Natural Childbirth Tip : Give Birth Where You Will Feel Safest
The birth process is a complicated dance of hormones which make your body open up and let the baby out. Fear hormones can cause the process to stop/ stall or progress slower than it should. Every female animal instinctively knows to go somewhere dark and safe to give birth.
Cats hide in closets, dogs go under a stairwell. Where do human females go – to a hospital with neon lights and strangers? For many people, just stepping foot into a hospital with the antiseptic smell is enough to raise blood pressure.
Many women experience a weakening in their contractions when they arrive at the hospital.
It is very important for you to find a place you feel safe and comfortable in to give birth.
I am not suggesting collecting rags and hiding in your basement. Rather, careful research of your different options (and chances are you have many options) and choosing the one best suited to your needs will raise the chances of you having a happy birth.
There are many women who feel the exact opposite. The thought that an intensive care unit equipped with all the latest technology is one wall away gives them the peace of mind they need to birth.
From researching about hospital births, I knew a home birth was for me. My husband, however, did not feel the same way at all.
And since this was also his baby, we needed to reach an agreement about where to give birth. I trumped his fears with "since I am the one that has to give birth, we have to do it where I will feel safest." A home birth was not something he was easily persuaded about. After the first birth, it got easier.
What I am trying to say is that it is the woman who needs to look inside herself to decide where on earth she will be able to bring her baby into the world peacefully and happily.
Depending on where you live, there are many different types of birthing options (hospitals, birth centers, home birth midwives). Even hospitals vary with how open they are to natural childbirth. Do your research and choose the best fit for your personality (and then convince your husband why it has to be like this).
And what can you do if you don't have any good options…..
Natural Childbirth Tip : Create the Optimal Birth Environment
Wherever you decide to give birth, there are simple things you and your husband can do to the location to make it easier to give birth naturally.
Remember, we are animals. We are supposed to give birth in a cave (I am not kidding, here). Think dark, quiet and safe.
Darkness means turning off the lights. If you are going to give birth in a hospital, consider bringing with you a small reading lamp or candles. Find the light switch in the delivery room and turn it off.
To drown out the hospital sounds and to create a more relaxing environment, make sure you have a way to play music.
I personally enjoyed music in the beginning of labor and later found it distracting.
Also, different music is right for different stages. If you need to relax, quieter music is more appropriate. If you are feeling down or frustrated, something with a lively beat might be better. Bring a selection of music you like.
During the birth, keep visitors to a minimum. I have met women who had a doctor walk in with a group of students to observe the birth. If you are deep in contractions, you probably won't be able to ask them to leave. It is your husband's responsibility to make sure only the bare minimum of people enter the room.
Plan ahead of time who you want present. More than once, I have heard friends complain that family members drove to the hospital once they caught wind of the impending birth. The fact that family was standing outside the delivery room door stressed the mothers-to-be.
Unless you want your mother or mother-in-law to come to the birth, don't text people the baby is on the way. Speak to your relatives beforehand about your expectations. If you don't feel that they will be able to respect your wishes, then only tell them after the baby has been born.
Smells subconsciously affect us. Mint and citrus smells make us more alert. Lavender is relaxing. Aromatherapy is an easy way to make your birthing environment more pleasant.
You need to be able to move while giving birth. Some women need to walk quickly (picture the Duracell bunny) others to dance or sway. A stability ball is indispensable for giving you movement options in a small area. You can sit on it, lean on it, lie over it.
Buy one before the birth. You need to choose the right size according to your height. Play around with it – it is great to sit on while watching TV or surfing the net. I found resting on the ball between contractions very comfortable. I would kneel before the ball and then gently hug it, rolling from side to side.
After the birth, I spent many hours bouncing on the ball with a colicky baby. Trust me, an investment in a stability ball will not go to waste.
Make sure you have snacks and drinks on hand. Giving birth is hard work. Imagine it as a sports event in terms of the physical energy you will have to exert. It might also take a long time. You will need energy and fluids to perform at your best.
When my contractions started, I made sure to eat something filling that would keep me satisfied for the coming hours. It my case, this was a big bowl of oatmeal. I also kept on hand apples, nuts and fruit juice.
Your food choice shouldn't be something spicy or hard to digest since some women (like myself) throw up or feel nauseous during transition.
You might want to try: granola and yogurt, toast with almond butter, whole grain pasta with olive oil and salt – I hope you get the idea.
