Most women will tell you that labor was the most challenging, as well as the most rewarding, event of their lives. There is a reason we call it laboring. It is not easy. It is not fun. But as the old saying goes: "Nothing of importance ever came easy." The same rules apply here. The surprising parts of the laboring process are not just the pain and discomfort (most of us are warned about that beforehand) but what happens to our outer shell, how we appear to the world.
Labor, along with the challenge and reward, is the most primal, bare bones event of a woman’s life. It brings back our roots. Sounds that we have never uttered suddenly come out of us; grunting, moaning, panting.… Our bodies are drawn into the rhythmic sounds and want to move in sync—undulating, rounding, arching—moving in ways that we aren’t controlling. Our bodies instinctually KNOW what to do. We have been doing this since the beginning of time. All we need to concentrate on is to control our fear, let go, and let IT happen.
These are the sounds and movements of labor. This is how we call and move our babies from one world into our own. Ritual, rhythm, and relaxation. In this next series of posts I will try to empower you with information that will help you to prepare for this awesome event.
You can learn labor techniques such as Focused Attention, Visualization and Rhythmic Breathing, and Moaning Patterns to enhance your knowledge and experience in labor. All of these can be used separately or in combination. All of these techniques are to help the laboring mom find some order, some consistency in the chaos of labor.
The Focused Attention distracts the mother’s mind from her pain by having her concentrate on something else. This Focused Attention should begin at the onset of the contractions. It is beneficial for the pregnant woman to plan for this exercise before labor happens.
- She can focus on a person or a meaningful object.
- She can listen to a voice or to music.
- She can focus on a touch.
- She can concentrate on a mental drill such as counting breaths or repeating words to herself throughout each contraction.
The second technique, Visualization, can be a very powerful calming technique during contractions. It is amazing what our mind can convince our bodies of and visualization during labor really drives this point home. For example:
- The mother might visualize a touch/massage melting and softening the contractions away.
- The mother can visualize the contractions as a hill or mountain that she climbs up and back down as the contractions come and go.
The third technique, Rhythmic Breathing and Moaning Patterns, are essential in labor. If allowed, our bodies will find their own rhythm and sound. It is helpful to experiment with different breath and sounds before labor, not only to feel them in the body but to learn to let go. The rhythmic breath and moaning helps the pregnant woman to relax. It is calming because of the steady rhythm and gives the mother a sense of control.
For the first stage of labor (the dilation stage) there are two breathing patterns: Slow breathing and light breathing. The Slow Breath Pattern for the first stage of labor is a nice and easy in-and-out breath.
- When the contraction begins, the mother focuses her attention on whatever she has chosen (object, her breath, etc…)
- Start with a big sigh out of the mouth to release tension in the body.
- Take Slow breathes in through the nose and out through the mouth. Every breath should sound like a sigh.
- Do six to twelve breaths per minute.
- The Light Breathing Pattern takes a bit more practice than Slow Breathing.
- Again, focus the attention.
- Begin with short, light breaths through the mouth. Just think about the exhale. The inhale should be silent.
- Bring the chin and eyes to the ceiling, if comfortable.
- Do 40 to 60 breaths per minute.
- The laboring mother should continue until the contraction is almost over and begins to slow her breath.
A variation on these two breathing patterns is the Pant, Pant, Blow Pattern (short, short, long breath)
Take two to four short, panting breaths out of the mouth followed by a long, slow moaning breath out of the mouth.
Repeat this pattern until the contraction is finished.
During the second stage of labor, you will need breathing patterns for pushing and bearing down. It is essential to have some strategies to lessen the sensation of pushing. Once the pushing reflex is happening there is no stopping it, it is instinctual. You can only use certain breathing techniques to hold it a bit at bay. Again the urge to push is enormous. These breathing techniques will not still this urge, but they may give a certain degree of relief.
During transition, the baby begins to descend. The head moves from the uterus through the cervix and down into the vagina. Sometimes a ‘lip’ of the cervix remains. This occurs when a part of the cervix remains thick after most of it has completely dilated. This is a time when the mother should avoid pushing, holding her breath, or straining. However, the urge to push is an involuntary reflex. Performing the Grunt Breath allows a mother to bear down very slightly instead of pushing with full force.
Another case where the mother may need to avoid pushing is during the birthing stage. When the baby’s head crowns and emerges, pushing hard might cause rapid stretching and injury to the vagina. Again the mother must avoid holding her breath. This is where the Panting Breath comes in. She should lift her chin and blow or pant lightly whenever there is an urge to push. This panting breath will take some of the pressure of diaphragm off the abdominal mass and therefore off the pelvic floor.
Try to prepare your body and mind for labor by practicing the Focused Attention, Visualization and Rhythmical grunting, moaning and panting.
(Src: Healthnews.com)