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Childbirth

What did you have (or use) to focus on during your labour?

59 replies

biglips · 23/09/2006 23:13

as i had nothing and i was flippin in serious pain (it was my first baby and i was induced after being 12 days late, had G&A throughout and Epidural couple of hours later) i remember the pain was ssoooo unbearable as im terrible for pain as i do actually go light headed in real life on pain

OR

i possibly go for "as soon i step my foot in the hossy i want Epidural"....

OP posts:

Report

ginmummy · 09/10/2006 11:30

About a month before ds was born I watched a documentary on BBC2 about Stephenson's lighthouse off the east coast of Scotland, and it was fascinating and dramatic, especially as I'm scared of open water. During the early stages of labour I visualised the waves crashing against the lighthouse and it did work to a certain extent.

For several reasons I opted to have an epidural and I also had gas and air for the last 12 hours, but for the first 8 hours (overnight as I was induced) visualising the crashing waves did help.

PrettyCandles · 09/10/2006 11:24

Having a photo of ds to look at really helped me a lot, and I did focus deliberately on it. Also (before I came across the photo, and after I went to hospital forgetting to bring the photo with me) I recited poetry and chanted marching songs. The reciting and chanting helped me to sway through the contractions, and also helped me regulate my breathing so that I didn't gasp, hyperventilate, or hold my breath. All of which I found myself trying to do each time the intensity of the contractions stepped up, and as I got progressively more and more tired. And when I found myself tensing up with the pain, I concentrated on flapping my lips as I breathed out, remembering having read somewhere that keeping your jaw and the lips of your mouth loose helps relax the cervix and pelvic floor. Other things to focus on are that 'this contraction will peak and then it will end' and 'every contraction brings me closer to meeting my baby'.

Enid · 09/10/2006 11:20

ditto pruni

Pruhoohooohoooooni · 09/10/2006 11:19

I found I did sort of yoga breathing, quite naturally. Really helped.
Also something from Sheila Kitzinger about letting the contraction wash over you like a wave, and imagining it receding on the beach. Corny but it worked.
Was in semi-hypnotic state though.

cardboard · 09/10/2006 11:16

Had to laugh about the death comment, but not sure its heplping! Had the tour yesterday and was surprised how relaxed the atmosphere was, think I have been watching to much Holby City. Ice is available but only one birthing pool on the ward so will have to wait and see if that is available to me. The reasuring thing is that everyone did it and is here to tell the tale I will be shouting it from the roof tops when I've done it Am so glad to find this site.

corblimeymadam · 04/10/2006 08:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Sakura · 04/10/2006 01:47

LOL at expatinSCotland`s comment about death. That thought came into my mind a lot too. I remembered not minding if I died.

Sakura · 04/10/2006 01:41

I gave birth to my first last week, without even G&A (because it wasnt available at the midwife clinic I chose). I remembered a quote from Birthing from Withinwhich actually came back to me during labour and helped me. It was something along the lines ofgoing deep inside yourself to find what it takes to manage to birth your baby. <br /> Corny I know, but thats what I concentrated on. So everytime I had a contraction when I was in transition, I just closed my eyes and went inside my mind`.

F**k - it really hurt, and its still fresh in my mind since it was a week ago, but thats what helped me get through transition.

frumpygrumpy · 03/10/2006 21:03

With DD I just focussed on the gas and air and a glass of water and the thought that loads had survived this before me, with the DTs I had a picture of DD which was the BEST focus. Her little smiling face and the thought that I was going to have more like her got me through everything.

moaningpaper · 03/10/2006 20:55

I didn't find I needed to focus on anything

1st birth was a million years of agony with failed epidurals - I was just focusing on the various staff coming into the room and begging them for help

Second I was pretty chilled out until the end and then I was praying pretty hard

Mojomummy · 03/10/2006 20:49

I went for the 'I need an epidural' but unfortunately (or fortunately ) my labour was very fast. I also thought I wouldn't be able to get one, so had prepared myself by doing NCT refresher classes, which were great.

I went straight into very strong 5mins apart contractions which were SO intense. I concentrated on my cervix opening up with each contraction & bellowing alot - which does help strangely enough. I got to hospital & was 7cm (in an hour), threw my clothes off & leaned over the bed desperately trying to slow it down so I could have an epidural. By then I was imaginging my pelvic floor muscles opening for an easy delivery - I was standing up bent over the bed. My waters burst & 2 pushes DD2 was out.

We survived & my labour was just less than 2.5 hours.

I was knocking back rescue remedy afterwards 'cos it was so quick, she was 2 weeks early & boy was I in shock !

expatinscotland · 03/10/2006 20:43

death. i focused on the fact that soon i'd either die or give birth.

Carpo · 03/10/2006 20:38

I'm with Piffle and Muddymum here. Maybe I was lucky but just listening to my body and believing in its ability to DO THIS was really helpful.

I saw one reference to Ina May Gaskin earlier in this thread and would definitely recommend reading some of her book (if only I could remember the name...). While it's very US biased in terms of reference to medical profession etc, her explanations of what exactly happens during labour and childbirth are really good, positive and ultimately empowering because they reaffirm the fact that we are actually pretty well designed.