It is also essential that your birthing partner have something to eat. You will need your partner to be at his best, no matter how long the birth takes. You also don't want him to miss the big event because he stepped out to get himself a bag of chips.
When contractions begin run to the kitchen and prepare a couple of sandwiches.
What to wear to this special event? Many of my friends have told me that they like to give birth in a nice night gown that falls above the knees or wearing a tank top and a skirt. Not everyone likes the hospital dress code and you do need something free flowing and comfortable.
For births in cooler months or in places with air conditioning that can't be adjusted, remember to bring socks and a light blanket. In my first and last births, between contractions I felt cold and would wrap myself in a sheet to stay warm.
Natural Childbirth Tip : Firmly Believe in Yourself and in Natural Childbirth (and then don't let anyone tempt you)
Many women give birth naturally, not out of choice, but because the birth progressed so quickly there wasn't enough time to administer drugs.
While these births may or may not have been easy, the mother at least didn't have to use any will power or make any informed decisions about whether to use drugs. It just happened.
This tip is for the women who will have to stand strong before the temptation to use pain killers.
No one likes to be in pain. In fact, normally we go to great efforts to avoid it. But here you are, going head first into a situation you know is going to hurt. So what to do?
There are many ways not to be tempted into going for the shot:
1. Choose a birth location where no pain medications are available. Many hospitals have natural childbirth rooms where they do not allow epidurals. If you want an epidural, you will have to transfer to a regular delivery room. This is oftentimes a good enough barrier.
You can also consider giving birth at home (although just to avoid the temptation of an epidural is not a good enough reason).
Birth centers also do not allow pain medication.
2. Tell your partner not to allow the hospital staff to offer you drugs. If no one mentions the "e" word, you will be less inclined to take them up on the offer. I have read that people even tape a sign on the delivery room door forbidding the offering of drugs.
3. Ask for a copy of the form you are required to sign to get an epidural and then read it. I personally prefer not to have an elective medical procedure performed on me that list paralysis and death as some of the risks.
Epidurals can have some scary effects on your body and your baby. If you know the risks, you might be less likely to choose drug-induced pain relief.
You also must firmly believe in the benefits of natural childbirth and your ability to birth without drugs. The large majority of women can give birth naturally. There is no reason why you aren't among them.
Natural Childbirth Tip : Get the Support You Need
Having professionals to support you through your labor can make a big difference.
There are women whose profession it is to be with laboring mothers.
With all due respect to husbands/ partners, a woman who has been trained to support women in childbirth is able to help you in ways a layman can't. Studies have shown that births with a doula present have fewer interventions.
And if you don't want to hire a professional, consider inviting a good friend, your sister or mother to the birth. A female friend or relative who you feel comfortable with can be a big boost, too. She can hold your hand, tell you how great you're doing and let your husband take a break.
There are hospitals that limit the number of people present to one or two so make sure you check hospital guidelines before.
Just make sure to set clear expectations before about what sort of role she is to play. When is she available (can you call her in the middle of the night)? Do you want her taking pictures? Would you like her to give you a massage? etc.
Natural Childbirth Tip : Learn to Yell
Some women don't need to voice the intensity of a contraction. Others scream at the top of their lungs – swearing and cursing.
If you are the more vocal type, knowing how to scream correctly can make a huge difference.
Most of the birth process is you opening up to let the baby come out. You need to relax your muscles to allow them to expand. When you scream in fear or pain, we often close our trachea, take air from the top of our lungs and forcefully push it through the throat into the mouth. The scream is then high-pitched.
Try screaming right now to see if you understand what I mean. This type of screaming can make you feel panicky. This is not what you want.
Instead, take air from your stomach and let it out through a wide-open throat. The sound should be low and deep. Your will feel your stomach muscle working. This type of yell releases energy while opening your body.
During contractions, I continuously made the low sounds – taking a deep breath at the beginning of the contraction and letting the air out slowly for as long as I could. This steadied my breathing and gave me something to focus on when the contractions got intense.
Sometimes I would chant in the same way, "Ti, ti, ti, ta" – low and deep. Everyone in the room was required to join me in the chanting. Hearing the voices of the other people with me really made me feel less alone.
You need to practice yelling like this. Find a couple of minutes when you are alone and go for it. First, screaming like you would during a horror film. Then try opening your throat and taking your voice down a couple of notches until the sound is deep and throaty. You should feel relaxed and calm - closer to singing than screaming.
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