Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

What was your technique for coping with labour?

48 replies

Mog · 30/01/2003 21:43

Just following on from the TENS thread, wondered what other people used (non-drugs) to get them through part or all of labour. With my first labour being very long I eventually had an epidural, but in the initial stages hot baths with lavender oil, imagining each contraction bringing my baby closer and lots of deep breathing helped.
Would love to know what worked for others as am due to go through it all again in 2 weeks.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

musica · 30/01/2003 21:44

I saw a fab one on a TV show - breathe in, and then sing or whistle through the contraction. You might get some odd looks, but apparently it really works - I told a friend about it, and she did the whole labour using this technique, and no painkillers - her previous births had used epidural.

batey · 30/01/2003 21:48

Plenty of deep breathing, but most of all keeping focused and calm,with dd2 I let "it" go once and felt the panic and fear about the pain take over. Also just taking it one contraction at a time and crossing each one off an imaginery list in my head!! Me, bonkers, never!!!

GeorginaA · 30/01/2003 22:02

Screamed a lot at dh ;o) Oh, then had the epidural... then foolishly let it wear off so I could "feel to push" (don't do that by the way - if you're going to have the epidural, have it all the way through!!)... swore lots at the doctor who told me it couldn't possibly hurt because I wasn't having a contraction at the time...

Hmm... that's not actually very helpful is it

cazzybabs · 30/01/2003 22:05

A fantasic midwife, a supportive boyfriend, a baby with a small head, some lucazade, and lots and lots of noise!!!!!!!

Demented · 30/01/2003 22:33

Second time round (first time lots of drugs) deep controlled breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth, trying to relax, particularly my shoulders, lots of screaming whilst pushing (DH said I sounded like a wild animal), this was a very quick labour and I was able to grab a few gasps of gas and air just before I started to push and his head was out in one push!

All the best!

WideWebWitch · 30/01/2003 23:04

Thinking "I can do this, millions and millions of women have before me and will after me, I can, I can" a warm bath, gas and air, low lighting, brilliant midwives telling me I was doing well. And my mum telling me to pant as ds' head appeared and kept disappearing again! She was SO right, it worked Good luck Mog.

prufrock · 30/01/2003 23:38

You're meant to cope with labour?

cathncait · 30/01/2003 23:40

You can do it "without" drugs!!!!????

hmb · 31/01/2003 07:40

A warm bath, some paracetamol, a Tens machine, breathing, gas and air, diamorphine x2 and an epidural. Oh and then a section It was a long labour! I did 'em all, and they all worked just fine And second time, with a footling breech it was elective section time!

Original poster

Mog · 31/01/2003 08:32

Didn't mean to imply drug-free labour - I could have married the guy who administered my epidural. Just wondered what other techniques people had discovered to get them mentally through some or all of it.

OP posts:

jasper · 31/01/2003 08:34

Mog re. marrying the anaesthetist - me too, and mine was a butch middle aged woman reeking of cigarettes.

mollipops · 31/01/2003 08:34

A VERY hot shower, bean bag, and the breathing definitely helped the 2nd time round more than the first - I think I was too freaked out the 1st time to use it properly. The small 'o' lips, very controlled slow breathing out...amazing but it really helped.

mollipops · 31/01/2003 08:35

Lol @ jasper!

Katherine · 31/01/2003 09:30

First time round was very quick and intense. I didn't have time to get to grips with it and just panicked. If I had a technique it was biting on the gas and air mouthpiece - had chunks missing by the end

With DD much calmer and more focussed. Just kept telling myself it was the same pattern and so would be over soon. Never really got that painful. Once I was pushing I felt really in tune with my body and breathed and pushed in harmony (thats sound really hippie doesn't it). The MW was so excited but I'm sure it was just the peacuful setting (home). Mouthpiece still had a couple of teethmarks though!

All depends on the labour you have - suppose the most comsistent one would be to just focus on that baby at the end and knowing it will all be over eventually. Crossing off each contraction in your head sounds like a good idea to me.

