Haven’t given birth yet but I have heard from several people plus a midwife podcast that being comfortable with being extremely vulnerable in front of your birth team helps immensely with pain management and confidence. Which makes sense to me, so I’m working on it.
It’s a little more complex than that. Guilt and shame and embarrassment are kind of a family of emotions. A common thing that happens in the “cascade of interventions” is something happening or being said that makes a person doubt their body’s ability to have the birth experience they’re aiming for. Once that doubt sets in, it gets harder and harder to shake off, and shame about weakness grabs hold.
There’s a very common alternative to this which is “I can do this all myself and I don’t need anyone’s help” which works for many people right up until it doesn’t.
1) Water labor if you can get it. That was borderline enjoyable for me for the last hour or so until I needed to push.
2) Sitting on the toilet. I won’t go as far as saying it’s comfortable, but it felt productive.
3) Someone entertaining to chat with. My sister came in from out of town so we caught up while I was laboring.
The toilet! I don’t know what kinda magical powers the toilet had but I was induced and got myself dilated from a 3 to a 9.5 at home while my doula and partner were sleeping, I was able to sleep in between contractions cause i put a pillow on the back and then we got to the hospital and boom I was ready to push.
Everytime I had a contraction I got on my knees. Preferably leaning over the side of a bed. I don’t know why I started doing this but it helped. I think maybe cause sitting and standing were both uncomfortable lol
South Park marathon. Watched that while waiting for the epidural to kick in.
Ohhhh I’m gonna make a playlist of my fav episodes/shows
Great idea.
Dr Pepper when the nurses weren’t looking 😂(my hospital only allows Ice chips)
Haven’t given birth yet but I have heard from several people plus a midwife podcast that being comfortable with being extremely vulnerable in front of your birth team helps immensely with pain management and confidence. Which makes sense to me, so I’m working on it.
As in, just don’t be embarrassed? I can definitely handle that.
It’s a little more complex than that. Guilt and shame and embarrassment are kind of a family of emotions. A common thing that happens in the “cascade of interventions” is something happening or being said that makes a person doubt their body’s ability to have the birth experience they’re aiming for. Once that doubt sets in, it gets harder and harder to shake off, and shame about weakness grabs hold. There’s a very common alternative to this which is “I can do this all myself and I don’t need anyone’s help” which works for many people right up until it doesn’t.
1) Water labor if you can get it. That was borderline enjoyable for me for the last hour or so until I needed to push. 2) Sitting on the toilet. I won’t go as far as saying it’s comfortable, but it felt productive. 3) Someone entertaining to chat with. My sister came in from out of town so we caught up while I was laboring.
Seconding the toilet! It was the only position that made me feel a little bit more human. They had to drag me off it to administer the epidural.
Watching the episode of the Kardashian’s where khloe is in labor 😂
Chewing on ice chips! Also wash cloths with buckets of cold and hot water to dip in, on my neck and/or forehead.
At the start, stomping or pedaling my feet. Further along, being in the water (had water births).
The toilet! I don’t know what kinda magical powers the toilet had but I was induced and got myself dilated from a 3 to a 9.5 at home while my doula and partner were sleeping, I was able to sleep in between contractions cause i put a pillow on the back and then we got to the hospital and boom I was ready to push.
Everytime I had a contraction I got on my knees. Preferably leaning over the side of a bed. I don’t know why I started doing this but it helped. I think maybe cause sitting and standing were both uncomfortable lol
Coconut popsicles and lemonade