No matter how you ask this question: ‘How do I cope with contractions?’, ‘What will ease contraction pain?’, ‘How can I ease contractions?’ or ‘What things will help with contraction pain? What you are saying in one word: ‘HELP’!
Here are a few links to other websites. It’s all about comparison. Why are Birthing Better online birthing classes different from what is out there and offered?
I don’t know … when you read those did you actually learn any skills or are these just lovely suggestions that you probably won’t remember?
Breathing
The one attempt to actually give you the skill to cope with contractions is ‘rhythmic breathing’. The idea is that in the throes of labor pains that you’ll have this blissful breath in and out in some sort of easy manner. In fact, for some women, this works brilliantly but one reason families developed Birthing Better skills is that a ‘technique’ is NOT always a good skill.
So, what is a good breathing skill? That’s why we have two eBOOKs in Birthing Better Online courses that explain how to learn about the 4 ways all humans breathe, how each way we breathe has variations, how to find the variations that actually create relaxation in our own body and then how to use different variations of breathing to work through the 5 phases of each contraction.
In other words, our breathing absolutely will change from Phase 1 .. when the contraction starts through Phase 2 … when the contraction pain builds through Phase 3 … when the contraction pain peaks all the way through Phase 4 … when the pain eases off and continuing through Phase 5 … as pain goes away and the space in between.
What’s your take-away?
Find the various ways that you breathe that create a sense of relaxation then practice those variations to an imaginary contraction that has 5 phases. Our human Mind does NOT differentiate between ‘real’ or ‘imagined’ as we know when we see a movie. We know that’s not real but we respond as though it is. We can imagine each contraction as 5 phases. That will help you practice your breathing as a way to cope with contractions.
Once you understand there are 5 phases of each contraction then you’ll use your best relaxation breathing patterns better because you’ll stop thinking: ‘I can cope with these contractions because they aren’t too painful BUT when contractions got really intense my breathing didn’t work’. Now you’ll know that you can always cope with contraction pain using breathing in at least one or more phases!
Change positions
One of the BIG lies about childbirth that being active and regularly changing positions is a good idea. Here’s what Birthing Better families want you to know.
- If you are having effective contractions … getting longer, stronger or more intense … then the position you are in is one your baby likes!
- Every time you move from one position to another your baby has to adjust. It takes 3 contractions in ONE position for you to know whether your contractions are still progressing and effective so changing position constantly can confuse your baby.
- Hands and knees, bending over often ‘back off’ contractions. The contractions space out, are shorter and less painful. Oh, yeah you think but that’s wrong thinking. Your baby is telling you that position is stopping them from moving down, through and out. Yes, you have less pain in exchange for LONGER labor!
- Get into positions that are effective because your baby is telling you that you are open, it’s inner space is not constricted, bent or compressed.
In other words, changing positions can cause you to have longer labor in exchange for less pain or you can get into positions that your baby likes and get on with giving birth.
Massage
Many women HATE being touched in labor so the idea of massage can just lead to ‘DON’T’ or ”Get your hand off me’.
Birthing Better families developed Deep Touch Relaxation. We learned that touch must actually cue a birthing woman to soften inside her body. The only place a birthing woman needs to relax is inside her pelvis. That’s where your baby needs you to relax.
If you learn massage, focus on using massage to cue a woman’s response to contraction pain. Moving around, squeezing, rubbing while a woman is trying to cope with contraction pain is distracting.
Birthing Better skills were developed by moms and dads in the early 1970s in the US and used by many thousands globally in all types of birth. Birthing Better online birthing classes are housed in Common Knowledge Trust.