The sensations of labour are unlike pain from an injury or accident. They are the result of a normal, healthy body function and so need not be feared. Most first-time mothers will have some level of anxiety about the labour but try not to be overly anxious before and during the birth - stress can slow down the birthing of your baby. Recognise the sensations of each contraction as productive and positive - a necessary process to bring your baby into your arms. The experience of labour passes and at the end, you will have a tiny bundle of joy, well worth the effort!
Be prepared - you will feel less anxious and more in control if you develop your concentration, breathing and visualisation skills before the birth. Use whatever techniques help you to stay relaxed and practice these regularly so that they come to you easily when needed.
Here are some tips that will help:
- As much as possible, breathe slowly, steadily and rhythmically (using your abdomen) during contractions
- Try to relax all the muscles in your body as much as possible. By doing this, you can consciously channel all your life-force and energy to the uterus. Sensations become more painful during contractions when there is tension in the body.
- Kneeling on all fours with your bottom in the air and your head on a pillow helps to ease back pain during labour
- Use visualisation during contractions
- Another useful technique to get through contractions is to have an external focus: your partner's face, a picture on the wall. For example, focus on a line, such as the edge of a window and follow that line visually during the contraction
- Be clear and assertive about what you want
- Keep moving around
- Keep eating and drinking small amounts - nourishing, easy-to-digest snacks are best.
- Be comfortable handing over control to your body - trust in your body's natural ability to give birth.
- If you are offered pain relief, see if you can manage a few more contractions before saying yes
Finally, it is useful to remember that you cannot consciously control your labour or your contractions. Even if you were unconscious, your body would simply get along with birthing the baby. However you can control how you respond to contractions. Control in labour is a matter of controlling how you respond, not controlling the labour itself. So sit back, relax and let your body go for it! J
Learn concentration, visualisation and breathing techniques as well as yoga movements at Paula's Wednesday evening prenatal yoga class. You'll be glad you came!
This article was adapted from Maggie Howell's Natal Hypnotherapy CD, available at http://www.natalhypnotherapy.co.uk/