Positions for Labour

With only 11 weeks until my due date (15 February 2016), I am starting to think about the birth itself. I'm not concerned about it - on the contrary, I am extremely excited about 'D Day'!

My 28 week bump!

I know so many mums who have had difficult births. By that I mean long labours. Painful labours and births. Disappointments.

Many say the most important thing is that the baby came out safe. And of course that is the most important aspect: that you and your newborn are both safe and well.

But there has to be more to it than that. One thing is always certain with birth: the baby will come out. But what I think a lot of people miss is that you have plenty of opportunity to determine how that baby will come out.

My Own Positive Experiences

I have never wanted to feel robbed by any birthing experience. I'm extremely fortunate to have had a very positive first birthing experience and I am determined to have the same sort of experience this time round.

Much of my own thinking about birth, I've realised, comes from my own mum's positive perspectives on birthing. My brother and I were both born naturally - my mum had a bit of gas and air and she focused on being as relaxed as she could until we were born. So much so, she was watching a film at home when she went into labour with my brother and refused to leave for hospital until her film had finished. Mum has only ever talked about the 'ease of birth' to me and as a result, I have only ever believed it to be a straight forward process.

This is why I always actively avoid women who want to share their horror stories with me. They add no value to me as a pregnant woman - who wants to hear about someone else's 65 hour labour or birthing agony when you are faced with your own birth in a few short months??

Birthing Preparation

Preparation is absolutely key to a pleasant birthing experience. I prefer to listen to my hypnobirthing CDs; practice my hypno breathing; research videos of women giving birth naturally and pleasantly; doing yoga that focuses on my pelvic area; and stretching.

It's also really valuable to have thought about what positions you might want to birth in when the day comes. Obviously you might be really lucky and have a really quick labour and birth, but the positions are really useful all the same.

Gravity is a really key aspect of birthing naturally - the more you move around and the more you are upright, the better. So standing, sitting and squatting are all really good upright positions that will help gravity help you bring your baby into the world.

Here's a fab article, with illustrations, on good natural birthing positions ... 

And here's another one!

Happy birthing ladies!
Rebecca x

Breathing Oxygen During Birth to Eradicate Pain

I am exceptionally lucky. I have a beautiful, healthy four year old daughter - Elise - and am now 23 weeks pregnant.

I am also a huge advocate of calm, natural birthing.

(I found an old blog post that I wrote after Elise was born that outlined my first natural, water birthing experience. If you want to read about it click here.)

What I learned during my first birthing experience was how important oxygen really is. My hypnobirthing teacher taught us this simple - yet highly valuable - nugget of information:

When you are fearful, oxygen leaves your muscles and rushes to your vital organs 

 (your heart, your lungs, your brain). 

Consequently, oxygen leaves your placenta and uterus.

This is the simple fight or flight reflex that we humans have to protect us from perceived threats.

However birthing is no threat. It is the most natural thing in the world. As natural as breathing is. As natural as digesting food is. As natural as crossing your legs or blinking your eyes.

The female body is phenomenal and capable of phenomenal processes - why would birthing be any different to any other process that your body performs perfectly well?

My personal birthing bible - Hypnobirthing, The Mongan Method

When a pregnant mum is fearful then, oxygen rushes away from her uterus. In Hypnobirthing - The Mongan Method, Marie F Mongan explains how this process causes pain:

"... blood is directed away from it (the uterus)... this causes the arteries going to the uterus to tense and constrict, restricting the blood flow of blood and oxygen. Labour and birthing midwives have told me of seeing uteruses of frightened birthing women that are white from lack of blood, just as a person who is experiencing extreme fright often has the blood drain from their face."

Then she goes on to explain why this lack of oxygen - to arguably the most vital organ of your body during birth - causes pain. I've added some italics to emphasise her point:

"With limited oxygen and blood, vital to the functioning of the muscles in the uterus, the lower circular fibres at the neck of the uterus tighten and constrict, instead of relaxing and opening as they should. The upper vertical muscles continue to attempt to draw the circular muscles up and back, but the lower muscles are resistant. The cervix remains taut and closed." 

Essentially, fear is what causes the pain. When fearful, birthing mums have low oxygen and blood surrounding the uterus. When contractions occur and when baby's head is 'banging on the door' to come out it is greeted with a stiff, tightly wound up cervix. Little wonder pain is experienced.

In hypnobirthing, breathing oxygen in and around baby is crucial:

• Breathe deeply (there are numerous techniques - read the book!)
• Breathe into your uterus
• Imagine you are oxygenating the muscles around your uterus
• Imagine these muscles are soft, supple, fat, pink and full of blood and oxygen
• Breathe deeply some more!

Breathing effectively is vital to a calm, gentle birth that ultimately is so rewarding and truthfully includes very little to no pain.

Love and hugs
Rebecca x

Birth Plans and Natural Birthing

I'm currently 23 weeks pregnant which is wonderful. It has got me thinking about birth plans and birthing, breastfeeding and sleepless nights... and I am so looking forward to all of it!

Birthing is such a tricky subject because it is such a personal experience and often, opinions don't meet. Through my career, when I was pregnant with Elise, I heard about hypnobirthing and wanted to find out more.

Photo: iStockPhoto/Kryu

Hypnobirthing is focused on calm birthing and allowing your body to do what it does naturally. To do this, it is important to understand what actually happens when you go into labour - physiologically and emotionally - to help yourself help your body bring your baby into the world.

Hypnobirthing in the Western world is relatively unknown still which I find fascinating. I find this so interesting because natural birthing has been around since the beginning of time and is practiced in hundreds of countries around the world. There are women in Africa working in fields when they go into labour - when the time comes, they simply stop working and deliver their babies.

I remember being a 7 year old and being at my best friend's house. Her name was/is Amy. We watched fascinated as her dog gave birth to a litter of puppies and I remember thinking at the time what a peaceful experience it was. Puppy upon puppy appeared and yet the mother dog stayed calm and seemed at peace. She simply licked each one as it emerged and encouraged them to suckle straight away. Of course then, I wasn't thinking about human births, or what my own birthing experiences might be like... I was only 7... but that experience certainly stuck with me.

We human beings think too much. We overthink everything. And truly it is the only thing that differentiates us from every other mammal on the earth that gives birth using the same processes as us. Waters can break; contractions occur; a cervix opens; a baby (or babies) crown; and enter the world. So why are we the only mammals who seem fearful of birth?

Obviously complications arise and when they do, it is essential that they are met with the correct medical attention. But when everything is going well in your pregnancy and you and baby are doing just fine, a natural birth is the best option.

When I talk to other mums to be, I am always fascinated by how little they have researched the topic of their birth.

• Most don't know why contractions occur or how they actually help baby emerge. 
• Most do not know why birthing mums are taught to breathe. I'll do a separate post on this.
• Most do not have a clear understanding of what kind of birth they want and what they really want to avoid. 
• Many believe from their first trimester that their birthing experience will be agony and that 'D Day' will be a horror day, best forgotten quickly.

If you were planning a holiday, you would research it thoroughly. You'd find out what facilities were at the hotel; what the pool was like; whether the hotel was walking distance to any restaurants; read reviews; plan day trips; look into the exchange rate. The list is endless.

If you're married, think about how much preparation went into your wedding plans!

Having a baby is no different. Planning, researching and considering all your options (and the best option for you) is so important. You have so many choices and it is important to know what they are.

Love and hugs
Rebecca