What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief)

• 12-09-2008 7:32 PM

  Mom~of~Munchkins Joined on 09-14-2005 Posts 236	What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact Experienced natural laborers!  What worked for you in your natural labor?  Breathing?  Counterpressure?  Bradley?  LaMaze?  Hypno?

• 12-09-2008 8:53 PM

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  ms_quoted Joined on 12-13-2005 Illinois Posts 203	Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact  While I wouldn't necessarily call it a "technique", I love, love, LOVE the tub for pain management.  Also counterpressure (particularly the double hip-squeeze) worked wonders.

• 12-09-2008 9:49 PM

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  BiancaA Joined on 03-27-2006 Toronto Posts 41

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact Definitely breathing, just deep and slow, and looooong out. When the contractions are getting strong it needs a lot of concentration, but then they are manageable. I had a few ones where I somehow missed the beginning and was not able to breathe through them properly, and these ones were waaay more painful than when I was breathing properly. Finding the right position that works for you is also important. For me it was great to rock my pelvis. The position in which you do this might vary during the whole process and also from birth to birth. With my first one I was sitting on an exercise ball basically the whole time, rolling in circles and bouncing (might have helped to dilate quickly). With the second one I did this too, but not so long. Then I felt better lying down because I had lots of back pain. counterpressure helped for that. With the third one I could not bear sitting on the ball, this made the contractions more painful. This time I was leaning forward holding on to the table and later on I was on all 4s on the bed. So just try all sorts of things until you find your best way. What also helped me was distraction between the contractions as long as possible. I had home births, so this was relatively easy for me to do. During the first hours I was in a museum (baby #1), in a siblings class (baby #2), we watched TV, and my partner made tons of jokes. So I did not have time to think about the next contraction and get afraid. Of course, when they are getting too strong and too close together, the contractions require the complete concentration. I was also told that there is a of connection (reflex point or whatever you call it) between the muscles in your face, more precisely the point between your eyebrows and your pelvic floor. You instinctively use this connection when you have to go pee very urgently and have to wait. Then we usually make a very grumpy face, right? During labor this works as well, but you want it the other way round. So when you want to keep your pelvic floor relaxed and open up, you should try to keep your face (especially the point between your eyebrows and your mouth) relaxed. Sounds maybe a little weird, but for me this definitely worked. Good luck!

• 12-12-2008 3:42 PM

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  Dave's Buttercup Joined on 06-20-2008 Victor Colby Born 100% Naturally 1/12/2009 Posts 105	Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact check out www.birthingnaturally.net there is a lot of information on there about different techniques to manage pain; and a lot about relaxation. I think what Biancaa said in her last paragraph fits really well into the relaxation techniques.

• 12-12-2008 3:53 PM

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  Chamelyan Joined on 10-30-2007 Midwest Posts 119	Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact  I'm a big fan of hypnosis.  I could nearly fall asleep during hard labor using it!

• 12-13-2008 8:37 AM

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  Kara012981 Joined on 11-04-2005 Utah Posts 3,820

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact BiancaA: I was also told that there is a of connection (reflex point or whatever you call it) between the muscles in your face, more precisely the point between your eyebrows and your pelvic floor. You instinctively use this connection when you have to go pee very urgently and have to wait. Then we usually make a very grumpy face, right? During labor this works as well, but you want it the other way round. So when you want to keep your pelvic floor relaxed and open up, you should try to keep your face (especially the point between your eyebrows and your mouth) relaxed. Sounds maybe a little weird, but for me this definitely worked. Good luck! That's really interesting. I've never actually heard that before. I have TMJ, so between my jaw and forehead is often the first place I tense up. In the past I've ended up with horrible headaches and neck aches when I was experienceing stress. I knew that wasn't something I could deal with in labor, so that was the one thing I put dh in charge of with my first labor-make sure my jaw is relaxed! If it's not, I can't relax anywhere else and all the breathing and whatnot wouldn't help a bit! Anyway, I just thought that was interesting, and have to say it's been true for me!

