These are the things that worked for me and also some of the things that I teach on my Birth prep courses.
Keep the jaw and mouth relaxed and loose. The vagina and cervix are directly linked to the mouth - a tight jaw and mouth makes for a tight vagina and cervix - blowing loose raspberries and blowing 'horse noises' through your lips all help to keep things relaxed down below - which in turn lessens pain! The more relaxed your vagina and cervix is the less intese things are and the better you progress - Ina May Gaskin also uses this technique!
Deep, calm controlled breathing and visualisation all help you to stay relaxed and work with your body, in turn lessening pain.
Hormones play a vital part in the birthing mother, oxytocin is the love hormone and plays a vital part for the birthing mother it is important in keeping things flowing and keeping you on top and in control and able to deal with the sensations and also for bonding after your baby is born and is also released when breastfeeding (and during lovemaking) - adrenaline has a counter affect on oxytocin and causes the body to clam up in 'fight or flight' mode, blood is redirected from the uterus (the most important place for it to be) to the limbs so you can make a break for it if you need to! The mind does not know the difference between imagined danger and real danger so your labour can slow or stop! So stay calm, find your safe place and work with your body, all of these things help to keep things manageable!
'Shaking the apples' a technique used by Ina May Gaskin! Vigorously rub the mother all over from her shoulders down her back, bum, arms and legs and get rid of that unwanted adrenaline and lactic acid - which heighten pain in labour! (it is also good fun and lightens the mood - you may be surpried to find that you laugh or smile - plus it feels really delicious)
Believe in yourself!! Just know that billions of women over thousands of years have been delivering babies! Our bodies are designed to deliver our babies! Have you ever seen an animal give birth? Did they seem to be in unbelieveable pain? No?? We are mammals too, so why is labour so 'painful' for us?? We have a deep seated fear of labour cast over generations, we actually 'believe' that birthing is dangerous and painful because that is all we have ever been told! We believe it, so it is painful and we hand control over to the medics for them to deal with rather than taking control, being well informed and being empowered in our own birthing. Women in non-modernised cultures where medicalisation has not taken over their birthing, deliver their babies calmly and without the excessive pain women in our society are used to. Why? Because they don't have the same fear we do, birthing is treated as a natural phenomenon that is celebrated and part of family life, its perfectly natural and thats why we're here!! Think of the image of women birthing their babies in paddy fields and getting back to work,lol!
Also on a less 'hippy dippy' note (i'm sure thats the way this sounds but i'm no hippy dippy,lol)- I found my tens machine to be amazing, I hired a birth pool but I was soo relaxed my babies were born quicker than we could fill the pool so I had a bath...mmmm lovely! Aromatherapy is great too, noteably lavender, Frankinsence and bergamot for their analgesic effects! Used in base oils for massage, on a hankie for direct inhalation or in an oil burner, there are numerous others that a google search will throw up if your interested - but please remember that lots of oils are not suitable in pregnancy only in labour! And I am not an aromatherapy expert i just did a lot of research when expecting and found they worked for me!
Pressure directly on the sacrum is great for back labours, my first baby was OP and the sensations in my back were intense to say the least, i found this to be a great relief!
I also used Natal Hypnotherapy, its absolutely amazing! Which is why i'm now training to be a practitioner! Its great for teaching you to take yourself into a state of self hypnoisis so you can distance yourself from and pain and work with your body unhindered and without fear - get that oxytocin flowing, keep that adrenaline at bay,lol! And also helps your birth partner to learn ways to help you, i found having a supportive birth partner the MOST invaluable tool when birthing my beautiful boys!
Sorry for the HUGELY long waffling post!! I just had such a great time during my births using these techniques that I want everyone to know about them, take control of your births, do your research and feel proud that we as women are blessed to be able to experience the wonderous act of birthing our babies
Keep the jaw and mouth relaxed and loose. The vagina and cervix are directly linked to the mouth - a tight jaw and mouth makes for a tight vagina and cervix - blowing loose raspberries and blowing 'horse noises' through your lips all help to keep things relaxed down below - which in turn lessens pain! The more relaxed your vagina and cervix is the less intese things are and the better you progress - Ina May Gaskin also uses this technique!
Deep, calm controlled breathing and visualisation all help you to stay relaxed and work with your body, in turn lessening pain.
Hormones play a vital part in the birthing mother, oxytocin is the love hormone and plays a vital part for the birthing mother it is important in keeping things flowing and keeping you on top and in control and able to deal with the sensations and also for bonding after your baby is born and is also released when breastfeeding (and during lovemaking) - adrenaline has a counter affect on oxytocin and causes the body to clam up in 'fight or flight' mode, blood is redirected from the uterus (the most important place for it to be) to the limbs so you can make a break for it if you need to! The mind does not know the difference between imagined danger and real danger so your labour can slow or stop! So stay calm, find your safe place and work with your body, all of these things help to keep things manageable!
'Shaking the apples' a technique used by Ina May Gaskin! Vigorously rub the mother all over from her shoulders down her back, bum, arms and legs and get rid of that unwanted adrenaline and lactic acid - which heighten pain in labour! (it is also good fun and lightens the mood - you may be surpried to find that you laugh or smile - plus it feels really delicious)
Believe in yourself!! Just know that billions of women over thousands of years have been delivering babies! Our bodies are designed to deliver our babies! Have you ever seen an animal give birth? Did they seem to be in unbelieveable pain? No?? We are mammals too, so why is labour so 'painful' for us?? We have a deep seated fear of labour cast over generations, we actually 'believe' that birthing is dangerous and painful because that is all we have ever been told! We believe it, so it is painful and we hand control over to the medics for them to deal with rather than taking control, being well informed and being empowered in our own birthing. Women in non-modernised cultures where medicalisation has not taken over their birthing, deliver their babies calmly and without the excessive pain women in our society are used to. Why? Because they don't have the same fear we do, birthing is treated as a natural phenomenon that is celebrated and part of family life, its perfectly natural and thats why we're here!! Think of the image of women birthing their babies in paddy fields and getting back to work,lol!
Also on a less 'hippy dippy' note (i'm sure thats the way this sounds but i'm no hippy dippy,lol)- I found my tens machine to be amazing, I hired a birth pool but I was soo relaxed my babies were born quicker than we could fill the pool so I had a bath...mmmm lovely! Aromatherapy is great too, noteably lavender, Frankinsence and bergamot for their analgesic effects! Used in base oils for massage, on a hankie for direct inhalation or in an oil burner, there are numerous others that a google search will throw up if your interested - but please remember that lots of oils are not suitable in pregnancy only in labour! And I am not an aromatherapy expert i just did a lot of research when expecting and found they worked for me!
Pressure directly on the sacrum is great for back labours, my first baby was OP and the sensations in my back were intense to say the least, i found this to be a great relief!
I also used Natal Hypnotherapy, its absolutely amazing! Which is why i'm now training to be a practitioner! Its great for teaching you to take yourself into a state of self hypnoisis so you can distance yourself from and pain and work with your body unhindered and without fear - get that oxytocin flowing, keep that adrenaline at bay,lol! And also helps your birth partner to learn ways to help you, i found having a supportive birth partner the MOST invaluable tool when birthing my beautiful boys!
Sorry for the HUGELY long waffling post!! I just had such a great time during my births using these techniques that I want everyone to know about them, take control of your births, do your research and feel proud that we as women are blessed to be able to experience the wonderous act of birthing our babies
