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Natural Birth
ninasc
member
What did you find most helpful when in labor?
ninasc
member
Which positions did you prefer to labor in?
What type of support was helpful from your SO/doula/mom/whoever (massage? verbal encouragement? etc)?
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Re: What did you find most helpful when in labor?
The most helpful things for me were hands and knees, the birth ball (laid over the top of it, belly hanging down), and sitting backwards on the toilet (laying my head on a towel on the toilet bowl). Hot showers also helped, with a removeable shower head that I could spray on the underside of my belly.
My H reminding me to relax was helpful, and just being there. My doula would make me keep eye contact with her when it got really intense. She was afraid closing my eyes was making me go into a more difficult place. Funny, but one thing I remember helping was she would say, "you're doing this...BE the mama bear!" as I was grunting and growling through transition contractions. Lol...but hey, it helped
with DS1, I was sitting on a birthing ball in she shower stall in the hospital, with my face leaned up against the tile wall. I stayed that way for 8 hours or so. The shower REALLY helped- I'm not sure I could have done it without the shower. (I had wanted to labour at home for as long as possible, but went to the hospital after just four hours of labour to get the drugs. The nurse talked me into trying the shower and keep going drug-free, and she was right, it totally helped. I had already tried the bathtub at home and that didn't help at all). My husband stood behind me in the shower and trained the shower spray on my back. He also brought me little snacks- oranges, yogurt, etc, which was a huge help.
with DS2, I was on my knees in the birthing tub, leaning either against the wall of the tub, or into my husband's shoulder (he sat outside the tub). I pushed in that position as well. My labour was too short for anything to really help.
In both labours I mostly wanted quiet and my husband's close presence. In my second labour (home waterbirth) the midwives asked him to find something while I was pushing and my husband got up to find it and I freaked out, clinging to him over the wall of the tub. I just needed him near, even though he wasn't actively doing much to help (there was nothing he could do). Walking or standing didn't help in either labour- I didn't feel strong enough. In both labours when a contraction hit, I needed major support to remain in an upright position, and between contractions I needed to rest. Sitting or kneeling was more comfortable (and safer I'm sure).
Just having DH there was the most supportive thing. I also preferred no one to talk. I also had back labor with all 3 so having someone constantly pushing on my back helped a lot.
Wedding 6.18.04 Cole 11.20.06 Gavin 3.31.08 Parker 07.15.10 Logan 04.03.12
Hands and knees and child's pose.
Back counterpressure, hip squeezes, and offering me water.
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From 4-8 cm, being on the birthing ball. From 8-10, being in the shower (tub wasn't an option). During birth breathing (pushing), being on my hands and knees (that's how his head came out).
From my DH and mom--4 hands on me! Light touch massage on my back and also on my head and face helped keep me relaxed.
My natural birth wasn't intentional. I planned on making it to the hospital a lot sooner than 15 minutes before she was born. So, I labored at home for 99% of it. I think that made all the difference in the world. I walked...rocked in a chair...I took baths and sprayed water over my belly. Sitting or standing. I hated lying down.
I didn't want anyone to touch me or talk to me...I was in a zone...and that zone was getting my baby out. Something cool happens when you hit that point.
Funny thing is when it came time for delivery, lying flat on my back with my knees to my chest WAS the natural position for me. She was out in 3.
I was most comfortable in the bath on my back. After I got out, all I wanted to do was lie on my back, too.
I thought I would really like DH rubbing my back, but he barely touched me the whole labor. I was content to sit there, close my eyes, and try to drown out the pain. Of course, while I was pushing, his encouragement is what got me through. So he might feel bad about how stage 1 went, but he more than made up for it in stage 2.
I had back labour and the most comfortable for me was on all fours learning over the head of the bed with DH applying pressure to my back. Side lying also was a good position. I pushed for an hour on my side... The midwives kept telling me to change positions to make it easier but I didnt want to..eventually I got the strength to get on all fours and DS was born in minutes. I wish I had got up sooner I think I would of pushed for less time.
FIrst just walking around and working thru the the contractions then when it got more intense all that worked for me was doing squats with every contraction. ( I was SOOO incredibly sore the next day, but at the time loved it) Then once I reached 8cm I got in the birthing pool and basically just floated and relaxed it was so much easier in there. And pushed a couple time and she was out!