds When approaching

birth there will always be some amount of blood blood loss during birth but I personally have low iron and in the past I have had low platelet counts leading up to my births so this puts

me more at risk for postpartum hemorrhaging but this pregnancy I am really actively managing it by eating more red meat incorporating organ Meats like liver leafy green vegetables and

drinking two cups of Nora pregnancy tea which has nettle oat straw red raspberry leaf and Alfalfa herbs that have minerals and vitamins that support health healthy blood I'm also eating copper rich

foods like liver and B pollen that Aid in Iron absorption and all of these things are helping me build strong blood for birth number four is taking probiotics at around 36 or 37 weeks Mamas

are generally tested for Group B strep I want to remind you that this testing is optional whether your provider makes it sound like it is or not GBS testing is when the opening of the vagina

down to the anus are swabbed and tested for the Group B strep culture around one in five women have it and it's not harmful however for a newborn baby it can potentially be harmful which

is why many providers encourage antibiotic used during labor to lower the risk for the newborn baby now because of how antibiotic use in labor can impact how Mama experiences her birth and

the effects of antibiotic use has on the body especially a newborn body many mamas want to avoid it I'm not going to go into the nitty-gritty of GBS in this video but I will say that taking a

probiotic specifically for vaginal Health can help prevent GBS in the first place I have a favorite linked down below for you to check out and it can be taken both orally and vaginally on top

of taking a probiotic supplement I eat fermented foods like sauerkraut kimchi yogurt and kefir that all support a healthy gut and vaginal microbiome number five I get Chiropractic adjustments if you

aren't seeing a chiropractor I cannot tell you how much I recommend you do if it's possible you want to find a Webster certified chiropractor I've been seeing my chiropractor this whole pregnancy and my

body is in much better alignment and balance which not only makes me feel better in this pregnancy but I know is setting myself and my body up for a smoother more straightforward labor as well

number six exercising I have a six- we prenatal fitness program that I created to SP specifically prepare the pregnant body for birth so I've started that program and after each workout I

feel better and I know not only am I building up stamina and endurance for birth but also I'm creating more balance and openness within my body for an easier birth my program incorporates

stabilizing the pelvis and releasing the pelvic floor which are both elements that are really important for birth and that's definitely part of what I'm doing as part of my birth prep right now

and so many many women go into labor with a tight and imbalanced pelvic floor that actually impacts their baby's ability to pass through that muscle group so these are both things that I'm treating

through specific exercises and releases in my program and you can get access to that program too to do all throughout pregnancy if you want and that's linked down below number seven is

meditating where the Mind leads the body follows and tension and fear in the mind translates to tension and fear and more pain in the body and even though this is my third birth I'm still a

little nervous I have two kids I'm running after so I definitely have less time to prepare my mind for this birth but one of my favorite ways to do it is meditating and focusing on affirming myself

and breathing so anytime I start feeling anxious I choose to breathe and speak affirmations over myself and often when I'm in the shower some of my only quiet time to myself I focus on deep

breathing to just downregulate my nervous system and meditate to strengthen my mind for my labor I have a Hypno birthing Workshop that teaches you how to harness the power of your mind to

lead your body in the direction you want it to go along with hypn birthing tracks that you can use through your pregnancy through birth and through your postpartum season that guide you into deep relaxation and Trust in this journey so those are the seven things that I'm doing as a third time

Mama to prepare for birth right now at 31 weeks pregnant if you're feeling stressed or anxious about birth if you're feeling like your body is not ready your mind's not ready it is time to get

informed and empowered right now my birth course is linked down below along with my free mini birth class that you're not going to want to miss out on to help you with your happier healthier and easier birth so thanks so much for being with me in this video and I'll see you in the next one bye

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474 sentences

Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson

This B2 speaking lesson is built on the video “7 Ways To Prepare For Birth”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: birth, labor, baby, position, pelvis. This video has 41 sentences and 1526 words to shadow. The speech runs for 8:25. The speaker talks fast, about 181 words per minute, so expect linked and reduced sounds. Only 80% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is demanding.

Key vocabulary in this video

The 15 most advanced words in the video, with pronunciation and meaning:

Word	Pronunciation	Meaning
pelvis noun	/ˈpɛlvɪs/	The large compound bone structure at the base of the spine that supports the legs in hominids.
lean verb	/ˈliːn/	To incline, deviate, or bend, from a vertical position; to be in a position thus inclining or deviating.
chiropractor noun	/ˈkaɪ.ɹəˌpɹæk.tə(ɹ)/	A health-care practitioner who specializes in chiropractic.
meditate verb	/ˈmɛ.dɪˌteɪt/	To contemplate; to keep the mind fixed upon something; to study.
probiotic adjective	/ˌpɹoʊ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/	Of, or relating to probiosis; ecologic facilitation.
antibiotic noun	/ˌæn.taɪ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/	Any substance that can destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria and similar microorganisms, generally transported by the lymphatic system.
newborn noun		A recently born baby.
mindset noun	/ˈmaɪn(d)ˌsɛt/	A way of thinking; an attitude or opinion, especially a habitual one.
pelvic adjective	/ˈpɛlvɪk/	Of, pertaining to, or in the region of, the pelvis
postpartum adjective	/ˌpəʊstˈpɑː(ɹ)təm/	After giving birth (often defined as within 30 days after childbirth).
vaginal adjective	/ˈvæd͡ʒ.ən.əl/	Of or relating to a theca.
incorporate verb	/ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/	To include (something) as a part.
spine noun	/spaɪn/	A series of bones situated at the back from the head to the pelvis of a human, or from the head to the tail of an animal, enclosing the spinal cord and…
harmful adjective	/ˈhɑɹmfl̩/	Causing or likely to cause harm or damage; injurious.
anxious adjective	/ˈæŋkʃəs/	Nervous and worried.

Phrasal verbs you will hear

Word	Meaning
build up verb	To erect; to construct.
check out verb	To record the departure or withdrawal of someone or something (such as guests, employees, books, etc.).
go along with verb	To acquiesce to or comply with a proposal, despite lacking a desire or value for it.
lead up to verb	To set in motion; to act as a causal or preparatory event or sequence of events.
open up verb	To open.
pass through verb	To go through, to travel through, to transit or lie across a place or from one place to another.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	being said · is called · is linked
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	women who have · pelvis which will · tea which has
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've seen · I've started

Pronunciation to watch

The speaker uses 31 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, you're, I've. Say them the short way, as you hear them.

The “sh” and “zh” sounds: anxious /ˈæŋkʃəs/, affirmation /æfɝˈmeɪʃn/, inversion /ɪnˈvɚ.ʒən/, preposition /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/, absorption /æbˈsɔɹp.ʃn̩/
Long words — get the stress right: chiropractor /ˈkaɪ.ɹəˌpɹæk.tə(ɹ)/, probiotic /ˌpɹoʊ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/, antibiotic /ˌæn.taɪ.baɪˈɑ.tɪk/, incorporate /ɪŋˈkɔɹ.pɚ.eɪt/, posterior /poʊˈstɪɹ.i.ɚ/

How to practise with this video

Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pelvis, lean, chiropractor.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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