The focus with our maternity units today is mainly centred on pain relief. From the moment you enter a labour ward your contractions will be called 'pains' by midwives and doctors alike. The British TV programme 'One Born Every Minute' included recently an interview with a midwife stating that women should expect to be in "agony" during their labour.
With all the social conditioning aimed at convincing us that labour WILL be painful, we are brainwashed into thinking that we cannot possibly even contemplate going into labour without intensive medical help. It is therefore not surprising that women today fear childbirth. If I was told that I had a hospital appointment next week where I would be in acute agony for hours and hours then my adrenalin levels would start rising now and accumulate on a daily basis as the dreaded day drew nearer. With pregnancy you have nine months to hone that fear. Little wonder that women present in labour shouting for an epidural before they have even got through the hospital door.
The fear of labour is so instilled into out society that it will be very difficult to overcome. Until the fear is seen for what it is - a cause of painful labour contractions - then the "agony" will continue.
A self fulfilling prophesy.
Help break the mould by spreading the word of Pain Free Labour by following the simple steps outlined in this blog and posting your outcomes for all to see. Thank you.
Monday, 9 May 2011
Sunday, 1 May 2011
Why labour hurts 4
Imagine you are still a cave woman who is just so fed up with life in a damp mouldy old cave. So along with your hunky cave man you decide to go live on the hill. You look forward to waking up to a stunning view bathed in untainted primordial sunlight. Bliss.
However, there is one factor you forgot to consider. A hill. You will have to carry all your building materials up the hill to build your hut. Gravity will not be your friend. However, if you decide to build in the valley and forgo the stunning view, it will be easier to get materials down rather than up.
So working WITH gravity is easier, mmmmm.
If we lie down in labour the hard working uterus has to work even harder cos it is working against gravity, pushing baby up hill. The contractions will have to become stronger and so become painful.
If we remain in an upright position, on a chair/birthing ball or leaning forward on a bean bag etc. then the contractions are working with gravity and do not have to increase in strength. Simple.
Then why oh why do women, as soon as you show them into the labour room, make straight for the bed and lie down. We have chairs. We have birthing balls. We even have a large scrunchy bean bag. We also have a beautiful birthing pool where you can sit or kneel in relaxing warm water and labour in comfort.
Once you are aware of why labour hurts you can face labour with fresh expectations. You can make a birth plan that includes staying upright and use of the pool to relax in. You can inform your midwife and birthing partners that you need a quiet atmosphere in order to do your chosen relaxation technique.
You can have a pain free labour.
You can do it.
I did it.
Twice, so I know it works.
However, there is one factor you forgot to consider. A hill. You will have to carry all your building materials up the hill to build your hut. Gravity will not be your friend. However, if you decide to build in the valley and forgo the stunning view, it will be easier to get materials down rather than up.
So working WITH gravity is easier, mmmmm.
If we lie down in labour the hard working uterus has to work even harder cos it is working against gravity, pushing baby up hill. The contractions will have to become stronger and so become painful.
If we remain in an upright position, on a chair/birthing ball or leaning forward on a bean bag etc. then the contractions are working with gravity and do not have to increase in strength. Simple.
Then why oh why do women, as soon as you show them into the labour room, make straight for the bed and lie down. We have chairs. We have birthing balls. We even have a large scrunchy bean bag. We also have a beautiful birthing pool where you can sit or kneel in relaxing warm water and labour in comfort.
Once you are aware of why labour hurts you can face labour with fresh expectations. You can make a birth plan that includes staying upright and use of the pool to relax in. You can inform your midwife and birthing partners that you need a quiet atmosphere in order to do your chosen relaxation technique.
You can have a pain free labour.
You can do it.
I did it.
Twice, so I know it works.
Thursday, 21 April 2011
Why labour hurts 3
Imagine you are a cave woman coming toward the end of your labour when a saber toothed tiger appears at the cave door. OMG. The first thing you would do is to release adrenalin into your system so that you have extra energy to run away or stay and fight. But 'Oh No' your cervix is nearly fully dilated, if your baby is born now then the tiger will think its her birthday and celebrate with a very fresh human, covered in a tasty liquour dressing accompanied by a side order of bloody placenta. Yum.
Mother nature however has other tricks up her sleeve and has put receptor or binding sites on the cervix for adrenalin. The adrenalin secreted when we are under physical or mental stress 'sticks' to the cervix and helps to stop it from opening. Your cave baby is thus held in utero untill you can run out of the back cave door leaving your cave buddies to scare off the tiger. Sorted. Or is it?
Unfortunately mother nature has not moved with the times. Curse you evolution. In the modern world we no longer need adrenalin receptor sites on our cervix and they have become a hindrance. Todays modern woman is so afraid of going into labour that as soon as she does the adrenalin produced from the mental stress will attach itself to the cervix and hinder dilatation. The contractions will have to become stronger in order to heave the resisting cervix up and so become painful.
Howells et al (2000) was a piece of research which compared injecting the uterine cervix before surgery with adrenalin or another substance. The adrenalin worked best at reducing blood loss as it caused the cervix to become rigid. This is similar to how adrenalin performs during labour when levels are high enough to affect the cervix.
