HELP! Most effective pain coping methods - need alternatives to water!!

[vespersonicca]

Here's my situation:

I'm trying for a natural water birth in our local hospital. Since I live in Finland I didn't have many other alternatives. I've decided I want to try to get as close to transition as I can before I get in the bath. I envision that hydrotherapy will be the most comforting and relieving method of natural pain relief for me so I'm saving it until I'll be most desperate!

What freaks me out is that there is only ONE tub at the birthing ward! I'm terrified that I'll get to the hospital and it will be taken.

I'm pretty worried about what I'll do then if I can't use hydrotherapy. I know everyone will have different experiences but I'd still like to know what methods helped you the most, besides water obviously... I think if I have some alternate plans in case the tub is taken I will be able to relax more and feel more prepared.

 

[milkmachine]

tenns machine? and sheer determination?

 

[m_t_rose]

I think that if you expect birth to be painful you will have a more painful birth. My contractions felt like very strong period cramps so I would rock in the rocking chair or slowly bounce on the birthing ball and let all my muscles relax and visualized my cervix opening. I progressed very quickly from 2cm to 8cm and I had a really fun time.. Try a bunch of different positions for your contractions until you find one you like. I hated being in the bed lying down but I loved the rocking chair, the birthing ball and standing with DH holding me up like we were slow dancing.

 

[milkmachine]

I think that if you expect birth to be painful you will have a more painful birth. My contractions felt like very strong period cramps so I would rock in the rocking chair or slowly bounce on the birthing ball and let all my muscles relax and visualized my cervix opening. I progressed very quickly from 2cm to 8cm and I had a really fun time.. Try a bunch of different positions for your contractions until you find one you like. I hated being in the bed lying down but I loved the rocking chair, the birthing ball and standing with DH holding me up like we were slow dancing.

it makes me smile when i hear about women having a good time when they are in labour, its funny how people think its not possible!

 

[Sophist]

Listening to my DH count through the contractions helped me a lot. Breathing (Bradley method) helped me also.

 

[NIfirsttimer]

i found the tens machine a good help in the earlier stages

 

[bathbabe]

I used gas and air? i dont know if thats available to you? I found it very useful, and i didnt use it while pushing, as i found pushing to be my pain relief. Its out of your system after a few breaths of normal air. And if you dont like it, it wears off almost right away!! Of course its only useful if available to you???!!!! but yes, please dont go into it expecting it to be painful as it will make it far worse because you will be tense, just relax

xxx

 

[Greta Chick]

Have you looked at hypnotherapy? I know it's too late to start a programme or anything now, but can you have a nice vision in your head such as waves on a beach and breath in when the waves come in then blow the waves away as you breath out?

Failing that, Entonix (gas and air) helped me calm my breathing in my previous labours.

xx

 

[silver_penny]

Accupressure and counter-pressure are both excellent pain relievers, as is believing in your body, positive thought, relaxation, and visualization techniques (visualizing the opening of your cervix through contraction. The key is to use whatever is best for you. Find out what works and then utilize it to the utmost.

 

[KandyKinz]

Everyone has good ideas...

I second the TENS unit, progressive relaxation (the bradley method is excellent in teaching this), a support person who is well skilled in double hip squeezes and tailbone counterpressue, hypnobirthing, and ofcourse SHEER DETERMINATION

 

[vespersonicca]

I used gas and air? i dont know if thats available to you? I found it very useful, and i didnt use it while pushing, as i found pushing to be my pain relief. Its out of your system after a few breaths of normal air. And if you dont like it, it wears off almost right away!! Of course its only useful if available to you???!!!! but yes, please dont go into it expecting it to be painful as it will make it far worse because you will be tense, just relax

xxx

Thanks so much for all the responses. No one had said anything yet when I went to bed last night so it was awesome to check this thread this afternoon.

Gas and air are both offered he in Finland. I'm a bit nervous about the gas since I've had a negative experience at the dentist with it but you're much more in control of it's admission during birth I hear...

TENS machine. Must ask at the hospital when I get there. I wonder if it will be any relief anymore by the time I go to the hospital. I'll hold out at home as long as possible...

 

[milkmachine]

hospitals dont generally offer tenns machines but you can buy or rent them (in the uk anyway) talk to your midwife

 

[vespersonicca]

I've just assumed my "midwife" here in Finland is what I've kind of thought of as my nurse that I've seen throughout the pregnancy. She wouldn't be at the birth though. I wonder how different the system is here...

 

[bathbabe]

my hospital has TENS machines. So it may be worth checking if your hospital has them? I used it for about 10mins with the boost on constant because it was a constant pain. I hated it. Im glad i hadnt hired or bought one! So please check with your hospital, you dont wanna waste money on something if you dont know if its gunna work or not xxx

 

[bathbabe]

I've just assumed my "midwife" here in Finland is what I've kind of thought of as my nurse that I've seen throughout the pregnancy. She wouldn't be at the birth though. I wonder how different the system is here...

I saw about 5/6 different midwives that are based in my town and work together (a nurse that specialises in pregnancy and newborns, so yeah you were right!) and then had a different midwife at hospital that was in a different town 40mins away. Xxx

 

[JenStar1976]

I put my TENS machine on when my contractions got to 6 minutes apart (at 2pm) (they weren't painful at this point) and I wore it all the way through till I got in the pool (10pm). Alex was then born at 10.14pm. For me, the TENS really did mask the pains - I'm not sure if I would have coped without it. xx

 

[NIfirsttimer]

also just a word about holding out with the TENS, its meant to be more effective if you start using it as soon as the pain starts, then increase the level as your pain levels increase

 

[bump_wanted]

i had gas and air it worked wonders i didnt want any pain relief but i ended up needing some and it seemed like the best option as the baby had to be monitored constantly and it ruled out me in the pool. they just gave me the mouth piece to breath on when i needed to but once it went in i struggled to take it out heehee the nurse in the end had to remove it from my grip xx

 

[vespersonicca]

i had gas and air it worked wonders i didnt want any pain relief but i ended up needing some and it seemed like the best option as the baby had to be monitored constantly and it ruled out me in the pool. they just gave me the mouth piece to breath on when i needed to but once it went in i struggled to take it out heehee the nurse in the end had to remove it from my grip xx

LOL!

 

[bathbabe]

haha. I was chomping on the mouth piece so hard i kept pulling it off. And if someone tried to help me put it back on they got the look of death for interfering with me! Haha. My poor partner and mother! Xxx