• 12-13-2008 8:35 PM

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  JessicaP Joined on 02-06-2007 Miss Morgan born January 17/09 ~ Ontario, Canada Posts 3,395	Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact  Okay, this is great for me! I will take all the tips I can get....this is my second and after having pitocin for my first I definitely went for the epidural. I'm so determined to do it naturally this time but I am kind of scared. I'll have to check out that website Christine, thanks!

• 12-14-2008 2:26 PM

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  Nicole in Canada Joined on 07-02-2006 Mommy to Annon Posts 911

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact I used the Bradley Method and loved it.  What came in the most handy was staying very relaxed; this did wonders for managing the pain.  The key IMO is to practice relaxing with your birth partner since there will be times you may have a bit of trouble getting back into the "relaxed zone" and then your partner will already know how to gently guide you back there.

• 01-05-2009 1:03 PM

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  Lynette1396580 Joined on 05-03-2006 MA Posts 2,068

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact The tub was like magic for me, I dont know that I would have been able to reject the pain meds without it.  During the time right before transition, it helped me to pinch my thighs.  I hadnt learned about it or anything, just instinctively I started doing it, rubbing and pinching them, and it really helped distract me from the pain.  Not so much after transition though, not gonna lie. Looooooooong deeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep breaths, much longer and deeper than you would think.  I almost passed out in early labor because I thought I was breathing long and deep, but once I got the hang of the very long breaths my body needed, it made a world of difference.

• 01-19-2009 10:39 AM

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  TawniAline Joined on 03-25-2004 Camby, Indiana Posts 699

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact two things I couldnt choose between- and couldnt live without during labor.... the birthing ball (just opens up the pelvic area... gives you something else to think about while bouncing etc... just helps a ton... anyway..)  and finally... i loved my shower-- detatchable shower head- just followed my contractions with the warm water and it helped an amazing amount.. you know.. if i could have just spent the whole labor in the shower on my birthing ball i'd have probably been just fine lol

• 01-31-2009 2:33 PM

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  mrsjoeroberson Joined on 01-31-2009 Posts 4	Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact My first favorite was prayer. My second favorite was the sports medicine jacuzzi that was attached to my birthing suite I went from 6-9 cm in 90 minutes and it was very managable. If at all possible get that amenity.

• 02-12-2009 4:28 PM

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  angela~2DS Joined on 04-05-2005 VA Posts 1,794

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact I'm a bradley girl, but to tell you the truth, I loved the tub jets on my back in early labor and I can't sit at all in active labor. It just hurt too much. So, I did the baby dance after my water broke and a LOT of counting things. I'm a little OCD and counting things gave me something to concentrate on other than the contractions then. It really worked for me, even if it does sound really weird. There is always something for everyone.

• 02-13-2009 8:01 AM

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  NoLongerDesolate Joined on 02-23-2005 North LA Posts 527

  Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact BiancaA is right. This is so true. I believe it was in one of Ina Mae (midwife) books where she talked about something similar. I think she called it the "Sphincter Rule" or "Sphincter Law". She talked about keeping your mouth (a type of sphincter) relaxed during contractions. In turn, your bottom end (also types of sphincters) would relax as well. I guess I made up my own method from all the info I had gathered. I concentrated on breathing slow and deep, kept my face and mouth relaxed, and stayed in the position I found most comfortable. Don't fight labor, work with it. Oh, and sometimes finding something to concentrate on during breathing helps too.

• 02-27-2009 6:56 AM

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  bounty2009 Joined on 02-23-2009 Posts 18	Re: What is your favorite "technique" during labor? (alternative pain relief) Reply Contact Well I've not had my baby yet but I have read a lot about RELAX method http://community.parentingweekly.com/pregnancy/forums/t/2017303.aspx so im hoping to have a natural birth like this! x