A relaxed person does not secrete adrenalin. Relaxation techniques previously discussed in this blog can be used in pregnancy and labour to prevent the cervix being restricted in its dilatation. This should make the labour shorter and easier and end all the cries of " What do you mean I am not in labour? I've been contracting for 2 f***ing days and my cervix has still not dilated?" Oh bliss.
Mother nature however has other tricks up her sleeve and has put receptor or binding sites on the cervix for adrenalin. The adrenalin secreted when we are under physical or mental stress 'sticks' to the cervix and helps to stop it from opening. Your cave baby is thus held in utero untill you can run out of the back cave door leaving your cave buddies to scare off the tiger. Sorted. Or is it?
Unfortunately mother nature has not moved with the times. Curse you evolution. In the modern world we no longer need adrenalin receptor sites on our cervix and they have become a hindrance. Todays modern woman is so afraid of going into labour that as soon as she does the adrenalin produced from the mental stress will attach itself to the cervix and hinder dilatation. The contractions will have to become stronger in order to heave the resisting cervix up and so become painful.
Howells et al (2000) was a piece of research which compared injecting the uterine cervix before surgery with adrenalin or another substance. The adrenalin worked best at reducing blood loss as it caused the cervix to become rigid. This is similar to how adrenalin performs during labour when levels are high enough to affect the cervix.
A relaxed person does not secrete adrenalin. Relaxation techniques previously discussed in this blog can be used in pregnancy and labour to prevent the cervix being restricted in its dilatation. This should make the labour shorter and easier and end all the cries of " What do you mean I am not in labour? I've been contracting for 2 f***ing days and my cervix has still not dilated?" Oh bliss.
Monday, 18 April 2011
Why labour hurts 2
Imagine you are Buffy the vampire slayer walking through an eerie graveyard at the dead of night when suddenly, out leaps a vicious vamp looking for your blood. What is your reaction?
The first thing your body would do is to send an automated message to your adrenal glands to release adrenalin. This adrenalin would then circulate the body and make certain changes in order to maximise your chances of survival.
One of the ways it does this is to redirect blood flow from the body to the arms and legs so that you can run away very fast from the vampire or, if you really are Buffy, you can stay and fight.
Women today are scared of going into labour cos they believe they will be in agony for hours and hours, as soon as they have a few contractions the anxiety they feel starts releasing adrenalin from the adrenal glands. As with Buffy, this adrenalin sends extra blood to the arms and legs. This means that non vital organs within the body, such as the uterus, get starved of oxygen rich blood.
When a labouring uterus gets starved of oxygen it produces lactic acid, this then connects to pain receptors and sends messages to the brain of PAIN!
Running too soon after a meal has the same effect on the digestive system. The adrenalin released in response to physical exercise starves the gut of oxygen and you get a stitch. All you need do under these circumstances is to stop exercising. Unfortunately we do not have this option when going into labour.
Learning how to relax during the pregnancy so that you are ready when the big day comes is vital for a pain free labour. A relaxed body does not secrete adrenalin so the blood flow is not sent away from the body to the arms and legs. During a normal labour with a normally presenting baby there is no reason for the contractions to hurt.
Choose a method of relaxation that suits you best, stay upright on a comfy chair or other upright position and you will be amazed, as I was when I experienced my first pain free labour.
The first thing your body would do is to send an automated message to your adrenal glands to release adrenalin. This adrenalin would then circulate the body and make certain changes in order to maximise your chances of survival.
One of the ways it does this is to redirect blood flow from the body to the arms and legs so that you can run away very fast from the vampire or, if you really are Buffy, you can stay and fight.
Women today are scared of going into labour cos they believe they will be in agony for hours and hours, as soon as they have a few contractions the anxiety they feel starts releasing adrenalin from the adrenal glands. As with Buffy, this adrenalin sends extra blood to the arms and legs. This means that non vital organs within the body, such as the uterus, get starved of oxygen rich blood.
When a labouring uterus gets starved of oxygen it produces lactic acid, this then connects to pain receptors and sends messages to the brain of PAIN!
Running too soon after a meal has the same effect on the digestive system. The adrenalin released in response to physical exercise starves the gut of oxygen and you get a stitch. All you need do under these circumstances is to stop exercising. Unfortunately we do not have this option when going into labour.
Learning how to relax during the pregnancy so that you are ready when the big day comes is vital for a pain free labour. A relaxed body does not secrete adrenalin so the blood flow is not sent away from the body to the arms and legs. During a normal labour with a normally presenting baby there is no reason for the contractions to hurt.
Choose a method of relaxation that suits you best, stay upright on a comfy chair or other upright position and you will be amazed, as I was when I experienced my first pain free labour.
Sunday, 10 April 2011
Why labour hurts
From the feedback I have received regarding pain free labours it seems that people are just too brainwashed by society to believe. OK, but I refuse to give up.
