Birth Triptych: A Journey in Three Parts

A triptych is a specific type of artwork or composition consisting of three panels or sections that are typically hinged or connected together. These panels can be painted, carved, photographed, or otherwise created as separate pieces of art, but when displayed side by side or hinged together, they form a unified and cohesive whole. Triptychs are often used in religious art, portraiture, and storytelling, and they have been a common format throughout history in various cultures.

Here’s an example of one that I personally love:

Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych | Museo del Prado

The central panel of a triptych usually serves as the main focus, while the two side panels can provide context, symbolism, or complementary imagery that enhances the overall meaning or narrative. Triptychs allow artists to explore themes, contrasts, and progression across the panels.

In a broader sense, "triptych" can also be used metaphorically to represent a structure or concept with three interrelated components, as discussed earlier.

Let’s explore this metaphor in the context of the birth journey. Birth itself is in the center panel, because this is when we are actively navigating the journey IN THE MOMENT. But there are two other critical parts. Preparation is what we are doing as we anticipate the journey. And reflection is what happens after, as we look back on and process everything that we experienced along the way. All three of these parts are connected and, together, form the entire picture.

Part One: Preparation 

This part of the journey takes place during pregnancy and impacts what happens in birth, or that central panel. It can actually be further divided into three parts, as well:

• Exploring the Terrain
• Mapping Out a Desired Route
• Clearing the Path

Before we get into each, it’s important to understand that these three parts aren’t necessarily linear. 

Exploring the Terrain

Exploring the terrain is all about understanding what birth is like and what’s possible. You may start your exploration in a more general sense, later digging into the specifics about the options you are considering. Here are some examples of what this can look like:

• Learning about birth physiology
• Understanding the role of medical interventions
• Researching your options using evidence-based sources of information
• Discussing your options with your care provider
• Finding out what care is considered routine at your chosen birth location

Mapping Out a Desired Route

As you familiarize yourself with all of the possibilities and gain understanding about the process, you can start mapping out a desired route, or what you envision as an ideal birth experience. Once specific decisions are made, they can be documented in a birth plan. A birth plan can help communicate the answers to questions like these:

• Who will be in attendance at your birth?
• Is there anything considered routine at your birth location that you have decided to avoid?
• How do you plan to manage pain?
• How do you plan to manage labor progress?
• Are there any newborn procedures that are considered routine at your birth location that you have decided to avoid?

It’s important to understand that your birth plan will be more effective if you’re documenting decisions that have been discussed with your care team in advance, versus presented for the first time during birth.

Clearing the Path

In the context of birth, “clearing the path” means taking proactive steps during pregnancy (or even before) to identify and manage potential obstacles and challenges along the route that you plan to take. This can make your birth journey smoother and more straightforward. This can look like:

• Working through fears
• Choosing an aligned care provider
• Hiring a doula
• And more…

I wrote a blog post that gets more into this specific topic, called “Clearing the Path: Benefits of Proactive Prep for Birth and Beyond”. It covers more on postpartum, as well.

Part Two: Navigation

When the birth process begins, it’s helpful to have prepared in advance. We know what birth can look like and where we want to go. 

What’s important to understand is that we have to navigate the reality of birth as it unfolds. It sometimes DOES NOT go exactly as planned or as you envisioned. We want to be able to adapt and not cling to how things were “supposed to go”. 

All of the preparation gives us the best chance of staying on our desired course on this journey, but we never have total control when it comes to birth. There are no guarantees.

Decision-making in the moment is how we handle the challenges of birth AS IT IS.

It can also help to have some contingency plans in mind (going back to the preparation part of the journey), based on some of the more common ways that birth can defy our expectations. Here are some examples:

• While you may have decided to let labor begin spontaneously, in what situations would you choose a labor induction? How long are you comfortable waiting for labor to begin? Which methods of induction, if available, would you prefer?
• Having some non-medical pain management strategies in mind, even if you’re planning on getting an epidural, can be helpful. Epidurals aren’t always completely effective for everyone, and there may be a delay between your request and when it is actually administered.
• Even if you plan to let labor progress on its own (or via intentional strategies), it can be helpful to explore scenarios where you may (or may not) be open to using medication to augment labor.

Part Three: Reflection

Revisiting the path we traversed through the birth process and reflecting on the experience can be empowering. It can also be healing, if your birth didn’t go as planned or if you felt like you weren’t in control of what was happening. Here are some options for the reflection process:

• Talk through your birth journey with your partner, doula, mother, friend, or anyone else who was there. It can be interesting to hear their perspective, as well.
• Share your birth story with a close friend or family member (that you trust) that was not in attendance. This way, you’re really only focusing on your own perspective.
• Consider documenting your birth story. You could write it out in a journal or as a letter to your baby. You could also record yourself (audio or video) talking through it. 

If you had someone video your birth, It can be helpful to complete this reflection stage before watching it. This way, you can first process how you actually experienced your birth. Physiologic birth can cause a hormone-fueled altered state of consciousness, affecting your perception of space and time.

It’s normal to feel a wide range of emotions about your birth. If you feel like you’re struggling with some particularly difficult ones, it might be helpful to talk with a therapist. Also, birth trauma is not uncommon, especially if you went through a very difficult birth or were not treated well by someone on your care team.

The Full Picture

Birth is messy and difficult and exhausting in the moment. But, like any of life’s challenges, this is why it has such potential to be a transformative experience. Besides being adaptable when navigating the birth process as it unfolds, preparing proactively in anticipation and reflecting back on the experience are important aspects of the journey. Embrace each as crucial parts of a full picture.