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While nothing can prepare you for the real experience of labour, it helps to be informed as much as possible, to be aware of all your choices and to be surrounded by the support networks and techniques of your choice once the time comes.
Here are some tips on how to get you and your partner prepared.
Antenatal/childbirth classes
These are more than likely to be run by the maternity hospital you will be attending, but there are also plenty of privately run classes too. Classes at hospitals are usually run by midwives who work in the antenatal clinic and on the wards. Privately run childbirth classes may be run by midwives, physiotherapists or by specially trained childbirth educators.
Classes will include the different stages of labour, birthing techniques as well as the pros and cons of pain relief options, normal delivery and positions, intervention deliveries as well as postnatal changes, breastfeeding and baby care information.
Classes will include the different stages of labour, birthing techniques as well as the pros and cons of pain relief options, normal delivery and positions, intervention deliveries as well as postnatal changes, breastfeeding and baby care information.
It's worth talking to other parents to see what courses or teachers they may recommend and it's always a great idea to attend the classes from the hospital you have chosen so you can become familiar with their policies and options. Book in early as classes are often booked out well in advance.
Hospital tours
These are a great idea. Not only will they give you and your partner an idea of what to expect when the all-important time comes, they'll also show you where to go on the day and important things like where to park. Taking a hospital tour early on in your pregnancy might be a good idea if you are trying to decide between one or more places to give birth.
Birth plans
The experience of birth is different for everyone and in most cases what you experience is nothing like you imagined, but this doesn't mean you shouldn't set in place some scenarios of what you would like to see happen on the day. This is known as a birth plan. It's really a list of things you believe would help you in achieving the best from your labour. Things to include are:
- Who you'd like with you during the labour.
- Anything you'd like to bring from home to assist you.
- Any self-help techniques you may wish to use and things you may wish to bring from home to have with you.
- Your attitude to using drugs during labour (i.e. what pain relief options if any you'd prefer and at what stage of the labour you'd like to be offered them).
- Role of support person and any requests of those caring for you.
- How you'd like to be informed of your progress or any complications.
- Preferred delivery position.
- Who you'd like to cut the cord, who's to hold the baby first etc.
Make sure you talk your birth plan over with your obstetrician or carer well before your due date and have a copy of the plan packed in your hospital bag to give to staff on arrival.
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Self-help techniques
These are really non-drug methods of pain relief during labour and can include massage, breathing and meditation techniques, water therapy, aromatherapy, music, vocalisation, hypnotherapy, heat therapy, birth positions and visualisation techniques. We'll look at some of the more popular in detail.
- Breathing techniques
Breathing techniques during birth allow a woman to have a point of focus and help to create a calm, progressive labour. Through steady, rhythmical breathing, less adrenaline is released into the body thus diminishing the sensations of fear and pain. - Massage
Many women swear by the relief of massage during labour. Your support person should read up on the best areas for massage relief during birth or perhaps both of you could attend a course. - Water therapy
Getting in the shower or bath during labour (as long as everything's progressing well) can be a great way for a woman to get through the pain. It aids relaxation and circulation and helps to bear the weight of a woman in labour. Even the simple sound of running water can provide a more relaxed situation for the birthing woman. - Heat therapy
The use of heat through locally applied wheat packs and hot water bottles while at home and at the hospital is highly recommended by most childbirth educators. It's a very effective method of relieving pain in localised areas. - Birth positions
Being mobile and active is one of the best ways of progressing labour and getting through the pain. Being upright, even if sitting, helps to speed dilation. Both you and your support person should be aware of birthing positions prior to going into labour. - Vocalisation and focusing
Screaming, chanting and groaning are all positive ways of relieving tension, anxiety and pain during birth. Using your voice can also give some women added strength and power to deal with contractions. Chanting can provide a sense of rhythm and direction.Focusing on the now is an important part of giving birth and the support persons role. Staying in the moment and focusing on getting through each contraction as it happens will break labour down into small, manageable chunks.
Role of the support person
Wherever possible, include your support person in all your birth plans and classes. It will help them immensely when the time comes and will ease your mind that you have someone you can depend upon by your side. Some of the things a support person can do to help during labour include: massage, physical support, liaise with staff, and most of all, provide positive encouragement and emotional support.
Breastfeeding workshops
It's a great idea to attend a breastfeeding workshop before your baby arrives. Breastfeeding is not always as easy as one may think and the more prepared you are, the better. Most major hospitals run pre-labour breastfeeding classes or contact the Australian Breastfeeding Association who also organise workshops.
Get informed
One of the best ways to prepare for birth is to read as much as you can on the subject. Some popular titles include:
- Up the Duff — Kaz Cooke (great for all aspects of pregnancy)
- New Active Birth — Janet Balaskas
- Having a Baby — Carol Fallows
- Better Birth — Lareen Newman and Heather Hancock
- Men at Birth — David Vernon (fathers' experiences of birth)
- Breastfeeding ... Naturally — Australian Breastfeeding Association
- Baby Love — Robin Baker (what to expect immediately after the birth plus the weeks ahead)
Other things to do
- Make sure your bags are packed for hospital well in advance of your due date — the hospital will provide you with a list of what to bring.
- Plan your transport and route to the hospital.
- Make sure the labour ward or birth centre's contact details are always on hand.
- Have some light food and drinks (energy drinks like Gatorade are used by many women in labour) in the house.
Dr. Cristian Andronic is an expert in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. For more articles related to this, visit this blog.
