Relaxation Techniques for Women Giving Birth Naturally
For women giving birth naturally, the most critical skill to master is relaxation. It may seem odd to consider relaxation a skill, but indeed it is.
Maintaining
relaxation in the face of the unknown, in the midst of the emotional
journey into motherhood, can be a daunting task. If negative
thoughts or self-doubt creep into your mind, they can undermine your
ability to turn your body over to birthing and ultimately
make
your birthing a painful experience.
To
illustrate the skill of maintaining relaxation amidst distraction, Pam
England, in her book
Birthing From Within
, suggests taking the "ice
cube" test: holding an ice cube in your hand when you think
you're completely relaxed.
After
a few minutes, you will most likely find that your "relaxation" has
vanished.
Relaxation techniques can be
applied to every aspect of your life. The benefits
of relaxation for improving people's physical and mental
health have been well documented.
Barriers to Relaxation
To birth your baby, your body must open. Tense, tight muscles impede that opening. If you condition your body now to stay relaxed in the face of distraction, you will be better equipped to slip into deep relaxation during labor and birth.
Different
factors may impede women giving birth naturally from fully relaxing,
including their perceptions
of childbirth. If a woman harbors negative
connotations or phobias about childbirth, these feelings can interfere
with her ability to trust her body and truly relax. Any of
the following techniques may be employed to learn relaxation for
childbirth. Before starting them, read the guidelines for
using relaxation
techniques for childbirth.
Relaxation Techniques
There are many avenues available to learn relaxation. The key is finding what works for you. Some of the most commonly used methods include:
Relaxation Scripts
A relaxation script is critical. I used one during both my pregnancies. These scripts can be read by a partner or you can choose a relaxation audio instead. I was amazed by how naturally relaxation came - I even fell asleep during transition, the most intense phase of labor. I truly believe that my daily relaxation practice was the key to both my pain-free births. I can't recommend them enough.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Progress muscle relaxation techniques can be particularly effective for women giving birth naturally. With this technique, you learn to actively tense and then release individual muscles or muscle groups. By doing so, you learn to discriminate tense vs. relaxed muscles and ultimately maintain a relaxed state at will.
Visualization
Visualization can be a powerful tool for women giving birth. This is a technique commonly used by athletes. You learn to visualize the whole experience of birth-from early labor to delivery. In your mind, you picture all aspects of your birthing and how you will react to each new development. When we see ourselves successfully giving birth naturally, we are better able to trust our bodies when actual labor begins. A guided imagery exercise in which visual imagery represents the birth process, such as picturing your body opening like the petals of a flower, can also be effective. The book contains several quality imagery scripts.
Music
Music speaks to people in many ways. It has such a varied impact upon people. Music can be used as a tool to evoke emotions across the spectrum-from energizing and invigorating you to soothing you to sleep.
Women giving birth naturally benefit by using relaxation music as part of their relaxation routine to instill relaxation at the first strains of that familiar melody.
Whatever method or methods you choose, they will be most effective with consistent practice. So the next time you sit back and put your feet up, remember you're hard at work preparing for your birthing!
References
Smith CA, Collins CT, Cyna AM, Crowther CA. Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD003521. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD003521.pub2.
Anim-Somuah M, Smyth R, Howell C. Epidural versus non-epidural or no analgesia in labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD000331. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000331.pub2.
Hodnett ED. Continuity of caregivers for care during pregnancy and childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2000, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD000062. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000062.
Cluett E R, Nikodem VC, McCandlish RE, Burns EE. Immersion in water in pregnancy, labour and birth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2002, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD000111. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD000111.pub2.