Month nine

You can have the natural birth you want

THERE ARE MANY weapons in the natural armoury that can make labour and delivery a safe, fulfilling and nearpain-free experience. Here are some.

SIGN UP WITH A DOULA OR MIDWIFE

“A doula and/or midwife who specialises in natural birth and has a firm belief in a woman’s ability to birth naturally, as well as the expertise to support you, will go a long way to making your labour more comfortable,” says Pretoria midwife Heather Pieterse. “Having the warm, familiar face of someone you’ve grown to trust, and who knows and hears your hopes and fears, goes a long way to quietening that hypothetical scream.”

STAY AT HOME FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

At home, you can move about in your own comfortable surroundings and eat and drink what you want to. Unless you have to be in hospital for medical reasons, consider staying at home until your contractions are a minute long and three to five minutes apart.

STAY CALM

“The calmer you are, the smoother your labour will progress,” says Cape Town midwife Philippa Hime. “You want to avoid stressing out, as this triggers a stress response in the body and can slow labour down.”

TRY TO RELAX

Relaxation really is the key to managing birth pain, as a frightened mind and tense body will not easily open up to release the baby. You can use aromatherapy, massage, hypnotherapy and/or meditation to stay in the right frame of mind and aid the labour process.

DON’T ANTICIPATE PAIN

“Use the breaks between contractions to rest up and gather your strength,” says Heather. “Don’t anticipate the next bout of pain or think about the last one. Try to zone out and just go with the rhythm.”

BREATHE…

Abdominal or diaphragmatic breathing – deep breathing – helps with relaxation and stress relief, and oxygenates deep tissues. “Deep belly breathing through contractions will help ease the pain and keep you and the baby calm and relaxed,” says Philippa. But do be careful not to hyperventilate: over-breathing or breathing too rapidly can cause dizziness, numbness and tingling of the hands, feet, and/or face, and even fainting.

CHANGE POSITION

Movement can help your labour progress and relieve discomfort. “Get off the bed and find a position that’s less painful,” Heather advises. “Quite often that would be standing and leaning forward.” If your movement is restricted by medical procedures, or if you’re confined to bed during labour (such as by an electronic foetal-heart monitor, which belts around the mother’s belly and is attached to a machine), ask if you can be disconnected from the machine from time to time to walk around or sit on a birth ball.

USE A TENS MACHINE

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) administers electrical currents, as and when the mother needs them, via small electrodes that are taped to her back. The theory is that the currents encourage the body to produce endorphins, which are its own natural painkillers, although most women say that TENS is only really effective in the early, less painful stage of labour.

DISTRACT YOURSELF

‘Whether it’s music, talking, a card game or meditation – whatever works to keep you distracted even for a few seconds, helps,” says Philippa.

USE WATER IN ALL ITS FORMS

“Using warm water during labour helps ease the pain and discomfort, and relaxes the muscles,” says Philippa. The warmth and buoyancy of water can help the mother relax and move around a bit, and small birth pools can easily be set up in the living room for women who choose home births. But you don’t have to go the whole hog of a water birth to benefit from water during labour. “Have a warm bath or take a warm shower,” says Philippa. Heather agrees: “Any which way you choose it,” she says: shower, wet towels, bath, listen to running water, have water poured down your back between contractions.

USE GAS AND AIR

A mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen breathed in through a mouthpiece as a contraction starts doesn’t so much cut the pain as help the mother to relax and disassociate from it. Some women say it makes them feel a little sick or sleepy, but it’s safe for the baby.

HAVE YOUR PARTNER MASSAGE YOU

“Having a massage, especially on your lower back, will help to make you more comfortable,” says Philippa.

TRUST YOUR BODY

“Know that your body has it under control – it knows just what to do,” says Heather. “Remember your mother, grandmothers and great-grandmothers gave birth. It’s a completely natural process that your body knows exactly how to do, so free your mind and trust your body.”