The Enneagram + Labor
Written by Shay Gabriel
What is the Enneagram?
The Enneagram is a useful tool for understanding not only what your personality is, but why your personality is the way it is. This tool offers tremendous opportunity for growth and self-knowledge through intentional study. In the words of Enneagram expert Ian Cron: Rather than put you in a box, the Enneagram “shows you the box you’re already in and how to get out of it.” In other words, our personalities actually tend to get in the way of what we truly desire, so by becoming more self-aware, we are better able to pursue the lives we want to live. If you’re interested in learning about yourself through the lens of the Enneagram, understanding the basics of the 9 main types is a good place to start.
How can understanding myself through the lens of the Enneagram impact my labor/birth experience?
The Enneagram helps us recognize our deepest desires, fears, and motivations. The more aware of these we become, the more in tune with ourselves and our bodies we can be as we mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually prepare to give birth.
The physiology of labor requires a sort of submission of the mind to the will of the body; in other words, nature and birth instinct work best when they are not interrupted by the thinking brain. The Enneagram helps us become familiar with our habitual preoccupations, and in turn allows us to recognize and free ourselves from any chains. Similarly, the Enneagram helps us recognize and embrace the useful facets of our natural capacities, and this can benefit us in all aspects of life — labor included!
An example to help bring this lofty thinking back down to earth? You’ve got it!
For my fellow type twos: Imagine you’re concerned with how comfortable your homebirth team feels throughout your labor. If you’re focused on how hungry they are, or whether they are too hot or too cold, you’re operating out of your thinking brain. And, as described above, this sort of preoccupation interferes with the ability to enter into labor land — that meditative state conducive to birth. You might give yourself permission to view yourself as their guest rather than play hostess. Let’s say you also recognize that you’re naturally good at connecting with others on a deep level; that ability can help you tune into your baby and foster a strong mother-infant bond, which is conducive to the physiology of labor (and life beyond the womb!). Knowing that you possess this quality can be very encouraging as you anticipate your baby’s birth.
To that end, we’d like to share an affirmation and a message for each of the 9 main Enneagram types in anticipation of labor and birth. If you read something that strikes you, we encourage you to take note and consider sharing with your partner or birth team. May your journey through self-discovery have a beautiful impact on your labor, birth, and beyond. And if you love them, head over to the shop to pick up…
…a deck of your very own.
Enneagram Affirmations and Messages for Labor, by Enneagram Type
Type 1
Enneagram ones can fall into being self-critical and perfectionistic. Our hope is that a type one brings into labor a posture of patience and trust toward their body, freeing themselves from rigid expectations and embracing their instinct as the birthing process unfolds.
Affirmation: “Birth is good, my body is good, I am good.”
Type 2
By default, Enneagram twos have a habit of people-pleasing and overlooking their own needs in attempt to feel needed by others. Ironically, this leaves the two feeling depleted and resentful. Our hope is that a two brings into labor an awareness that by attending to their own needs, they are simultaneously fostering their own well-being and their baby's. It's as if by focusing on their own care leads to what's ultimately one of the most selfless acts of love humanly possible: gently giving birth.
Affirmation: “I am empowered to advocate for myself and my baby.”
Type 3
Enneagram threes can get caught up in caring about what others think of them and crafting an image to that end. Our hope is that a three lets those chains loose during labor, instead focusing on being present with their body and baby and embracing the natural flow of birth as the labor process unfolds.
Affirmation: “Birth transcends all measures of success.”
Type 4
Enneagram fours may feel as if they are defective and operate out of a posture of self-pity. Our hope is that a four brings into labor their gift for recognizing beauty in all things, and that they see themselves and the labor process as wholly beautiful, too. This is good for both the human spirit and for the physiology of birth.
Affirmation: “Birth is normal and natural.”
Type 5
By default, Enneagram fives tend to seek control over the environment through striving to attain complete knowledge. Our hope is that an Enneagram five brings to labor a sense of trust in their informed intuition, and that they embrace their body's birthing instincts. This frees the five from operating out of their thinking brain and allows them to slip into labor land, where physiological processes are less inhibited.
Affirmation: “I embrace the wisdom of my body.”
Type 6
Enneagram sixes can feel anxious and doubt themselves and may search for reassurance externally rather than trust in themselves internally. Our hope is that, in labor, an Enneagram six is empowered to embrace the incredible, extraordinary strength that comes from within the laboring body.
Affirmation: “My body knows what to do.”
Type 7
Enneagram sevens can struggle to be patient and present, often thinking ahead to the next best way to spend their time in effort to avoid emotional pain. Our hope is that an Enneagram seven frees themself from any compulsion to rush through labor in recognition that each step of the physiological process contributes to the ultimate goal: bringing a child into the world.
Affirmation: “I embrace the spontaneous nature of birth.”
Type 8
By default, Enneagram eights tend to mask a fear of being controlled by projecting a false image of strength and self-control. Our hope is that an Enneagram eight genuinely feels empowered to recognize and name their needs throughout labor, thereby embracing vulnerability as strength and authentically advocating for themself and their baby.
Affirmation: “My contractions are not stronger than me; they ARE me.”
Type 9
Enneagram nines have a tendency to avoid tension and present a false sense of calm. Our hope is that a type nine brings into labor an awareness of where they hold tension in their body, and consciously frees that tension, allowing for a true sense of calm that's conducive to the physiology of birth.
Affirmation: “I am present with my body and baby as we go with the flow.”
For more Enneagram information, we recommend the following resources:
The Road Back to You, by Ian Morgan Cron & Suzanne Stabile
The Complete Enneagram, by Beatrice Chestnut
The Wisdom of the Enneagram, by Don Richard Riso and Russ Hudson
The Enneagram 2.0 podcast, hosted by Beatrice Chestnut & Uranio Paes
The Typology podcast, hosted by Ian Morgan Cron
Shay Gabriel is a content creator for Sprout and Blossom whose love of parenthood and psychology has merged into a super-obsession with all things birthy and baby. She believes an informed experience lends to an empowered experience, no matter where you are along the journey.