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Ways To Make
Labor And Birth Easier (excerpted from BABY IN ME)
by Lori Ramsey
Pregnancy brings on a
lot of new changes in your body. Whether or not it took you a long
time to conceive - you are no doubt excited about finally being
pregnant and looking forward to the day that your baby will be
placed into your loving arms.
But that day can
bring on certain fears - of the unknown - especially if you’ve never
experienced birth before. But relax, there are things you can do to
prepare for that day - whether you are planning a home birth, a
hospital birth - going at it naturally - allowing an epidural or
even planning a cesarean.
The best advice I can give for preparation for the delivery day is
education. Read all you can on the process of labor and birth.
Ignorance is not the blissful way of approaching such an important
milestone in your life. Knowledge of what your body will be going
through on that day will greatly help to alleviate the stress and
fear of childbirth. There are countless books, magazines, true-life
TV shows and websites that are chocked full of information.
Take a childbirth class. This is a great way to have the opportunity
to ask questions and to learn what you are to go through. It’s also
beneficial - because you will choose a childbirth class that will
narrow down to the type of birth you wish to experience. I am very
thankful for the 2 different childbirth classes I took with my first
2 children.
Exercise. This will benefit your body in more than one way. Find an
exercise that is approved by your healthcare provider. Exercising
during pregnancy will not only prepare your body for labor and
delivery - it will give you a leg up on loosing that pregnancy
weight after the baby arrives. Exercise will greatly help labor and
birth to be easier and possibly quicker.
Do the perineum massage. This will help to possibly avoid an
episiotomy. About 6 weeks before your due date - take some
(vegetable, olive or vitamin E) oil or some type of lubrication on
two (clean) thumbs (with trimmed nails) put pressure toward your
rectum - at the perineum - about to the first knuckle of your finger
until it burns - about 2 minutes. Then gently massage and stretch
the area for about one to five minutes. You will build up to this -
as it strengthens and conditions the perineum for birth. Finally
gently massage the tissues between your thumb and forefinger back
and forth for one minute. Do this every night - you can even have
your partner do this to add some spice!
Learn the methods of helping to move labor along. Had I known this
with my first pregnancy I believe my labor wouldn’t have had to be
induced. I simply laid there - not knowing that I could get up - or
at the very least to even turn over in bed to help augment labor.
Instead I got the maximum Pitocin drip (the drug used to cause
uterine contractions) and ended up having to have my water broken.
If you are able - walking and moving around - changing positions
will greatly help labor to advance.
Another good thing on making labor and delivery easier is to
practice your breathing exercises that you learned in childbirth
class. Whether it is Lamaze or Bradley - these will help you to
relax and remain calm - even if you are having a cesarean.
Knowing what you are headed into will be the most effective way of
easing labor and delivery. That will knock out the fear of the
unknown and prepare you for what to expect. Even if things don’t go
as planned - which happens sometimes so prepare for it.
Write a birth plan and go over it with your doctor or midwife. Make
sure to be flexible and open to the possibility that you may have to
change a few things. This way you will know for sure what actions
will be taken once labor hits and there will be no surprises. Leave
room in the birth plan for the unexpected too - such as emergency
cesareans.
Give all this advice some thought and try to relax. Mentally go over
your big day in your mind - going over all possible situations -
this will help to prepare for the “what-ifs.” If your childbirth
class does not include a tour of your hospital or go over hospital
procedures (if you plan on giving birth in a hospital) then make
arrangements to tour the labor and delivery unit at your hospital
and ask the nurse to go over all the things that could possibly
happen with you once you are checked in. This will help to
familiarize yourself for the big event and help you to better
visualize the big day.
Above all, talk to your doctor or midwife at length about any
concerns or questions you may have. Don’t be afraid to find out all
you can - as fear is the base of stress and stress can make the
labor and birth hard. Knowledge erases fear. Look forward to the day
with confidence and assurance that you are as ready as can be.
© Lori Ramsey of
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