18-2-2009 - labor advice

My mood while writing this blog: Ok

For pregnant mothers:

I had a homebirth. Hypnobirthing kept me from driving myself to the hospital for a c-section. Having said that, hypnobirthing involves relaxing, breathing, and redirecting your focus. Buy books about it and look up similar methods, like Bradley. Hypnobirthing is the most important thing you need to do during labor.

Next, I highly recommend that you have a bowl of ice water and a rag nearby so that when a contraction lights you on fire, you'll be ready to extinguish it with a cold rag. That will keep you from vomiting.

Finally, music; have music. It needs to be music you can sing along to and really get into as you will need something powerful to take your mind off the coming contractions. I even suggest getting a hand-held radio that you can adjust the knobs and play with and several cds to interchange so that your fingers and mind are busy. An epidural will work the same.

P. S. I did not have back labor, so I didn't get a massage. It doesn't matter if you have back labor, you need to be massaged. Have someone with you who can massage you or just rub your back or face, especially your face, which will help relax your vaginal muscles. Actually, my hip and thigh muscles cramped up during the pushing phase, and the doula and my husband had to rub out the cramps, so in a way, they did massage me.