6 tips for natural child birth
6 Tips that can help you during natural childbirth
If you are planning for a naturel birth here are some tips that will help you a lot coping with the intensity of your contractions.
Every woman is different and every birth is different so some will be more usefull for you then others. But these are the once I believe are very helpfull in general.
FREE IN MOVEMENT
This one is so important, through movement and different positions you will feel what makes you more comfortable. Lying flat on your back is almost always the worst position to be in. Let gravity help you and walk, slow dance with your partner or Doula, move your hips, sit on a birthing ball, sit on hands and knees or lay on your side. If it feels good, do it. It might not feel good 5min later, but that’s ok, just keep changing and following the guidance of your body.
BREATHING
It’s important to learn practical skills of relaxation, breathing and visualisation during pregnancy. These will be used during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and beyond.
Choose what appeals to you, there are lots of different courses like, prenatal yoga, hypnobirthing classes, private doula sessions,…
WATER
Take a shower or a bath. Warm water immersion in labour can diminish stress hormones and reduce pain by increasing the body’s production of pain relievers (endorphins). It can ease muscular tension and help you to relax between contractions.
MASSAGE
Like water it will increase your endorphins, your natural pain reliever.
Gentle back, leg or foot massage in between contractions.
And especially for women how experience back contraction (pain in the lower back during contractions) firm pressure on the lower back or hips can be a great relieve.
HIRE A DOULA
It’s been proven that Doulas are a form of pain relief in themselves (Hofmeyr, 1991). With continuous support, laboring people are less likely to request epidurals or pain medication. It is thought that there is fewer use of medications because birthing people feel less pain when a doula is present.
EACH CONTRACTION AT A TIME
So yes, giving birth can be painful, but it’s an amazing, beautiful, intense and life changing experience. So don’t focus on the pain, a contraction just last 1 minutes and you will always get a break before the next one. Its like the waves of the oceans, they come and go.
Take each contraction at a time and focus on your baby. Soon you will be holding her/him and that’s the best feeling in the world!