Labor Coping Techniques
Tangible Ways to Ground Yourself & Move through Labor
Women instinctively move rhythmically, breathe deeply and use comforting positions if they are uninhibited & unbothered in labor. Tuned in support partners intuitively breathe with them, massage & touch effectively and support their bodies while they rock & sway their babies out. Let’s explore a few of the most common ways to cope with labor.
Penny Simkin's Wisdom
Penny Simkin is literally the mother of the doula movement here in the U.S. She has been an integral force in childbirth education for decades, and she has many years of lived experience in the birth world.
She sums up labor coping with the 3 R’s – Relaxation, Rhythm & Ritual.
Breathing
Your breath is your secret weapon. It is dynamic and always with you, no birth bag required!
PROS:
- anchors during contractions to stay mindful & focused
- oxygenates your baby
- oxygenates your working uterus
- deep breathing triggers your calming nervous system
- using a pattern can be helpfully distracting
- low sounds relax your jaw & pelvic floor
- you can breathe your baby out, especially during crowning & the “ring of fire”
- breathing benefits partners too
CONS:
- if you are stuffy, it is hard to utilize deep nose breathing
- many people naturally hold their breathe with pain so losing your breathing pattern happens
- you may feel too self conscious to make natural birthing sounds if you aren’t in your own habitat
- partners that just say “Breathe” instead of breathing with you
- care providers that recommend you hold your breathing/grunts/sounds when pushing a baby out
Targeted Touch
There are so many different ways to use touch in labor! The benefit to targeted touch is the same as breathing – if you have a partner, you already have this in the proverbial birth bag.
- grounding touch: hands on shoulders or a big bear hug is centering
- effleurage: light stroking over the skin stimulates endorphins
- touch-relaxation: you notice someone holding tension, without saying anything, touch/massage the area and watch the tension melt away
- deeper massage: relieves building tension in muscles
- special back labor techniques: counterpressure & a sacral squeeze are just a few ways to relieve back pain
- physical support: holding up your partner in different labor positions or when they need help moving
- holding hands: gives a firm surface to grip, can be acceptable when a birthing body feels too overwhelmed to be touched anywhere else + our palms have oxytocin receptors
PROS:
- releases feel good hormones to reduce pain & stress
- releases oxytocin to boost contractions
- connects you with your partner
- effective way to reduce tension in your whole body where you may be tensing during contractions
- partner support helps you use UFOs effectively
- physical proximity in labor helps you feel protected & safe which promotes the flow of labor
- triggers the relaxation response
- non-verbal communication between the labor team
- add massage aids like oil to reduce friction & hand-held massagers to give partner’s a break
CONS:
- you may hate being touched period
- you may hate being touched in labor
- partners may suck at massage
- partners may not be acquainted with specific labor techniques
- partner’s hands can get exhausted with extensive massaging (seriously, get a cheap hand-held massager)
- you may not have a labor partner to provide loving touch
- feeling too self-conscious to be touched in an environment outside of your own home
- birth partner who needs lots of guidance on what to do, how to move, how to touch, when to touch, when not to touch (insert birth doula here)
