Last night we attended our first Birthing Class, of twelve. Actually I won't be able to make them all due to evening shifts, but Beth will, and we have the literature.
This was a "Natural" Birth class, which means we are aiming to have the birth with minimal intervention or pain medication. Most of what was discussed reaffirmed our beliefs and research that birth does not have to be a hugely painful process, if handled right.
Perhaps the most useful bit was when one of the ladies (both with birth experiences themselves) showed a pie chart of the "huge orange ball of pain" that many women expect birth to be, their information coming from TV dramas, movies, and other people's birth stories. Then she ate away at the pie with breathing (normal abdominal breathing, not the hooo-hoo-haa-haa that has been taught in some techniques), knowledge of what to expect, relaxation techniques, exercises, etc (I can't remember all the pie chunks right now), until there was just one wedge of pain left. The idea is that yes, there will be pain, but it's a necessary and manageable pain, if you know how to manage it.
There were three couples there including ourselves, and it's the first birth (discounting miscarriages) each. One couple is planning a hospital birth, the other pair are using the same midwife and homebirth plan that we have, but are six weeks ahead.
In any group discussion I usually find I do more talking than most, though I try to rein myself back. This was no exception, as shyness or lack of answers kept the other couples relatively quiet, but the tutors brought them in and it was all fun.
Yes, we went on to do it several more times. So indeed, I did manage the pain. (without any sort of medication.) I don't know about film dramatizations of birth. Maybe some people are just yellers because it helps them cope or channel or something. Kind of like yelling in martial arts. The doc who delivered all 3 of my girls did say I was one of the most stoic child-bearers he'd encountered, but I think it's all a matter of how you deal. I think understanding the process that's occurring and trying to relax and let it happen are the keys.
ReplyDeleteThere were eight wedges on the ball of pain; one was left uncovered to indicate that yes, Virginia, there will be pain. I believe the other seven were exercise, breathing, relaxation techniques, knowledge, diet, medical professional, and supportive partner.
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