The uterus is basically a bag of smooth muscle. It is very similar in its design to the stomach. They both have three layers of smooth muscle each. These layers work together when contracting and relaxing. The stomach to churn up food and drink to digest it and the uterus to open the cervix and push a baby out.
Have you had anything to eat today? OMG you must be in agony if the smooth muscle in your stomach is contracting. Did you send for an ambulance and get rushed to hospital for an epidural? No. Why not? From what people have told me, when smooth muscle contracts it produces pain. If this is correct then every time you eat you must be in pain.
Smooth muscle is not designed to cause pain when it contracts under normal conditions. Simple. Then why does uterine smooth muscle seem to cause so much pain when it starts to contract with most labours?
See my next post for the answers.
The uterus is basically a bag of smooth muscle. It is very similar in its design to the stomach. They both have three layers of smooth muscle each. These layers work together when contracting and relaxing. The stomach to churn up food and drink to digest it and the uterus to open the cervix and push a baby out.
Have you had anything to eat today? OMG you must be in agony if the smooth muscle in your stomach is contracting. Did you send for an ambulance and get rushed to hospital for an epidural? No. Why not? From what people have told me, when smooth muscle contracts it produces pain. If this is correct then every time you eat you must be in pain.
Smooth muscle is not designed to cause pain when it contracts under normal conditions. Simple. Then why does uterine smooth muscle seem to cause so much pain when it starts to contract with most labours?
See my next post for the answers.
Friday, 1 April 2011
Relax with meditation
Meditation is used to focus the mind and combat the negative effects of stress. It brings together mind and body so that they work in unison more easily. There are different ways to meditate, you don't have to be sat still as it also works whilst on the move. A focused calm mind will automatically calm the body, reducing adrenalin output which is vital for a pain free labour.
For best results in labour:
Finding a technique that appeals to your lifestyle and preferences is vital. When you find the one that best suits you it can be used throughout the pregnancy so that when labour begins you will not instantly go into panic mode. If you do then you can pull back and start to take control by practicing relaxing in a way that suits you best.
Progressive muscle relaxing worked for me in my two pain free labours. I still use it today more than 20 years after my forth was born and it can work wonders at reliving the stresses of everyday life.
For best results in labour:
- Sit upright in a quiet environment making sure you are well supported and comfortable.
- Focus the mind with a meaningful phrase ('pain free labour' will do) and repeat it in your mind while relaxing.
- Or focus on an object in the room and work at emptying your mind of all else.
- If other thoughts intrude, work on fading them away as soon as you realise your mind has drifted. It is quite difficult at first but gets easier with practice.
- Similar to progressive muscle relaxation, you can conduct a body scan whilst meditating. Focus on parts of your body from the feet up but instead of telling them to relax you just note how they feel and move on.
- Practice meditation for at least 10 minutes a day to get really good at it.
Finding a technique that appeals to your lifestyle and preferences is vital. When you find the one that best suits you it can be used throughout the pregnancy so that when labour begins you will not instantly go into panic mode. If you do then you can pull back and start to take control by practicing relaxing in a way that suits you best.
Progressive muscle relaxing worked for me in my two pain free labours. I still use it today more than 20 years after my forth was born and it can work wonders at reliving the stresses of everyday life.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Home birth
Booking a home birth is not as simple as it should be. When I set out to book my home birth in 1990 I had to go through my GP. Thankfully this is no longer the case and you should be able to book a home birth with your midwife at the booking interview. Useful web sites include www.homebirth-manchester.org/ and www.homebirth.org.uk/ where advice is available on how to go about ensuring your chance to choose. My GP said "No way, it is far too risky". So I went to my local library and looked up GPs in my area. I rang round till I found a GP who would accept me for care in the pregnancy and birth only. When my GP found out that he would not be getting paid for my care I was called into his surgery and given a right old telling off. I would however not change my mind as after my third birth I had vowed never to present at a hospital in labour again. Statistics for home births in the UK remain quite constant at around 2.5%. This figure could change with the current government's love of cuts. There are not enough midwives to cover all the hospital births so home births will be seen as a luxury that the NHS may not be able to support. If you have trouble arranging your home birth you can contact Beverley Beech at AIMS (Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services) who has promised to look into any obstacles. Beverley can be contacted by e-mail at chair@aims.org.uk or by post at 5 Ann's Court, Grove Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 4BE. As a student midwife I was constantly offering women a home birth at booking when they were low risk. This behaviour was not looked upon with glee by my mentor who was not known for supporting women wanting a home birth. You have to be pushy and keep asking. Go to meetings run by homebirth-manchester and gain confidence from other mums with the same quest. You are more likely to have a pain free labour if you are at ease in your own home. If you have been practicing the relaxation techniques in pregnancy then you will feel more comfortable continuing the relaxing in labour in your favourite chair. Hopefully you will know your midwife from visits in the pregnancy and had a good chance to discuss the birth in detail so you know what to expect. Pregnancy and birth is not an illness for most women. Having a baby at home is not as scary as people will lead you to believe. In fact, home births can be wonderful. My forth was born at home and was my second pain free labour. Awesome.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)