Birthing from Within...PAIN

[mikeandtoribaby]

ok, I am a soon-to-be first time Mom here. I decided not to take the Lamaze classes and just practice and plan to use the techniques in the Birthing from Within book. Now I have been reading and practicing as much as possible. However, I concerned with the techniques working when I am in TRUE pain. Ice behind my ears is easy to cope with. Breathing and taking myself out of my body, is easy for me to do and I have experience doing them in everyday situations. However, I am not sure how those techniques will afeect me when I am in labor.

I guess I am doubting myself and my abilities but I am curious to know for those who have children and have used these or other techniques, how they have work for you? Not saying I do not believe in the birth stories and coping stories of labor that I read, but I am curious to know from you ladies, what you have used in the past to cope through labor?

Thanks in advance for your comments!

[Lucky Charm]

I have never read Ina's book, but I did take a Lamaze class with my first child.

Of course it didnt take the pain away, but i can honestly say it helped me stay focused and in control.

If i were to give birth again, I would try hypno birthing.

[2+twins]

I think if you can effectively relax through the ice exercises then you're off to a pretty good start. I didn't read BFW until this pregnancy (and I haven't practiced any of her techniques) so I can't say how well they worked for me, but I can tell you what helped ME in labor in the past:

- Dark
- Quiet
- No stimulation (I didn't want anyone to touch me at all - no massage)
- No smells (no food smell, aromatherapy, etc.)
- Solitude
- Water to labor in

So for me I ended up being a "hide in a cave" private type of birther. Didn't anticipate that - that's just how it was. As long as I had peace & quiet and my own space then I was okay (the water helped me a ton too - I didn't spend much time w/o it). I think the key is relaxation and being able to tune into yourself. So if you can effectively relax through the ice thing then that's great. When you go into labor you'll have that skill under your belt and you can incorporate it into the "real" thing. Also giving myself affirmations in my head helped a lot... "you can do this; your body was made for this". I don't remember ever dreading the NEXT contraction - I just dealt with the one I had to deal with at a time - it won't help to think in terms of "how many more of these???". And following your body's lead is very important - if one position feels better than another, then do it! GL - I'm sure you'll do great!

[hairpin]

I wish I would have taken another class. I took the classes from the hospital where I'm giving birth. And while it was a natural birth class, we hardly did any practice sessions. We just sat around and watched videos and talked about how we felt. That's all well and good, but I can talk about how I feel and watch videos online whenever I want, not for 3.5 hours after a workday when I'm tired.

(OK... Sorry, just had to rant.)

[2+twins]

Kate - why not read about the techniques that are in BFW (I think that's all the OP did) and practice them on your own? Another excellent book is Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. If you don't feel you have time to read the whole book (although I think it's a pretty quick read) then just read the parts on relaxation techniques. Wouldn't hurt to try. It's not too late to practice!

[norasmom]

Another thing to remember about he pain of childbirth is that it is a natural, good pain. It is working to allow your body to do the hard work of opening up & birth your baby. That is a lot different than the pain of falling & breaking a limb, or even passing a kidney stone.

Also, just because you are going to have a natural childbirth doesn't mean you don;t get any pain relievers. Your body will be free to produce amazing amounts of endorphins that will signifigantly increase your coping ability. THen when the birth is over, the pain goes away, almost instantly, and you are left with the best natural high ever & totally primed to fall in love with your baby.

Another great pain reliever available to you is water. some mamma's love it, other's not so much, but definately give it a try!

Wiht my first we took a Bradley class & I feel like that really helped me to prepare. More than wnything, it was the knowledge of what was hapening & that I could work my way through each surge/contraction.

-Jesi

[plantmama]

I read BFW but didn't do the excercises. What helped me the most was the book Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin. The language is super dated but the imagery that women described on having to let the "rushes" (contractions) open you up and being receptive to the power and energy really rang true to me and that is basically what I kept thinking about as I tried not to tense up with a contraction. The other thing that helped me was that I was trying to sleep almost the whole time because no one thought I was in labor
The best part about contractions is that in between the pain is completely gone and you get a break to think about relaxing.
For me labor was painful but wonderful and felt good too. And it really did feel like I was high sometimes
I think everyone worries about the pain, but if you really want to deal with it you will.

[peilover010202]

Not in your ddc, but wanted to reply.

I took Bradley classes.

Here's what worked best for me:

Visual imagery - during our classes, the instructor asked us to choose a time when we felt most at peace and happy. Mine was during our honeymoon and I was floating in the ocean next to dh. When transition hit, dh used this by describing the smells, the sun, the way my body floated over the water and told me to think about my body relaxing with each wave of contraction - just let it happen. It really helped me.

[PinkPixie]

"Birthing from Within" is an excellent book! I wish I would of found this book before birthing my first since it explains labor in detail in it's emotional/psychological and physical accuracy. She really is right, your body is made for birthing and that you will instinctively know how to breathe and place yourself in positions that feel the best and actually help the baby move out on it's own.

Just as she says: "There are 3 guarantees in labor: That it is hard work, it hurts, and you CAN do it!" .

And as norasmom said, after all the pain, you are left with a high that is the best feeling in the world. A mix of "I did it!" with "I brought a beautiful baby in this world". Very empowering.

[mikeandtoribaby]

Thanks!!! You all have been very helpful. I will keep practicing and stop stressing it!!!

[hairpin]

You guys have convinced me to buy this book now...

Thanks for all the advice.

[JenniferC]

I really enjoyed the book, and the most helpful pain relief technique for me was vocalization. I made noise! Every contraction I sort of mentally assigned a noise to, each of the waves of pain I followed with my voice and expressed verbally, when I ran out of breath I just started again, keeping it low and moany. My MW only had to remind me once not to get shrieky (during transition). It was so essential to my pain control techniques that I think I would have lost if I hadn't felt comfy being noisy. It kept me focused, and flowing.