Natural Childbirthing

Hmm... this is certainly going to be an interesting page... and one which has been created for numerous reasons. First and foremost, I believe that childbirth is a very spiritual experience - a woman is bringing the physical incarnation of another soul onto the face of the planet - how much more spiritual do you get? Secondly, much of a child's psychology (and the mother's) takes form in the first few minutes following (and all those during) the birthing process, so surely nature did not intend it to be painful, with both child and mother wounded (or unconscious) during this crucial time. Thirdly, I myself am currently preggers, and will be putting the methods listed here to trial on myself (and will write up a report of how it all went after the birth).

The basic idea behind natural childbirth is that it is a natural process. Reproduction of the species. Animals have no trouble giving birth to their young, and certainly don't appear to be in pain during the process, so why should us humans (being animals ourselves)?!? So long as the mother is healthy, and the baby is healthy, then there is no physical reason that the woman should be in pain during labour (you've got to let go of lateral thinking, that there is a human head about to pass through an itsy bitsy space, and a lot of tearing of rather sensitive tissue occurs when the woman is not prepared).

The concept of natural birthing was developed by Dr Grantly Dick-Read back in the 1920's. I know - what would a male know about how a woman feels during labour?!? Apparently, an awful lot. See, he found that while he was doing studies on other cultures around the planet (he came from England), the more 'uncivilised' cultures of the globe had little to no trouble giving birth. Pregnancy was not a state of body likened to a disease, and a miraculous majority of women didn't require any assistance. Why?!? Physiologically they are doing the exact same thing. In many cases their health is considered poorer than the average Western woman, the babies are of equal health... so what makes the difference?!? Attitude.

It is accepted throughout most pagan teaching that to change a situation, one must first change your attitude towards it. That goes for all of life's hurdles - but also applies to pregnancy and childbirth. Now, it is written in the bible (the book of Genesis to be more specific) that pain during childbirth is the Curse of Eve. The majority of the Western population being labelled as Christian, this was a popular teaching. Pain must be present in childbirth, because we are still today paying the price of one person's mistake thousands of years ago. I'd question that teaching. But the church believed it. Also at the time, particularly during the middle ages, childbirth was a very risky business.

Poor hygiene, lack of medical availability to the public en mass, and ill health all made childbirth a potentially fatal experience. As a result, a lot of fear surrounded the process (and rightfully so - just about everyone feared death too). Another point is that childbirth and pregnancy are women's issues, not to be discussed in private or public. This put quite a dampener on education, which is a vital part of the birthing process. So, not having a clue what is happening to your body makes it quite a frightening experience.

What Dr Grantly Dick-Read proposed was that fear causes tension, and when muscles are tense, they experience the sensation we label as pain. During birth, the muscle must be relaxed in order to stretch, and so when there is fear present, the muscle will contract and be forced to tear to create the same amount of space. Needless to say, muscle tearing causes pain to be felt. This causes more fear, and so the situation escalates. Now, to iliminate pain from childbirth, you must iliminate fear, and prepare the woman for what she should be experiencing and feeling. When you know what to expect, the situation is a great deal less frightening. So, what exactly is to be expected?!?

PREGNANCY

There is an awful lot of information available concerning what happens to the body during pregnancy. Because of this, the following is a very brief summary concerning the different trimesters.

THE FIRST TRIMESTER - Most women don't know they are pregnant during the first month, and are only just beginning to suspect it during the second. There is a radical change in hormones during this month, and if you experienced any unpleasantness during puberty (as many of us do), then chances are you will be sick during this time (at least a little nautious). It is important to remember that right from day one, the baby is susceptible to anything that enters your bloodstream, so as soon as you find out you are pregnant, watch what you eat, and try not to put too much junk into your system.

THE SECOND TRIMESTER - What starts happening here is something you wouldn't give a thought to unless you were pregnant. I always thought that the uterus expands to accommodate the size of the baby, the belly begins to show, and the skin stretches across the abdomen. But it's not quite that simple. At the beginning of the trimester, your guts begin to bubble a bit. Hormones are released into your system that relax the muscles surrounding the intestines, which then rearrange themselves in order to make room for the expanding uterus. As this happens, you may feel light contraction-like movements across your pelvis, as your intestines move a little lower, and the uterus is pushed up into the abdomen. This is why constipation is a common problem during this time. By about the fifth month, you should be feeling regular movement, and by the end of the trimester your baby is responding to loud noises and music.

THE THIRD TRIMESTER - The quickening. The baby is now basically fully developed, and is just fattening up and fine-tuning itsself in preparation for meeting and greeting the outside world. Movement is more frequent (and fervent) and you may experience what is known as Braxton Hick's - painless practice contractions that tone the muscles surrounding your uterus in preparation for the birth.

