Techniques for Coping

[DoulaJen]

Hi Ladies,

Im wondering if anyone is planning a completely natural birth? i.e. no interventions, no pain relief, a physiological 3rd stage (you birth the placenta without the hormonal injection) etc.

If you are. Have you been practicing any methods for coping with the pain relief?
How supportive is your birth partner? Your health care provider etc?

What are your worries? Do you have any?

Thanks xx

 

[Princess81]

Not in third tri (not for a long time yet) but am planning on totally natural and will be using the natal hypnotherapy route - staying open minded though in case it doesn't go as planned

 

[AugustMum]

I would say, get your birth parner involved and make sure they know exactly what you want. Make sure they know your birth plan back to front and are willing to speak for you if you can't as they will be your rock while you're in labour.

Hypnobirthing is supposed to be brilliant. I didn't try it, I just used breathing techniques and tried to just relax (I did have pathadine though at one point).

Good luck with it and I hope you get the birth you want. (be willing to make sacrifices though as you never know what might happen. Have options that you wouldnt mind happening, and again, make sure your birth partner knows this) x

 

[FebMum2Be]

Just thought I would add in, the biggest thing that helped me was breathing, that sounds so silly but counting and concentrating on your breathing is a big help xx

 

[HeppiBean]

I'm hoping for a completely natural birth at home. Just going to keep myself as relaxed as possible with music, breathing etc... OH would be useless as a rock tbh so I'll be relying on myself and MIL...

Although I'm planning for a natural birth as it's my first I don't know how I'll be so am going to have g nd a there just in case xx

 

[Sarah13]

I'm planning a natural home birth with hypnotherapy and maybe a pool. Had a quick labour last time so hoping for another just as quick, although hopefully without the stitches!

 

[Eilishnbean]

Totally agree, Breathing!! Breathing is the most important thing. I listened to the natal hypnotherapy cd couldnt affird the class when I was pregnant and I think that helped me, with breathing and visualising. But it wasnt like I was hypnotised just let my body get on with it dont fight it. And keep an open mind! I had natural just gas and air, but when I got to ten centimetres I did ask for an epidural cos I thought I had a way to go as I was only 5 about less than 2 hours before that, but I was ready and she came 20 mins later! Deep breaths as deep as you can and breathing out when ever you have contraction x

 

[AyeshaD]

important to know your breathing always stand dont sit down if you in labour will fast the process up.

 

[xshauna_bazx]

One thing i never done was breathe and alot of people say it really helps... also moving about helped. I struggled when i had to stay sat down. When your moving it kind of eases the pain. xxx

 

[Mrs.s]

I have already had my baby but just thought I would add this I had told my
Oh I really didn't want an epidural like it was a massive no no however after things went horribly wrong due to a midwife telling me I was 10cen and to push which I did for an hour and at one stage with her hand up there as well only to find out when a doctor came in that I was only 5cen and I then needed an epidural as baby had turned and i needed to go on the drip my oh and mum had an argument cos he said no she isn't having it! He was doing what I had said I wanted but he didn't understand that I needed it so my advice would be to make sure your birth partner is aware that sometimes things dont go as planned and there needs to be some give in your plan!

 

[snr1982]

Walking! do a lot of that, it really helps i found, maybe too much for me because I was fully dilated by the time I got to the hospital and was trying to push him out before we even left the house. Didnt get any drugs as i was far too late for that - so just had to push, it was bad at the time but i found lying on my stomach with my arse in the air the best way for the pushing stage. (although not a pretty sight! ) i never went to classes or anything and found that i just knew what to do with the breathing thing.

 

[spice]

my birth plan at the moment is for a completely natural birth, hopefully within the pool if it's free and to delay the clamping and cutting of the cord until the it has stopped pulsating on its own, as it's supposed to aid in a non-hormonal induced placenta delivery and there is also a lot about benefits for the baby from delaying the clamping/cutting!

my OH is my birthing partner and we have recently asked my mum to be my secondary partner, my mum has been doing tai chi for over 10 years and so is very good with controlled breathing techniques, she has also done training in reiki healing so that might help too they are both very supportive of what i would like to happen and understand that things may change when we get into the delivery room!

 

[riotfox]

I found breathing through each contraction really helped!! Also being stood up or on all fours helped. didn't have any pain relief as when I got to the hospital I was fully dilated. xx

 

[nadine]

If say just stay motivated, some times I would start to panic that I just couldn't cope any more with the contractions after 40 hours of em, but I just got up n stayed calm n thought yes I can do it, every pain I'm closer, I found that once the odd time I got up set or negative it was a lot harder to cope till I pulled my self together x x x

 

[i.love]

I'm hoping not to have any pain killers, maybe just G&A, but no idea how realistic it is...

 

[titch]

breathing and counting was fab. I was doing the hypnobirthing breathing where you breathe in on a count of 20 and out on a count of 20. I would come out of a contraction and say to OH "ooh there were 3 then that was a super good one!" He said he couldnt tell when I was having a contraction apart from looking at the monitor. I certainly felt them but I kind of zoned out a bit when I was having them cos i was focused on my breathing and counting. There were a few huge contractions where I would be getting down as far as 15 on breathing out and think, oh please this has to be the peak! and it usually was at that point, I think when you do that every contraction gets gradually stronger you can cope with it.

 

[Rachey]

I found breathing through each contraction really helped!! Also being stood up or on all fours helped. didn't have any pain relief as when I got to the hospital I was fully dilated. xx

I was pretty much the same as you! lol

Like riotfox has said - breathing on each contraction was what helped me, a couple of times I lost control of my breathing and started doing that really fast/panicy breathing and ended up in a mess lol.. But when I took deep breaths and breathed out slowly it helped so much! I would say breathing is a huge part of it! Also standing up helped alot, I couldn't sit down lol

I gave birth on my knees leaning over the back of the bed which helped me alot too, I had tried lying down first but it made the pain so much worse

Goodluck hun xxx

 

[titch]

I agree, lying on our back is the most painful. I cant understand when I watch OBEM I see these women on their backs writhing around in pain and Im thinking "just stand up then"

 

[Rachey]

I agree, lying on our back is the most painful. I cant understand when I watch OBEM I see these women on their backs writhing around in pain and Im thinking "just stand up then"

Haha I know they make it so much worse for themselves!! I couldn't have coped if I had to lie on my back lol x

 

[EmmBee123]

Am hoping for as natural a birth as possible. Whilst it is flexible, my birth plan says that unless medical reasons make it necessary, we do not want any intervention. My preference for pain relief is to rely on deep breathing, being active and potentially G&A, although if medical reasons make it necessary an epidural is the last resort and only to be used in the event of something going wrong.

Natural third stage too, cord clamping is to be delayed until it has stopped pulsing. Was told at my recent BF workshop that BF asap after labour causes uterine contractions that can speed up 3rd stage.

Whilst it is flexible depending on what happens (who knows, I may be one of the women who cannot cope with the pain/exhaustion and enter the hospital screaming for drugs) but the ideal preference is for everything to be as natural as possible.