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

[biglips]

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"....

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.

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. 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.

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

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.

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.

ditto pruni

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'.

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.