Once upon a time

Has anyone seen the fabulous new series called Once Upon A Time? It is a new take on old fairy tales, bringing them into present day. Very clever and extremely well done. However, some of their audience will be young people and the labour scene where Snow White was giving birth was so cliche that I almost cried. She was doing the usual crying and screaming and acting as if she was being tortured.
What message does this give to our young people today? It tells them that labour will be very very very painful. As soon as any of them get pregnant and start to labour they will remember all these images and they will naturally start to feel anxious. At that moment in time all hopes of a pain free labour will evaporate like fairy dust.
The midwives among us could tell that she was supposed to be in the second stage of labour and so it does get a little painful as the perineum stretches but how could the young audience know that.
Ms. White was also firmly planted onto a bed - THE WORSE PLACE TO LABOUR - as it is difficult to remain upright on a bed and the uterus will not be able to work with gravity and so the contractions become stronger and so may become painful. (see the posts - Why Labour Hurts 4)
I don't want to give the story line away but Ms. White was under threat at the time from the evil queen casting a very bad spell on her that was speeding like a huge dark swirly thing towards her and her prince. So really, she could be forgiven for having a painful labour cos who wouldn't if labouring under the same circumstances?
Her anxiety would flood her body with adrenalin which is the main cause of painful labours. (see the posts - Why Labour Hurts 2 and 3)
If pain free labours are to become an accepted part of our society then TV producers have to stop using birth as a fulcrum for drama and forcing their actresses to overact. Stop teaching young people to fear labour cos then painful labours become a self fulfilling prophesy. Change in how we perceive labour is coming, if you see a huge dark swirly thing coming towards you then don't worry, it's not the evil queen, it's the anger of all the women, who suffered in labour after being taught that the first stage of labour was meant to be painful, and then they learn the truth.

Best Birth Centres - The Rosie Hospital, Cambridge

Exciting news seen on the Internet - a brand new 10 roomed birthing centre has opened in Cambridge, England. Each room has a birthing pool and other essential equipment for a natural pain free first stage of labour. The essential equipment will be aimed at providing you with a comfortable environment in which to labour. A home from home. An upright position will be encouraged as previously outlined in this blog. Staying upright is important for a pain free labour as the contractions are working with gravity, so do not have to become stronger.

Relaxation will be encouraged within a calm nurturing atmosphere where you can eat and drink to your own personal needs. Taking advantage of the pools for your labour and birth is always a very good choice as warm water has been used for years to ameliorate the normal aches and discomforts of simply being pregnant. The warm water also negates the pull of gravity to some extent and so floating in the pool with a cool drink and willing birth partners in attendance will feel like being on your hols, what more could you ask.

In today's economic climate, it is wonderful to hear of an NHS trust going that extra mile to provide a choice for women in Cambridgeshire. So, if you desire a birth to be envied by all your friends, make sure you are around the Cambridge area when you go into labour. Access earlier posts within this blog for relaxation techniques. Sorted.

Welcome to pain free labour comrades

A big здравствуйте to all the Russian people who have started looking at my pain free labour blog. Я надеюсь, что погода там не также холодна. That was just a little secret message to our Russian friends.
It seems that the message is getting through regarding midwives calling contractions PAINS. More and more are recanting their ways and, at least while I am present, they are making a very concerted effort to not use the P word. It will take time. For our Russian friends, you need to call uterine activity сокращения and not боли.
The social construct that we have created and woven into our belief systems regarding painful labours is very strong, it will be difficult to erase. Midwives who are independent enough to fight against this acceptance of painful labours, and at least try to address the balance, will help women to achieve the best labour possible for them as an individual. Once we teach them how to behave in labour, and what elements are causing any discomfort, then we will be truly 'with woman'. Cos at the end of the day, that is what 'midwife' means.
See earlier posts in this blog for relaxation techniques and staying upright to achieve a pain free first stage of labour. Goodnight. Доброй ночи, я надеюсь, что Вы наслаждались этим постом.
And, for our Aussie friends - Sling another Wombat on the barbie will ya Shiela. Thankyou.

