Share your labour and birth secrets!

[lupa]

I'm a first time mum and we all know that nobody can tell us exactly what labour and birth is like. However I did learn a lot while in labour and thought I might share a couple of things, maybe making it easier for others. My labour took 5-6 hours, and even though it was hard work, it was better than expected.

1. Throughout my pregnancy I was very calm, people used to comment on how calm I was. I was scared of what was to come, but I knew there was no point in being uptight. I tried to bring this into my labour and birth.

2. As soon as my contractions were 5 mins apart I remember one getting to me so badly that I cried out in pain which in turn made the contraction more painful! I realised that of course our natural instinct is to fight against the contraction, the pain, but it only makes the pain worse! So I thought I would go with the contraction instead. When a contraction would come on I would visualise what my body was trying to do and with all my might I tried to overcome the pain with deep breaths and watch the contraction come, do it's job and help it do it's job, then visualise it leaving.4 hours later I was in the hospital admissions room and I was fully dialated (made it just in time). At that point, contractions were on top of each other and I was just experiencing constant pain. I realised I must go with the contraction, that's what my body is doing and I have to stop fighting it! Next contraction I visualise my body opening up and baby moving down and just as I did that my body automatically pushed! I was not expecting it at all! It was on, an hour later my son was born.

This might seem like the obvious thing to do I don't know but it certainly helped me. I believe these were the reasons my labour and birth was quicker and better than I thought.

If you have any birthing secrets and it can be anything, please share. It might not work for everone. It might seem obvious, but it probably wont be obvious to others. I believe it can make mothers to be a lot calmer which is one of my secrets.

[ButterflyMama]

Labour in the water. Birth in the water if possible. Water is such an amazing tool for soothing pain and allowing you to relax into your body's rhythm.

Another tip

Keep active! Walk, rock those hips.

Keep your voice low and grunt/moan instead of scream. It takes less energy and can actually help keep you focused.

Surrender surrender surrender. Give in to your body's power and rhythm. Don't try and fight the pain or intensity, just go with it.

HTH

[Cath82]

1. Have a fantastic support person with you who will put up with any possible rantings and ravings etc .

2. As pp mentioned, try to keep as fit as possible throught your pregnancy and eat as healthily as possible.

3. Don't stress or worry about being naked/exposed in front of doctors/nurses/midwives etc. They really have seen it all before.

[Areca]

Find the right care provider for you. Don't put up with someone because you think it's too late to change. Ask the hard questions at the very beginning and find the care provider that has the same thinking as you....without it you're fighting an uphill battle before you even get started.

[crazymuma]

Remember to breathe - sounds stupid but it makes it ten times worse if you hold your breathe.

Concentrate completly on every breath in and out. My midwife told me to imagine the baby coming further down and closer to being born with every breath out - strangly it worked.

Another stupid one (that alot of women don't know with the first) when they say stop pushing as hard as it is stop and pant like crazy - I didn't with my first and ended up tearing - with my second I did and no tear

I agree with move as much as possible - don't stop moving until the pain gets that bad that you have no choice.

[Melbaby07]

I like these

- Don't go to the hospital too early.
The feeling of rocking up to the hospital and finding out I was already 8 cm was absolute pure joy! If you can smile, it's too early

- Read "Natural Birth: The Bradley Method" by Sarah McCutcheon ...
even if you plan a hospital birth with drugs (actually, especially if you plan a hospy birth with drugs). Bradley births are 'partner assisted births'. It will help you time contractions, explain best birthing positions (even with a drip line in your hand) and how to avoid forceps etc. It will also help you (and your DH) understand what stage of labour you're in - and why the nurse is telling you its too late for an epi! Everyone should own this book, lol

-Don't be afraid (or too embarrassed) to be messy.
Birth is messy. Have your DH watch a birth online so he doesn't freak when he sees what birth really looks like.

- After you've given birth to your beautiful baby you'll probably be in shock.
Talk with your DH/partner about what you want to do after you've given birth. You'll probably need someone to support you after the birth - as you shower, dress etc. Everyone will probably be looking after your new bub, so don't be afraid to ask for someone to help you out a little too

[ck2b]

Have a waterbirth - best advice I can give.

Another great tip I was given during early transition when the pain went up a notch was to focus on a point across the room and when trying to focus on your breathing - imagine you have a long straw in your mouth and you are breathing out that straw and breathing all the pain away with each breath to that point. it sounds stupid but it really, really helped me at that stage when was like "I can't do this anymore!!!!"

[Kattus]

Great tips girls thanks!!!

[RHJ]

Believe in your body. Read lots of positive birthing stories, and trust that your body, just like every other woman's, was designed to birth babies. That your body, will make a baby that should be the perfect size for you to cope with.
A must is having people with you that you trust, and who believe in you and have the same philosophy as you do about birth.

On the actual birthing side, i found that with my 3rd birth, the birthing bath was fantastic. Water really is so calming, be it water birth, or shower or whatever you have.
I also found it great to visualise my cervix's opening with each contraction. I was blowing out, and visualising in my head that i was blowing out the rim of my cervix, assisting it to dilate. It looked to me more like just a ring that i was blowing open in my mind. I think it really helped.

[miasmumma]

I agree with all of the above advice. What helped me through my 3 1/4 hr natural labour (from 5cm onwards) was:

* keeping the lights off or low as lighting can inhibite the release of oxcitosin (spl).

*walking around the maternity ward until i physically couldn't anymore (with drip in arm).

*focusing on breathing over anything else. i found the gas helped with this but i know for others it makes them sick (i put my scuba diving experience down to my ability to use the mask)

*using pillows to prop me up onto all fours to help me to dilate further (i went from 4cm-10cm in 45mins).

*and above all as previously said, remebering that birth is natural and exciting and theres no reason why it shouldnt be any of those things.