Topic 1: Preparing for Childbirth
Antenatal Courses
There are real advantages in attending special courses designed to offer you physical and emotional advice in preparation for childbirth and parenthood. Besides boosting your confidence and reducing any anxiety you may have, they also give you the chance to ask questions and discuss your feelings about pregnancy and parenthood. It is also a good way of meeting other parents-to-be.
The course content can vary, but usually includes:
• Information about labour and birthing procedures;
• Classes on relaxation, breath awareness and other skills to help you during pregnancy and birth;
• Instruction on exercises to strengthen muscles that are stretched in pregnancy and childbirth;
• Information on how to care for your new baby at home;
• Opportunities to discuss how you and your partner feel about pregnancy, childbirth and parenthood.
Antenatal courses are held in most hospitals and antenatal clinics. Courses are also available at maternity homes.
Relaxation and Breath Awareness
Relaxation and breath awareness are two good self-help techniques for you to use in childbirth. Besides helping to relieve pain, they will keep your body relaxed. This means:
• Your uterus will work more efficiently;
• You will conserve energy and feel less tired all the time;
• Both you and your baby will get plenty of oxygen through deep, relaxed breathing;
• You will be better able to cope with stress, not just during pregnancy and labour but at any time in your life.
To relax, you must learn how to recognise physical tension and how to consciously relax your muscles and relieve that tension. This process of “letting go” not only relaxes you physically, it also induces a feeling of emotional calm as well.
Breathing can be used to release tension in labour and help our body stay relaxed. It can also help you resist any premature urge to push which may occur late in the first stage of labour. It helps you “flow” with contractions rather than tense up or fight against them.
Breathing more slowly helps your body relax. Everyone’s rate of breathing is different (15 to 20 breaths per minute is average), but try to breathe as slowly and deeply as is comfortable for you. Accentuate the outward breath, allowing any tension to flow out with the air from your lungs.
During early contractions, relax with normal breathing. It is best to try to ignore contractions at this early stage and get on with your normal routine, moving about as much as possible.
When it becomes difficult to relax using normal breathing during first-stage contractions, keep breathing deeply and slowly for as long as possible. Your breathing will become a little faster as the contractions get stronger, but try to slow your breathing down to your normal rate or a little slower.
Imagine you are having contractions (they last from 30 to 60 seconds) and practise breathing slowly and deeply in a variety of positions – sitting, standing, kneeling or leaning forward against a support.
Always take a cleansing breath at the beginning and end of each contraction, and sigh with each outward breath.
If you feel dizzy at any stage, stop. Next time you practise, make sure you breathe more slowly.
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