any ideas??? (about labour)

[Muffy]

i have been wondering about what different relaxion techniques people have used while they are in labour???

i know with my first pregnancy i didnt have a plan it was just 'omg get this baby out!!'
this time its only going to be me and DP (and my student midwife) in the room and i really want it to be calm..... does anyone want to share any ideas?

im sorry if this doesnt make any sense i should have been in bed hours ago....

[paradise lost]

I did "down the back" breathing and meditated on a few different phrases and on releasing the tension in my body.

The breathing is DEEEEEP and slow, so you feel like you're breathing the air in right down to the small of your back, and then out again. I concentrated on the sensations of the air in my nose and throat and chest and NOT on my cervix's stretching twangs

During the contractions, as they were bulding i thought "little more, little more, come on, little more", then at the peak i thought "down baby" and "i'm gonna get HUGE" (this last one was something Ina May Gaskin said to a labouring woman who was worrying about a big baby fitting out of her small vagina and it helped me release and relax my pelvic floor) and then as it was dying away "i can take stronger next time". The positive affirmations i was making that i could stand more sensations and meet new challenges with the next contraction really seemed to help. When i thought or said "i can't do this anymore" it hurt MUCH more.

I thought about all my body parts and asked "where is there tension?" and then when i found some "release!". I ended up drooling during contractions because i was sooooo relaxed!

Bx

[smiles4u]

Would love to help you but I gave birth drug-free only 39mins after arriving at the hospital ... but I know it sounds strange but I remember whenever I had a contraction I made a bizarre moan sound like as if it was deep within & it worked like a pain relief drug ... I felt super when I did it

My very spiritual Midwife told me it was my way of calling my baby ... she said she rarely hears a Mother do it ... and she seemed to love me doing it, so I stuck with it & it worked for me

[nickel]

My first was induced, so my DH and I wanted to be part of this birth!!

I did a couple of meditation/relaxation sessions with my doula, and she taped them for me and when I couldn't sleep I would put the headphones in and listen to them at night (usually sent me right off!)
I know she said lots of positive affirmation things, and lots about seeing the contractions as bringing my baby closer (not as pain to retreat from).It must have worked because I was in the bath falling asleep between contractions for about 2 hours at the beginning. I had a very relaxed approach over all ( not like me at all! I just wanted to die with my first baby, if I had been able to jump out the window I would have...but that's another story)
I also had some music that I liked which DH put onto a CD for me and we played that for a while as well, it was a distraction, it was music that I play when I feel happy but quiet, so it was supposed to be all "mood inducing" I suppose!
I did use gas, but that's because it worked for me, to focus on the breathing in between contractions - my husband sat and counted from 1-25"Ok contraction coming breath gas" to 35, "ok coming down, gas stop" to 60 and over again for about 2 hours! For me it was quite hypnotic and certainly felt more like 15 minutes!

You've got 20 weeks to go, more than enough time to get yourself mentally prepared which is such a HUGE part of giving birth. Perfect time to start!

[Chocaholic]

I did two things that helped me. The first was to find something to focus on visually (mine was a powerpoint for DS2 and everyone learnt very quickly NOT to walk in front of it!) and I had my MP4 player loaded with rhythmic acoustic songs (mainly from movie soundtracks I like from The Labrinth & The Lion King but also some classical music).

I suggest you find something that helps you relax and try to incorporate it into your labour. Some other possible things are heat packs if you get back pain or aromatherapy. I even had a friend that took stressballs in to labour and crushed them with her hand with every contraction. It worked really well for her.

HTH.

[Muffy]

thanks for the help ladies, all those ideas sound really great!!!!
i might give my midwife a call and disscuss a few of those with her!!

i want to learn those techniques now, at 20 weeks, so then by time i do go into labour im not freaking out and im completly in control of the labour.

thanks again for the suggestions!!!

[Tobily]

but I know it sounds strange but I remember whenever I had a contraction I made a bizarre moan sound like as if it was deep within & it worked like a pain relief drug ... I felt super when I did it

My very spiritual Midwife told me it was my way of calling my baby ...

I love that! What a beautiful way to describe it...

[Muffy]

nickel - i dont have many 'soothing' songs as im mainly into techno.... what kind of songs could you reccomend??

[Muffy]

just a bit of an update - i spoke to my midwife today and i was actually reading your posts to her while i was on the phone!!!
she is really supportive and happy that i have chosen to go this way and we are starting to work out a plan next week!!

thank you all for your help

[mellys bubby belly]

laura133: i was wondering the same thing!! I don't have techno on my ipod but not much of it is soothing or relaxing as it's all pretty heavy or angsty...

probably the most mellow music I've got on there is John Butler Trio, Xavier Rudd or Jack Johnson and none of those really seem suitable for labour

guess I'll hafta do some research as Enya does not appeal!! good luck with finding your music too!!

[sneakysparkle]

With music - soundtracks often have some really good instrumentals that would be good - I know Forrest Gump has a gorgeous instrumental

[paradise lost]

I ended up not wanting music during labour, but you could look at Air, Goldfrapp (Felt Mountain or Seventh Tree, the other 2 albums are more disco), and anything you can/would sing along to - singing keeps the throat and thus the pelvis open and is a great distraction from those early niggling contractions.

Bx