Juju Sundin's Birth Skills - anyone tried this during labour?

[glitterbomb80]

I was given a book by an Australian obstetric physiotherapist, Juju Sundin, on managing pain during labour. Unlike hypnobirthing, she advocates an "embrace the pain" philosophy, where you're encouraged to think about the pain of childbirth as something that is healthy and natural, to avoid the fear-panic response that can lead to complications.

In the book she outlines a number of different strategies for working with the pain, from walking/stomping through contractions, through to stress balls and vocalisations. It's all quite noisy and active.

It really seemed to make sense to me, and I'm keen to hear if anyone's used Juju's techniques and how labour went?

Here's a link to the book if anyone's interested: Birth Skills

I used this book! I have had 2 normal deliveries, without any pain relief, intact my second was a home birth where the midwives abandoned us and my husband delivered my daughter. Both times the visualisation and vocalisation helped me and I have good memories about both births. I am now 28 weeks with my third, and while planning a hospital birth ;-) I am also re-reading this book as it has been a few years. I am an extrovert, but not extremely so, i don't think you have to be for this, but I definitely am not a hypnobirthing type.It felt so very natural..

I am a massive ju ju fan. I came across this book 8 years ago when pg with my first. Delivered her without any pain relief just tens and ju ju techniques. Had 2 home births subsequently using the techniques again. Used tapping hands and stress balls in early labour then vocalisation and visualisation in active labour. And I was LOUD toward the end, not screaming, in control and loud. I have loaned my copy out many times and always had positive feedback especially re back to back labours.

Reporting back; was induced at 10.30pm & monitored lying down. By 11pm was having strong period pain which, after I was allowed off the bed, turned into full minute long contractions, less than a minute apart - grim. Survived with breathing, rocking on ball & rhythmically hitting a chair during contractions until they put me back on the bed for checks. Was 4cm & baby back to back. I panicked & opted for diamorphine as the pain was constant, no breaks. After I had the shot I was back up on my knees, swaying & ooooohing through contractions. Went 4cm-10cm within 2hours & pushed for 1.5. Managed to avoid tears/stitches with the candle breath. Think I may have shouted coffee plunger at once point? Haha

Congratulations Toohard!
I also experienced constant pain in established labour (although definitely much worse during contractions), was expecting to have a few mins calm recovery, cup of tea, all that. Nope!
Great that Juju helped you so much too.

Thanks very much for the report toohard! And congratulations!

toohard well done you! Thanks for the report back from the frontline!

The vocalisation & banging something definitely helped mind, just did it automatically. Walking during contractions fucking hurts!

Just two and a half hours before getting to the pushing stage toohard - can you please send my body some of that quick labor vibe! I was induced last time and know that being induced means contractions are hard and fast from the get go - but it still took 12 hours. Really hoping my second is much quicker but it is the unknown that is the scariest! Congratulations to you.

Shellster, think it was being upright that did it! It being fast also left me a bit shocked. Not enough time to process anything

I read this book and also used Maggie Howell's natal hypnotherapy CDs. A lot of Juju's book made intuitive sense to me - when I have bad period pains I instinctively bounce my legs up and down to distract myself, so walking around or stamping through some of labour made a lot of sense.
I used the book as a source of ideas really and when it came to labour I didn't actually use much of it purposely although I did make a bit of noise as I headed towards transition as DD was back to back and the pressure of her head was really making me want to push.
Along with the hypnotherapy it just helped me think of the contractions and labour not as being pain exactly but a process you have to go through to get the baby out. Labour was pretty quick for a first time, contractions started at 8pm, i went for a curry (!), they were 20 mins apart. by 11pm they were every 7 minutes ish, by 2am they were every 3-5 minutes, got to hospital by 4:30am and DD born at 08:52. Only used tens machine as I was fully focused on my breathing and couldn't start breathing in through my mouth to use gas and air.
Honestly some of Juju's ideas wouldn't have worked for me as my contractions were pretty irregular. But it was a tool in my arsenal so to speak along with the hypnotherapy and also a book called something like "breathe your way through birth with yoga"? I wasn't too bothered about whether I had an epidural or whatever but I just wanted not to worry about labour during my pregnancy, andfrom that POV it all worked really well, and I think did contribute to having a pretty good labour (plus I didn't dwell on scare stories or what could go wrong, which is just my personality I think).

good luck all of you!

Thanks for the tip toohard. I was made to lye on my back for the whole 12 hours of my first. I was a passive patient and did as I was told even though I really wanted to move from lying on back with legs in stirrups and midwife with finger shoved up my who-ha. Will definitely be more in charge this time - although from the sounds of things perhaps I will want to lie back down once I stand up and it increases the pain exponentially!

toohard, would also be curious to know about what positions or things you did (if any) to change position of your baby from back to back to the right way for pushing two hours later? Did they diagnose this just by feeling your tummy? Just want to be prepared for all situations this time - sorry to keep hassling you when you are probably already exhausted from sleepless nights!

moggle, curious about your baby being posterior too since she was still that way during transition. Any tips on what you were made to do to correct this, just to have extra knowledge in case I find myself in this position.

Were your babies posterior at your last check before you went into labor or did they just decide to turn themselves the wrong way at the last minute?

I read this book and found it helpful. My DS1 was posterior and was a dreadful labour so I wanted a different experience the second time which I got. Like other posters I used TENS, Hypnobirthing and water birth. DS2 was a couple of days early. The midwife had seen me earlier in the day and said that the baby was on his side so I had been sat forward early in the evening to encourage his position.