Sam29 · 31/01/2003 10:08

Am expecting first in five weeks and am really keen on waterbirth as seems most likely method to help nature do it's job, in terms of positioning, comfort etc.
Having said that there are quite a few reasons why waterbirth may not be able to happen (including if some other woman gets in the pool first!). So am a bit stuck as to a back up plan. Like idea of active birth and v. little medical intervention but have v. low pain threshold and am a wimp so not sure will cope...... hmmm!
Would def. advise to look at poss of waterbirths as it looks lovely.

susanmt · 31/01/2003 10:42

Showers were my mainstay in labour both times. The midwives kept trying to get me to have a bath but I couldn't sit still. I was able to have dh in the shower with me to lean on and remind me to breathe properly through the contractions.
The breathing was more useful than I could have expected - it really did help keep me calm. Both times I had a moment of panic and was convinced I couldn't go on, but I did.
I used the birthing ball a lot in my first labour as we were trying to turn an OP baby. It didn't actually work but the on the floor on all fours position was great - adn I used it again for my next labout even though ds wasn't OP.
I think the most useful thing was having someone with me. My dh was just amazing. We had talked both labours through in advance, so he knew exactly what I wanted. They were very keen to give me an epidural first time but I really didn't want it - he was able to explain my wishes. The second time they were going to do an episiotomy - had the scissor things out and everything and were about to ask me, when I saw it and just said to him - 'cuts!!' and he was able to explain to the midwife how I would rather have a tear than a cut. It did help that he had worked as the junior doc on the ward for 6 months at one point and knew all the midwives! But it was helpful to have a real advocate, someone who could talk for me whan I couldn't!
All the best those who are expecting again soon!

susanmt · 31/01/2003 10:45

I did have diamorphine 3x in my first labour as well! And gas and air for the end of first and second stage both times. And gas and air for the stitches! Not a total hero!

tigermoth · 31/01/2003 11:35

first labour - two whole gas cannisters

second labour - wouldn't marry the anaesthatist, but would have married penelope leach. Her description of what a baby feels as it leaves the womb was brill. I focussed on the sensations my baby was facing, rather than my own pain. This in turn made me calm enough to breathe well without any conscious effort on my part.

Also, my baby helped get me through labour the second time - a big lad, very thoughtfully he was long and slim as opposed to short and wide.

zebra · 31/01/2003 12:00

A pool to labour in; honestly, It made a huge difference with coping with back pain. I had about 20 minutes of gas+air at the very end.

Because it was my 2nd labour; recognising transition and realising that I was near the end boosted my morale, too.

ANGELMOTHER · 31/01/2003 12:13

Is it true to say that second and subsequent labours can be quite quick......I live in hope as expecting no 2. Dd1 wasn't too bad thanks to pethidine and a very good midwife but am already getting squeamish again

lou33 · 31/01/2003 13:15

My first labour was 2hrs 20 mins, and i had reduced it to 22mins for my fourth, so I would say yes! Whoever said they would marry their anaesthetist, I was the reverse. Never had time for pain relief, except for gas and air with my last one,but could quite happily have kicked the doc in the face while he was breaking my waters (I was being induced)!

Queenie · 31/01/2003 13:35

With 2nd labour, which was induced, had no time for pain relief but was walking around right up to the pushing stage. This helped me cope with the pain as when I was eventually made to lie down it was awful. I actually walked from the labour ward to the delivery suite carrying my breast feeding pillow and 20 mins later had my son laid on my chest feeding.

Philippat · 31/01/2003 13:48

well, I knew those child-bearing hips were going to come in useful at some point.

couldn't have done it without dh telling me how to inhale from the gas and air properly (he knew because he's used to using an inhaler) - one deep breath right down to the diaphram as the contraction begins to rise, previously I was just short sucking and it wasn't working.

Enid · 31/01/2003 13:50

Lots of gritted teeth, sheer bloody-mindedness and yelling!

susieblue · 31/01/2003 13:56

Sitting here reading all your messages, newish to mumsnet. Am 7 days overdue with 2nd and midwife came this morning and did a "sweep" have since started to bleed slightly but told this normal(brownish) by the hospital when I called them. Keep getting the braxton hicks (not painful) but do not know what will happen from here. I was induced with first which scary but having not gone into "natural labour" I feel very frightened of what to expect. First time was painful until I had the epidural but I suppose to be started of "unnaturally" the pain was more intense more quickly? Midwife coming back this afternoon as my blood pressure high but sitting here wondering is this the start, how do I cope, what will happen, how long will it all go on help!!

Flip

1 2