What was most helpful to you during labor?

[stacyj-m]

I'm hopping out of my May DDC to ask those of you who just labored for some tried and true tips. What positions worked best? What coping techniques saved the day? What was the high point and low point of the labor experience?

We met with our doula last night and all of her pressure point massage felt really fantastic. I'm interested to see how it works in the heat of the moment.

Congratulations on all the new babies. I look forward to reading your expert advice.

[leavemealone]

What helped me? Other than cursing and yelling loudly? I would say that my doula helped me the most during labor. I had a very intense labor last time and wouldn't have made it through without my doula. I'm not a very touchy person and don't really love the pressure point stuff, but having her there talking to her and doing some counter pressure helped. I mostly labored in the tub and that helped a lot as well. Hands and knees helped me as well. I have not been comfortable laying down or on my side during my last two labors. I've been more comfortable either standing and leaning forward or on my hands and knees.

[briome]

Getting into 'the zone' helped me the most, a kinda unofficial personal birth hypnosis. I didn't want anyone to tell me the time, my mesurements, what was going on in the rest of the house...ANYTHING that brought me out of my primal brain really. I think it helped because I never second guessed myself thinking "I'm only dialted that far???" or whatnot.

Other then that I just took the MW and her asistant's suggestions of the birth stool/shower etc....

[loveneverfails]

Ignore labor. Seriously. DO NOT THINK ABOUT BEING IN LABOR. Do something else.

[lastrid]

Trying to do things (cleaning) and not focusing on labor was really helpful. I also think Bach Flower essences and the birth tub were amazingly wonderful. For the flower essences, I used my general mix for when I feel stressed out, which is Star of Bethlehem, Elm, Beech, Sweet Chestnut, and Hornbeam. I think they would vary depending on the person and I imagine that plain old Rescue Remedy would do a good job of keeping panic from setting in.

[lizziebits]

I wasn't having back labor, but counter pressure on my back really really really helped, especially when I was on hands and knees.

[crazyrunningmama]

With my dd, the crucial thing was breathing. Slow, down low, making deep sounds and relaxing all my muscles down there. To achieve this, I needed pretty in-my-face coaching from my awesome doulas, cause I kept forgetting and doing out of control, high pitched noises and chest breathing.

[crazyeight]

well i needed to squat and "push" the pain down with the ctx. like i tried to birth the pain. shower bath of course.

[sanguine_speed]

[milosmomma]

A tip that I picked up in Ina May's Guide to Childbirth (I think) that I used during labor with DS, and continue to use, is to concentrate on relaxing your face. If your face is relaxed, the rest of your body will follow. I also found that concentrating on this was an internal focal point. It helped me a lot.

[Viola41]

Before we left for the hospital (when I got there I was 6 cm), I had about 1/2 glass of red wine while getting ready to go. On the way to the hospital (40 minute drive) I drank Gatorade. I kind of think these things helped relax me and hydrate me (well, the Gatorade hydrated me). During labor I picture my breaths like an elevator, starting way down low, then breathing in deeply up into my lungs, then descending back down again (I do slow counts up to 4 and then back down again). I try to ignore everything around me, though it's really key to have a supportive group around you. If you're in the hospital, the nurses can really help or hinder the experience, in my opinion. Just listen to the positive stuff and be your own advocate! Good luck!

[MaterPrimaePuellae]

Wine, definitely, if you're needing to sleep. I had early labor on a Friday night and then real labor all through Saturday night-- baby was born Sunday morning. Both evenings, I had a glass of wine and was able to sleep 3-4 hours, which helped SO MUCH.

We live in apt w/ unlimited hot water. I spent 3-4 hours each night in the warm shower (alternating between kneeling on carpet with my head resting on a pillow on my exercise ball)-- those were the best positions for me.

Laughter-- very helpful.

I think the best things I did were 1) I went to the chiropractor for pelvic adjustments (and because baby was breech! He flipped ) the last few weeks of pregnancy and 2) I pushed on a birthing stool. It took a while for me to dilate, but once the amniotic sac ruptured, he was born in ~20 minutes w/ three pushes and no tearing. It was awesome! I think because of the stool and the fact that my pelvis was well-adjusted it was very easy for him to descend.

Hope all goes well for you!

[SuzieQ3417]

The double hip squeeze - it was about the only thing that helped me get through each contraction. Sometimes my husband wouldn't squeeze hard enough, but when he did I would get TONS of relief from pain.

[snoopy5386]

with each labor it was different...both my labors were quick and very intense (6 hours and 4 hours). both times contractions started at 2 mins apart so ignoring labor, visualizations, etc were not an option for me. both times the birth ball was very comfortable - the 2nd time it was the only option until the pool was ready. with #1 the toilet was helpful, with #2 the toilet was so insanely painful I couldn't pee the whole labor, every time I tried to sit on it it set off a horribly painful contraction.
the most helpful things were dh's support doing basically whatever i asked, vocalizing through the contractions, keeping my mouth loose and relaxed helped to keep my body relaxed, trying to just ride out the contractions and my doula pushing me to try different positions during pushing.

[voxana]

Moving around helped me the most. Anytime I was on the bed the contractions felt so much worse. Don't let anybody pin you down on the bed for a long time by being strapped to an IV. You gotta have the freedom to move. I stood bent over a counter top during contractions.

The other thing that helped was my chiropractor (who came as my doula) giving me low back massages. I had horrible back labor and it was great to have that help.

[jenfl]

I had my husband push on my lower back and I rocked in and out of the pressure. That helped because it was a sensation I could control during the contraction. During the end of transition and pushing, when I was in the tub, DH poured water over my belly or back. That was fabulous, again because it was a sensation that changed during the contraction.