When the time came.. The bits from the book I used were walking around and vocalising . In early labour we relaxed in the living room - eating biscuits and watching DVD's. It was really nice actually. I alternated walking and snoozing. I think the walking helped position the baby correctly but I was careful not to tire myself out. The walking also helped speed the contractions. I used the vocalising during the pushing bit - it was good to be able to focus on something else.

A good labour made all the difference, I recovered faster, breastfeeding is easier and the baby is very chilled. Like other posters I worked quite hard in my preparation and it paid of. Good luck.

shellster DD was in perfect position all the way through - was only when midwife went to have a feel to find out if I could start to push that she found out she had turned back to back. She didn't tell me which I was glad about though realise not everyone would feel that way. It meant pushing on all fours didn't work so well, I had to go on my back and needed a little help with the small ventouse cap to get her out the last bit. Was all very controlled and calm though.

Another one who loves this book. I have used the techniques 4 times! We actually lived in Sydney when my DC1 was born and I managed to go to her classes. She is a bit eccentric in a nice way and it was amusing looking round a room of 50 heavily pregnant women standing on one leg, blowing on feathers😊

Using her techniques I had only gas and air with the first 3 births. With the 4th I did opt for diamorphine as I was shattered (that was before labour - 3 kids under 6 and just had Xmas )

I did the upright for contractions, then lying down in between. Sitting on the ball for hours. The visualisation really helped me in all the deliveries - focusing on a certain point through every contraction. One time was a cross in the floor tile grout, another was the "H" on the brand name of the hospital bed. The lolly stick visual of your cervix opening really helped.

Having lived in Sydney I know many people who have used her techniques. Her classes are hard to get into. I always approached it as how far I could get with just gas and air hence resorting to diamorphine with no.4.

Reading the book can't help. It helps you understand what your body is physically trying to do in labour.

shellster he never did turn! Spent my labour upright & leaning over the bed but he wasn't having it. Gave birth on my back without any intervention or tears. She knew he had turned my feeling my tummy. Personally I think the monitoring on my back after having the pessary made him go b2b

Sounds like things went quite smoothly considering he was back to back toohard. I mean, you probably can freshly recall the intense pain and would not call your abor smooth, but I've read many 'horror' stories that B2B labor means baby's head is not pressing on the cervix and women have awful contractions for hours on end with no dilation, but that obviously wasn't the case for you. Glad he came out without intervention or tears and all ended well for you! Thanks for taking the time to update... now I shall just continue counting down nervously until it's my turn!

Yes it's amazing I recommend it to everyone! The only problem is the midwives didn't believe I was in active labour because I was coping so well.
Not all of the techniques involve making loud noise. I found wiggling my fingers in turn and counting them as I did so worked really well. There are loads of different suggestions in the book; you won't know what works best for you until labour. the line 'focus like a laser' worked well for me, whatever technique you are using, focus on that and not the pain.

I am due in March and so haven't yet put the book into practice but it sounds reassuring that they worked well for you terrified so thanks for sharing. Like you say, there are lots of different actions in the book, but it's still such a world of nervous unknown while I count down to labor as I won't know what will work on the day - if anything!

Wow, OK. Reporting back on Juju Sundin... I went into labour after my waters broke early Friday morning. Held off on going into triage until 9am, despite frequent contractions - dealt with them using a combination of Juju's techniques (stress balls, swaying, visualisation) and yoga breath techniques. I was sent home as I "wasn't dilated enough" - whereupon contractions went absolutely mental, almost constant and with no pain relief.

I ended up stamping and vocalising and bashing the stress balls together like my life depended on it. We went back to triage after two hours of this - I'd dilated 1cm to 9cm in that time and was ready to give birth! I was rushed off to deliver and gave birth to a gorgeous, healthy 9lbs 3 baby boy an hour and a half later, with just gas and air.

I think I have Juju and her techniques (particularly the stamping and the stress balls during the car trip to hospital) for getting me through the entire first stage without pain relief - it would have been very easy to tip into panic and then things might have gone horribly wrong. Can't recommend it highly enough.

thanks for reporting back Glitter and huge congratulations on the birth of your baby boy!

I'm 40 weeks tomorrow and trying to keep all of these techniques in mind

I'm 39+1, will be trying these techniques in labour!

**Glitterbomb. Well done and congratulations. Know what you mean about tipping into panic. It was these techniques and hypnobirthing that helped me to hold it together.

Thanks for reporting back glitter. I am due late March and getting nervous about it so it's good to get feedback and know that at least the techniques gave you something to do rather than just panic. I'd also like to get a dose of your quick dilation vibes please so that my labor can be over with as fast as yours! Hope you're not too sleep deprived and enjoying being absolutely in love with your little man.

clarabellski and goodnightdarthvader!, if you do get a minute at some point after labor, I would be very interested to hear what worked for you and get any tips! Must be nerve wrecking and at the same time exciting for both of you just waiting to go into labor any minute.

I've just bought this book last week after reading this thread, and halfway through already, makes so much sense! Thank you to all the ladies who have reported back, makes me feel a lot more confident! :D

My only complaint is that the chapter on vocalisations was VERY long. By about 3 pages I was like "I get it, this sounds like a good idea, you don't have to sell me on it anymore, can we move on? Need input!"