Birthing in the pool

I have just spent the weekend having two of the most amazing gentle pool births that you could ever imagine. I love it. Working on the birth centre at North Manchester General Hospital is just the perfect job for any midwife.
Both the women that I have cared for over the weekend said they coped so much better after entering our lovely birthing pools and are going to recommend them to their friends. Giving birth in nice warm water is a more natural way to birth for baby, she is already used to an aquatic environment. Heat is a universal source of comfort for all ages and being surrounded by warm water whilst giving birth seems to cocoon women in a security blanket that most do not want to leave after the birth.
Birth centres cater for low risk women, ask your community midwife if you are low risk and if so ask her to book you in at your local birth centre. Normal labour wards can still have birthing pools, though they do not get used as much. Even if you have risk factors, ask the labour ward where you are booked if you can use the pool. Always remember that you are the boss. All maternity care is offered as a service, with you as the client. When you go to the hairdressers and ask for a certain style, you would not be happy if they said that style was not available and you could only have a crew cut instead. Well, not unless you like that sort of thing. Write your birth plan before you are in labour. Have someone calm and confident with you so they can fight your corner if necessary, leaving you to focus on your relaxing. Stay upright untill you are in the pool, the water will then negate the pull of gravity and you can adopt whatever position is comfortable for you at the time. Floating has been the mode of choice this weekend. Love it.

Is this unethical practice by British midwives?

At the dentist last week I was thinking of all the things I would rather be doing instead of having my face compressed and my mouth stretched and my pain threshold tested to extreams by my dentist's torture equipment. The receptionist was very nice and calm and friendly, which helped a little to put me at ease. While I was waiting to be seen I asked the receptionist if she would ever mention the word PAIN when greeting a patient due for treatment. She looked at me horrified. "That would be highly unethical behaviour" she replied. "We try to make people feel welcome and at ease, any mention of the P word would just make them anxious, don't you think?" I readily agreed and explained that the only reason that I asked was that I was researching how other care professionals approach the tricky subject of language when talking to clients who may face a potentially painful procedure.
So, are midwives acting unethically when they call uterine contractions PAINS? Is this an issue for the Nursing and Midwifery Council? Let me know what you think. Are midwives adding to the propaganda spread by society that smooth muscle is designed to cause the sensation of pain when contracting under normal conditions?
Oh dear. Having just eaten I can feel the smooth muscle in my stomach contracting. I think I need an epidural, good job it was only a vegan sausage.

Birth Centres

Having just worked for 3 months at a wonderful birth centre, I am more awestruck that ever at how wonderful women are. They have been taught that childbirth will be very painful, by the society that they live in, and yet they still get pregnant and they still come back for more. Awesome. While working on the birth centre I have met some lovely people and have helped them to have a pain free first stage of labour for most. It is very difficult to teach women relaxation techniques in the middle of their labours. Relaxation really must be practised during the pregnancy as outlined in other posts on this blog. However, I have found that some women are capable of taking a step back from their pain and discomfort and trying the methods that I teach. Once they are upright on a chair or ball and in a more relaxed and controlled state of mind they look up at me and say "Why has no one ever told me it can be this way before?" That is a very good question. I have now been told that I have to leave the birth centre and move to another ward. They knock me down, but I get up again. I have an article to be published in Midwifery Matters in the Spring issue that aims to teach midwives how to help women labour. Please help spread the word. Thank you.

Remember, how to approach labour.

REMEMBER

• Stay upright, this can be on a chair, leaning against a partner, sat on a birthing ball or leaning forward on a beenbag. As long as your uterus is not working against the pull of gravity. You do the math, I'm not your mum.
• Practice the relaxing techniques in pregnancy outlined in this blog.
• When you start contracting in labour, DON'T PANIC, even being a little anxious will produce a rise in your adrenalin levels. Start doing the relaxing till you have it under control and the contractions stop causing the sensation of pain.
• Contact your midwife if you have any concerns. If having a hospital birth then come in when the contractions are every 3 min and lasting for 50-60 seconds if this is your first vaginal birth. If you have had a vaginal birth before then come in when the contractions are every 5 min.
• Have calm relaxing people with you in labour. I have seen otherwise calm people sent up the wall with fussing mother in laws who panic and should never be allowed within 50 miles of a labour room.
• Eat small regular carb meals in labour cos it is a big muscle and must be kept well fed. Lets face it, its the only time you feel good about feeding your face lots of yummy carbos.