Ante-natal yoga and active birth classes helped too, I think, in finding positions in which contractions were manageable. For me, all fours while breathing out hard - good. Sitting normally in the passenger seat of the car - v. v. bad. (Had to stop and get in the back to resume charming all fours position!)

Sorry, this has got really long but to summarise:
breathe out lots
try lots of different positions till you find the one that suits (water's good for this too)
remember you only have each contraction once
remember each contraction brings your baby nearer
make whatever noise helps (I think I mooed like a moose)
you can do it!

charleymouse · 03/10/2006 13:19

Hi
Patterns in the carpet for me, I sat on the loo and counted how many spots were on the carpet between the wall and the sink pedestal over and over and over and over again and again and again and again.
You kind of go "into the zone" as my DH called it where you focus on getting that baby out and just concentrate on the job in hand.
Also remembered the session with the physio who fitted my TENS machine who said SOS Sigh Out Slowly. This focuses you on breathing out all the breath rather than holding on to it and just gasping the next. This really helped.
I managed iwth 2 paracetamol and a TENS machine so it can be done. DD was 7lb 15oz.

YellowFeathers · 02/10/2006 12:58

i recommend a tour. thats why i used ice cubes because they showed us the ice cube machine
i had also put in my birth plan that i wanted things really normal, so lots of chatting, tv on etc but if you dont want to be left on your own make it known. write it in your birth plan, tell your mw on the day and tell your birth partner in case your too busy to get across your wishes

cardboard · 02/10/2006 12:31

Thanks everyone for the advice, I think thats it isnt it , you just have to go with it and try and stay in control. Have not had my tour of the maternity ward yet so hopefully that will make me feel better. Is there such a thing as too much information? Remember reading that ignorance is bliss with the first one!

MuddyMum · 01/10/2006 20:40

I listened to my body in the end. Had some thoughts about trying allsorts, but when it came to the moment, my body just took over and I went with the flow. 14 hours actually flew by and I can't remember much, except when the midwife dropped the heart monitor into the water (water birth obviously) and said "b*gr" and then the machine started squealing ( and I half anticipated an electric shock and thought "Help, not a retraction after all this".....

terratrio2 · 01/10/2006 19:53

hi, with all 3 of mine i used TENS, which r very good if u get them on early enough! I also did visulisation, with the horrid wall paper and counted how many diamonds there were on the wall, it worked for me an all my babies were 9lb and over!! Good luck, although at the time u won't remember any of this and u'll find ur own stratagy. All the best

Piffle · 01/10/2006 19:41

I shut everything else out. Listened to my body, felt what it was trying to do, beleived that my body knew best and let it do its job. Focussed on breathing to suit the kind of pain/contractions and just felt my way through it.
Afterwards it was like waking up from a fierce dream, but I felt wonderful afterwards.

I had no drugs though and midwife who was seriously amazing

maewest · 01/10/2006 19:37

Oh, and if you do go for look round, make sure you ask any questions you need to, like how many midwives per woman etc

maewest · 01/10/2006 19:35

cardboard, I'm sure you'll be fine What's on offer at the hosp depends on where you are - have you had a chance to look round the delivery suite? We did this (even tho we were planning for homebirth) and found it helped with the scared feelings. As it happened I did deliver at home, but went into hosp to get checked out beforehand (in middle of the night natch) and felt a lot calmer as I knew what to expect (am a bit hospital-phobic).

squishy · 01/10/2006 19:14

cardboard, can you take a birthing ball? Also, I've bought a vapouriser (so there's no need for naked flames) which I hope to use at home, but if not will take into hosp with me (when I do relaxation and visualisation, I burn the lavender so my body/mind associates it with being relaxed). You can also order and take your own super strength arnica which is supposed to help - I ordered following advice on here from helios.co.uk, but if you phone them, you can speak to a homeopath who I've found to be really helpful.. Although I'm hoping for a home birth, my motto is count on nothing from the hosp (apart from medication) so if there's somethign you think might help, be prepared to take it yourself.

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cardboard · 01/10/2006 18:34

Did the ward supply the ice cubes? and apart from the drugs do they have any other ways of helping. I'm told its alot to do with who looks after you, but my biggest fear is being left on my own with no medical attention.

squishy · 01/10/2006 18:15

I've got 4 weeks to go and having felt reasonably calm all the way through, the reality that I'm going to actually have a baby keeps coming up and biting me on the @ss!! kjaysmum, what do you mean with "serious" homeopathy? Have got some 200c arnica and some serious aromatherapy, but am planning on doing all I can to stack the odds in my favour!!!

YellowFeathers · 01/10/2006 18:10

I did have a TENS and said I would battle through with G&A but as the birth turned out, my TENS bust on the big day and when I tried the G&A I thought it tasted funny so didn't bother with it.

So after pushing with a back to back baby that also went transverse and an episiotomy all I used was a flannel folded up with ice cubes in and crunched on them!

Worked just as well

ish!

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