~~~Ways to cope in labour~~~

[Melly+2]

Sitting up right and rocking on the edge of a chair, couldnt go through labour on the bed, only spent 30mins of the 38 hours on the bed. Id have preffered to be where gal was, asleep on the floor

 

[Urchin]

Just been reading this about breathing techniques which I thought might be useful

http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/labour/breathingtechniques/

Ooh I like some of their techniques

Simple breathing techniques


• Think of the word "RELAX". It has two syllables, "RE" and "LAX". Now try this exercise. As you breathe in, think "RE" to yourself, and as you breathe out, think "LAX". Don't let your mind wander away from repeating the word "RELAX"' in tune with your breathing. When you breathe out, try to let go of any tensions in your body. Focus on the muscles which you know always become tense when you're stressed. Remember, every time you breathe out: "LAAAAAX". The out breath is the one to focus on: the in-breath takes care of itself!

• Or you can try counted breathing. As you breathe in, count slowly up to three or four (or whatever number seems comfortable for you) and as you breathe out, count to three or four again. You might find that it's more comfortable to breathe in to a count of three and out to a count of four.

• Try breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Keep your mouth very soft as you sigh the breath out. In through your nose, and out through your mouth. Many women also find it helpful to make a sound on the out-breath, such as "Oooooooh" or "Aaaaaah". In between contractions, have sips of water to prevent your mouth from becoming dry.

I'm reading a hypnobirthing book at the moment and its very into trying to get into a deeply relaxed state, I'm not sure I will be able to manage that but I think the whole not-being-tense thing will really help if I can pull it off a bit.

 

[Full of hope!]

Squeeze your OH's or birthing partners hand really hard and only release the grip once the contraction is over! It worked for me

 

[monster_munch]

Don't have a 10lb 12oz baby

I would say just have faith in yourself, say whatever you need to and do whatever you need to. The midwives have seen it all before so don't let any hang-ups (such as pooing) cloud your mind.

 

[annem]

get tothe hospital as late as you can and stay in the bath as long as you can on gas and air oh and eat lots of flapjakes!!!

 

[trixipaws]

for the easier half of it, i got up to 5cms tryna take my mind off it by GHD-ing my hair and putting on make-up (LOL im so vain! )

the worst bit was eased by my boyf's company altho i barely paid any attention to him at all (except for nearly fracturing his knuckles with my grip lol!) i remember when he went into the dining room to fill up the pool and left me alone in the living room for a moment, even tho the rooms hav like double doors so i could see him he was still only few metres away- i felt panicky when he wasnt right by me and the contractions seemed more painful prob coz i was panicky. and again, later on when i was ready to give up during pushing coz i thought i couldnt do it- even tho the very lovely, very professional midwives were telling me i can, it was only after my boyf said "u are doing it, i can see it (baby) coming out" did i get a surge of encouragement and energy! so i really big up a birth partner whom u really love- even if its not the dad, someone u love there really really helps lots

 

[Urchin]

have a friend at the birth!

Honestly it was the best choice I made, my friend Jane was just great and said all the right things. (each contraction is like a wave and you go up and over then wait in the calm water between for the next wave -- I was surfing for most of my labour LOL)

It really helped OH feel more useful too as he stuggles at what to say normally, and Jane knew just when I wanted a drink etc

 

[fifi211]

I found that in between contractions I felt fine so hubby and me were having a laugh and a giggle, also walk around as much as you can and stay upright, for me it hurt more when I was laid on the bed.

 

[Emma58]

Trust your instincts

I never ended up with much time to worry about staying calm!!

 

[mayday]

This pic is me at work. I know - tough job, but somebody's got to do it

As soon as I felt a contraction starting I visualised this place in every detail I could. I know this place well so I could imagine the white sand, the turquoise water, the beach bar with it's palm leaf roof, dolphins diving in the distance, sand crabs running up and down the beach as the sun sets. I imagined the warmth of the sun on me, how humid it was, how it cooled you when it rains there. I pictured myself with a cool Kili beer, which had drops of condensation on the outside of it, and I was mentally humming the Groove Armarda song 'If you're fond of sand dunes.....'

I started practicing this at about 14 weeks. I am Rhesus negative so had to have the jabs, and the hospital lost my bloods on 2 occasions so I had to have them re-taken. I practiced my visualising at each of these as I don't like needles going into me, and was well impressed with how it worked. It worked fairly well in labour too, as I had very little other pain relief for the first 38 hours of labour.

I chose a beautiful place that I knew well, and then practiced it over and over. I am lucky enough to go abroad a lot, but it could quite easily have been the forest near my house in deepest darkest Berkshire. Bluebells, roe deer like Bambi and soaring red kites, rays of sun piercing the woods, dew drops on moss - you get the picture!

Here's my pic;

It's a place just south of Dar Es Salaam on the cost of Tanzania, btw. I can highly recommend it .

 

[Bloom]

Deep breaths and when you breath out push your bump out (abdominal breathing) as if your pushing the pain away.

I seem to be in the minority here but from about (3cms im guessing here as i didnt get examined) i had to sit down during a contraction.

Let your body guide you (everyone is different and what works for one wont work for everyone).

I also had a mirror at the end of the bed when pushing so i could see the head coming this gave me the strength i needed to push as hard as i could.

 

[happy-chick]

I breathed in really deeply, closed my eyes & tried to think about good memories I have & telling myself that I could do it....

I remember on the Friday night having massive contractions and I sat in a visiting room with Sam (we hid there until 10pm cos he was ment to go home at 8pm ) and i thought to myself during the contraction 'how the hell am I going to do this, i think im gunna die'.... lol

Then in the morning, hours later when I was on the labour ward I had the weirdest experience ever, I had a massive contraction and in my head I went back to myself in that visiting room the night before and said to myself 'this is how u do it, see you've done it' and that spurred me through the rest of my labour as at the point i'd thought i couldnt do it I had got through so knew i would get through the rest....

