We made the trimesters pass quickly!

[Mummy to be x]

What are the breathing techniques UB? Explain to me

That's good that's OHs grandad has woken. Hope he is feeling better xx

 

[Carlyp1990]

I found walking/swaying my hips and breathing the best way to get through contractions. I was in so much agony when I sat down or lay down it was awful! Xx

 

[Mummy to be x]

Thanks Carly. I really need to get some good coping techniques for this time round xx

 

[Ziggie]

Are you any good at listening to calming tracks? I love hypnosis tracks. If you google 'natal hypnotherapy labour companion' you can download a cd for the different stages in labour to help you relax. It's actually on iTunes also if you search on your phone for Andrew Johnson (in App Store or iTunes) he does a positive pregnancy track. I listen to it every night to send me to sleep.

Also read anything by ina may gaskin. She's a midwife from the 70s and very very prominent in helping women with labour without intervention. Some of her stuff from the 70s is proper hippy psychedelic, but it's actually all totally spot on lol!! There's more modern stuff though, and she has videos of talks on YouTube and stuff she talks a lot about helping women not be fearful in birth.

I've hired a tens machine to help with pain relief (hope it works!!!) and I've got essential oils to smell (lavender and clary sage). I like nice smells (I also hate bad smells haha).

I haven't put any of this stuff into practice yet obviously but even having it to hand helps me feel mentally prepared!!! Particularly the hypnosis stuff (it's more relaxation techniques, breathing, focusing and relaxing the body).

 

[Mummy to be x]

Thanks zig. I will google those now

 

[Carlyp1990]

Wow Zig your so mentally prepared! I looked into alot of stuff like that when I was having katie and I think that's why I was so calm throughout my labour with her. I was reading how alot of it how you process the pains mentally and that once you loose your mindset it can become much harder to cope. I do think teaching yourself to stay calm a quiet (if you can) can be a great help and finding a way which works for you to cope, Eg moving around, breathing etc. Xx

 

[Ziggie]

I'd also say read about the role of oxytocin in birth. It's the love hormone which helps you bond with baby but it's also part of what stimulates contractions, and what passes into the brain to produce natural endorphins which are opiates which help you deal with pain.

Oxytocin is inhibited by adrenalin... So basically if you're scared you won't produce as much, you won't get the natural high and your contractions might not be as good or regular. So you need to be in the right frame of mind, and be relaxed and chilled. If you work towards creating the right atmosphere and trying to limit how 'medical' your experience of labour is, then hopefully the more oxytocin you will produce so if the hypnosis works for you, then essentially it will help your body give birth by helping you produce oxytocin (I find it all fascinating, can you tell?!!).

The oxytocin they use to induce you is synthetic and doesn't go into the brain, so you don't produce the endorphins and you don't get that natural high... Which is why induction is meant to be more painful and can lead to more pain relief, more intervention etc etc etc.

Our bodies are SO SO clever.

Of course..... Even the best laid plans can't predict for how things go, but knowledge is power...!! And ultimately baby will come no matter how you go about it

 

[Mummy to be x]

Wow that is interesting! How did you find out about all this stuff?

 

[Ziggie]

Ooh yes Carly birth position is also important. Gravity and opening up the pelvis!! Apparently the best position is to squat... My thighs couldn't cope with that though I don't think lol!!!!!

My midwives have all told me that though... You don't want to be on your back.

I'm mentally prepared but there's a little bit of me that thinks it will be Sod's law that I will be a right pathetic wuss when it actually happens hahaha!!!!!!! I do have pethidine to hand just in case!!!!!!!! I have NO idea how I will actually cope. And I can only hope baby is in a good position and all goes well.

 

[Ziggie]

Mummy, I read! And I watch videos. When I first became pregnant I googled which books to read and one popped up called 'birth without fear'. It's an old book and tbh I never got past the first couple of chapters but that was enough for me to realise that I wanted to look into it a bit more (in the book he writes about how birth has changed over the years and become a medical event, and how women are conditioned to be scared of giving birth. Fear = tension = pain).

I just started reading bits here and there.... My friend lent me two books - stand and deliver (worth reading! Funny and about taking control of your birth experience) and spiritual midwifery (proper hippy hippy book lol).

But I'm interested in the science of it too..... And my FAVOURITE site by far has been one called 'midwife thinking'. She looks at the research and gives a really balanced view on stuff (Google it!!).

And it's snowballed from there really lol. I've noticed hardly anyone actually reads about birth :/ I'm just proper curious about it all!!!

 

[Carlyp1990]

I had to read up about the medicalization of childbirth during an assiassignment for college and it's fascinating! Also a book called the baby's coming which is from an independent midwife is fascinating!
Ziggie I find the whole birth process fascinating too and agree that our bodies are amazing and they are made to deliver babies! Xx

 

[Ziggie]

Another good one to watch is 'the business of being born'. It's very very american,but definitely an eye opener. It's on YouTube!

 

[brunettebimbo]

Wow Zig your so mentally prepared! I looked into alot of stuff like that when I was having katie and I think that's why I was so calm throughout my labour with her. I was reading how alot of it how you process the pains mentally and that once you loose your mindset it can become much harder to cope. I do think teaching yourself to stay calm a quiet (if you can) can be a great help and finding a way which works for you to cope, Eg moving around, breathing etc. Xx

Can not agree more. I was coping really well with Tristans birth until a few hours later she checked me again and I hadn't progressed. I was fine with the pain of it meant I was getting closer to meeting my baby but to be told I wasn't was like a smack in the teeth. I threw up and totally lost my shit. It all went downhill from there.

 

[ab75]

Amy, deep breaths in through your nose and out of your mouth. Thats what I concentrated on. That and the fact that I told myself before it that I could do it without pain relief and thats what worked for me xx

 

[Mummy to be x]

Thanks Amanda xx

 

[Ziggie]

Wow Zig your so mentally prepared! I looked into alot of stuff like that when I was having katie and I think that's why I was so calm throughout my labour with her. I was reading how alot of it how you process the pains mentally and that once you loose your mindset it can become much harder to cope. I do think teaching yourself to stay calm a quiet (if you can) can be a great help and finding a way which works for you to cope, Eg moving around, breathing etc. Xx

Can not agree more. I was coping really well with Tristans birth until a few hours later she checked me again and I hadn't progressed. I was fine with the pain of it meant I was getting closer to meeting my baby but to be told I wasn't was like a smack in the teeth. I threw up and totally lost my shit. It all went downhill from there.

I've actually written down that I don't know if I want to know how dilated I am.... Because I'd find that so difficult if it was going slowly. And I believe that the body will do things at its own rate and we aren't text books!!

 

[Mummy to be x]

That's a really good point about the dilation. It's very true if your not as dilated as you thought you may be you feel like giving up.

 

[brunettebimbo]

I wouldn't have minded but it had been hours of back to back contractions and zero progress. Not even 1cm! They broke my waters and I went to fully dilated within half an hour but by god was it painful!

 

[Mummy to be x]

Wow that was quick after the waters BB!

 

[brunettebimbo]

Yeh it was. She couldn't believe it either. Had to get a 2nd midwife in for an opinion.

I'm really itchy! My belly, back, legs and soles of my feet!