Labor and Birth
Congratulations, you are having a baby! Now all the necessary planning begins—choosing a doctor or midwife, choosing a hospital, choosing childbirth classes, etc. Oh, did I fail to mention labor? In 39 years of teaching Lamaze childbirth classes, how many times have I heard “we want the baby, but not the labor”?
The Female Body and Labor
Let’s talk about some facts concerning the female body and labor. One very important fact—labor is a normal, natural, physiological event in the female body. Your body is designed to handle labor and birth physically, mentally, and yes, emotionally. It has been going on for centuries and now it is your turn to experience this dynamic life event.
Trust. Learn to have faith and trust in your body. Your body knows what to do, it is innate, now let your mind join this team. We are of mind and body. It is a deep connection.
Support and Education
Working with a support person or labor coach is extremely important. I cannot emphasize the value of the caring support that is necessary to help allay your natural fears and anxieties. Remember, the definition of a labor coach is a trusted person in your life. Understanding that you will not be alone throughout this process can decrease your fear and tension tremendously.
Education also helps to decrease your fears and anxieties about labor. Today many mothers and their coaches attend childbirth education classes. These classes provide you both with very necessary information concerning labor and birth. These tools include relaxation techniques, breathing techniques for the various phases of labor, positioning for labor, coaching tips, and anatomy.
The classes generally include information on the choices you may make during your labor. These include meditation, epidurals, hydrotherapy for labor and/or birth. Jacuzzi birth tubs are increasingly becoming popular. They have been determined to increase relaxation therefore decreasing labor time.
Relaxation
In any labor, the key is relaxation. The body works best when mom relaxes her mind so that her body can work as it needs to. There are techniques given in prepared childbirth classes to help the mind/body connection. Some people relax more effectively with external focal points, some better with internal visualization.
Music—now here is an interesting addition to your relaxation techniques. We adapt very quickly to relaxing strains of our favorite tunes. Play it often, condition yourself to this relaxation technique. Bring your music with you to your birthing room.
About Pain
I ask in my orientation class, “What does labor mean to you?” I often hear work, pushing long, and invariably, pain. Of course there is pain and the degree varies from person to person.
Let’s start with your background concerning what you grew up with concerning labor. If you were told labor is tremendously painful then that is what you bring to your labor. You must recondition your thinking and change your definition of labor. Labor is contractions that should produce changes on the cervix of the uterus.
The amount of pain you experience can then be related to your willingness to work with your body and to accept the work at hand. Once again, the deeper the relaxation, the more faith and trust you will have in your body.
Pain is your body telling you something is occurring. Pain is a sign your body is “talking” to you, telling you to investigate the source. Do not ever discount it. In some cases it could be life saving.
Choices in a normal labor and birthing situation are important to make. Through education these become informed choices. After all, this is your body and your baby. I wish you all the very best and, of course,
HAPPY BABY!