Its also something that I keep thinking of when im finding something hard, cos it just proved that no matter how hard something seems at the time you can get through it

 

[keeley]

[quote="natalie&jake":ykpm51u0]It sounds silly but every time I was having a contraction I was counting the dots on my t shirt until the contraction was over. It did help to take my mind off it.

i agree with that.. everytime i got a contraction i started to read something... like the back of my water bottle or notices on the wall - over and over until the contraction had passed.
must have read my water bottle 100 times but i've still no idea what it said!! lol[/quote:ykpm51u0]

I kept reading a sign that said " Please dispose of needles in yellow sharps bin"

 

[Tangerinedream]

I remembered the other day- when we first went to hospital I was 4 cm dialated, before I was finding it unmanagable. Me and OH were playing an A-Z game- UK places. I think we got as far as K before I got me come dimorphine... I havnt got a clue what happened after that

 

[Morganuk]

I try not to think about the pain.
I say to myself that i'll just deal with it when it comes lol.
I'm in for a shock right lol.

 

[Miss.Monroe]

this thread is nowhere near long enough for my liking!

 

[mummysarah+co]

Practising breathing techniques is very important.

i breathed in through my nose and out slowly through my mouth through every contraction and when i was told i was ready to push i breathed through a few more contractions so the baby moved itself further down.

the more relaxed you are combined with breathing through it all helps you have an easier time pushing.

i did that with both my labours and only pushed twice with both of them. once for their heads and once for their shoulders.

it took me 8 mins to push kyle out and 5 mins to push ebony out.

 

[Geordie&Bairn]

Right i didnt have the normal labour but i thought id share what helped me throught the labour i attempted to have

1ST get yourself the BEST TEXT BUDDY IN THE UNIVERSE to moan whinge whine and cry to to help you through Suzie your my STAR 8)
2nd OH MY GOD MY TENS MACHINE I LOVE YOU AND I WILL FOR EVER BE GRATEFUL I HAD YOU GET ONE!!!!!

Stay mobile for as long as possible move about even if it only around the bed as i found when i lost the ablity to after being given the Epidural how much id appeciated the freedom of movement. Being moblie gives you control and purpase
also give your self little golas aims and targets to get you through
I set myself little mini tasks all the way through from serious ones like bouncing on my ball none stop for 5 minutes and doing 100 paces up and down the corridor marching like a soldier to try and get collier moving
To silly ones to lift my spirits flicking and trying to aim my sweetie wrappers at james face

Take the help given by midwives so many times i tried to do things i was beyond capable of because im stubborn and it left me frustrated tired and crying which lowers your fighting and perserverance emotions
If you need help to get out of bed or a hand to steady you as you walk to the toliet because the contractions our crippling or your drained or energy
THEN TAKE IT they our there to help you thought it so lean on them when it gets to much
I had some fantastic midwifes who i will love for the rest of my life as they did so much both physically and mentally to keep me going and boost my moral and help my to get past my physical barriers and agony


all my bits and bob i had with me helped me
a mini fan when i was to hot and when i had a headache a cooling gel pad
this helped me to regulate my temprature as attempting to push took it all out of me and i was shattered and sweaty.
Pack of face cloths and MAGICOOL cooling spray refreshed my skin and my mentality as i got further into the labour and felt all sticky grubby and yuck and my Lip drench helped my lips to stay moist as i panted and puffed THE GAS AND AIR DRIES THEM OUT LIKE YOUR IN THE DESERT and feels uncomfotable

Every little trick like this makes a hell of a diffrence when your in labour
the same with my mini moisturiser shower stuff and mini tootbrushpaste
feeling good with a bit of pampering is worth it each time i used the above it rejuvantaed my flagging energy and failing spirit

Distraction for the pains dose help i took one of my favorite Authors new books and read quite a good chunk of it and it worked it did distract me from the pain and the bordom of wating so if your in a slow labour a good jucy novel is a must!!!!!!

Music i collected all my fave albums and down loaded all my fave tunes from 90s and 80s and took them with a cd walkman
And it helped me to sleep though the pain and calm my breathing
AND TO BLOCK OUT THAT ANOYING AS HELL SNORING WOMEN NEXT TO ME
That was a good one to i distracted myself from the pain by dreaming of ways to torture said lady
And my James HATES my music and seeing his tortured face as my 90's music played was histerical and made me giggle in evil demented glee this helped me to see fun positive things as my labour hopes fel apart

So as the painful contractions hit just think of places you want to take things you want to do with your child. Take yourslef to a happy place and this focuses you on the aim of your pain to get that lovely baby of yours in to the world and into your arms

Ok immnot finished but need to go back to bed before james comes out and tells me off (had bad pains but im ok now)

will finish later on

 

[BeckyJ]

great tips - thanks sarah

 

[fothers]

This link is to a contraction timer to download to your computer- much better than trying to time with a clock-

http://www.contractionmaster.com/index.html


I found my TENS machine great- not sure how much pain relief it gave but it was a really good thing to focus on pushing the boost button on and off. They really had to persuade me to take it off for pushing

With each contraction you are one nearer the birth and it is one less you have to suffer. I kept thinking it wasn't proper pain it was life giving pain


A really great book if you plan on quite a natural birth-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ina-Mays-Guide- ... 986&sr=8-1

It is a bit hippy and is in 2 sections- one of birth stories and another of the mechanics which has loads of great labour tips


And finally- you really do forget how bad any pain is and get broody again VERY quickly

It is well worth it in the end