During pregnancy, it is vital to stay fit and eat healthily. Staying fit could be a problem, particularly since there is so much limit now placed on what physical activity you can actually do. Walking and cycling are a fantastic means of excercise, because these will strengthen your leg muscles, help you burn fat and keep up a good circulation, as well as gently tone the muscles of your abdomen. This means you have a good chance of returning to the shape you were prior to pregnancy. It is also important to drink plenty of water. You'll find that as the baby grows, your bladder is squished, and you will need to pee frequently, thus increasing the need of fluids to prevent dehydration.

It is also a good idea to take antenatal classes and get regular checkups from your doctor. This is to prepare you for life as a parent, as well as to detect any possible problems before they become nasty. It's also very reassuring to be told the baby is doing well and to listen to the heartbeat.

THE LABOUR PROCESS

Labour will begin at around 40 weeks of gestation. Very few babies are born bang on the delivery date as outlined by the hospital, however 80% of births occur within 10 days either way of delivery date. I have included this part because there is very little out there that tells you what labour feels like, other than the general description of "painful". But since labour is not painful unless you are frightened or tense, then that puts that idea to smittence.

There are three basic indications that your labour has begun. These could be any one or a combination of the following:

1. Water leaks from the uterus - could be in a light stream or the whole bag could burst at once and can be likened to a torrent of most embarrassing incontinence. Of course, anywhere between those two extremes is likely what will happen. Like the name suggests, the waters are a clear fluid which supports your baby while in the womb. They must burst in order for the baby to come out.

2. Loss of the mucous plug (aka "the show") - this appears like mucousy blood, rather like a period only thicker. While you were pregnant, this mucous plug was formed in the birth canal to prevent any infection entering the uterus.

3. Light contractions begin (may feel like gas or menstrual cramps). They are experienced as a tight sensation around the abdomen every now and then. When they progress to about 15 - 20 minutes, it is time to call the hospital (or midwife if you choose to have a home birthing), and follow their instructions.

Once all three have occured and the contractions are increasing in length and intensity, you officially begin stage one of labour. This is where dilation of the cervix occurs (10cm means you are fully dilated). The functions of contractions at this stage of labour are to cause the cervical layers to stretch and you will feel this happening. For the maximum benefit of these contractions, DO NOT PUSH DURING THIS STAGE OF LABOUR. Not only are you wasting valuable energy which will be required later, but you will begin to tense if you do this, and force your body to work harder. Instead, just relax and remain calm.

As contractions increase in intensity, take deep breaths and blow up your belly to loosen the pelvic floor. The last six to eight contractions will give a little discomfort, however it does not get worse from here-on in, so don't give up hope of natural childbirth altogether. GO TO HOSPITAL when you are getting rythmical contractions at shortening intervals and your abdomen tightens - DON'T wait until you feel the need to start pushing.

Once the cervix has reached full dilation (10 cm), then stage two of labour begins. You will recognise this when the uterus calls on the surrounding muscles of the abdomen for support, giving you the need to "push". Contractions at this time will become increasingly violent; this is NORMAL and you should not worry. Respiration during this stage is important - draw deep breaths and hold them for the height of your contractions. What this does is expand the lungs, drop the diaphragm, and apply gentle pressure on the baby from behind, easing the head into the birth canal.

During this stage, a phenomenal amount of energy will be available to you. Your crown chakra becomes like a giant vacuum of spiritual energy and will link up to all other bodies in the room. For this reason, it is important that anyone in the birthing room with you is able to focus and offer beneficial energies. Keep your eyes open during this time, and pay attention to your surroundings and what is happening. It may help to hold eye contact with one of the midwives or your partner, as this grounds the energy and helps you channel it to your benefit.

This may sound a little strange, but keep your throat and mouth relaxed during this time also. Keeping the mouth loose relaxes the vagina, and you should relax your entire body between contractions in order to keep things as loose as possible. If you have a problem with something or you are getting cramps, then do not hesitate to say so, because this stage of labour on an emotional level will release a lot of blockages you hadn't realised were formed. These must be cleared in order for the birth to proceed. So if you suddenly feel like crying because your doggy died twenty years ago, then do so.

Towards the end of the second stage of labour, your vulva will stretch. This is experienced as a burning sensation, and will cease only upon the crowning of the head. Muscles of the birth canal may be massaged by the midwife (if you so wish) in order to promote maximum stretching. When the baby's head crowns (pops out), pant so the midwives and doctor can check to make sure the cord is not tangled around the baby's neck (panting doesn't clear their vision any, it merely prevents the contractions from pushing further and tightening the cord if it is tangled).

BE GRATEFUL that you are having a baby, make the most of it and follow your instinct. Do not be afraid of letting go of rational thinking and the idea of "decency". The monkey-self is much better at this than the human-self is. Upon the baby's entrance is a period of heightened sensitivity for both mother and child, where deep psychic grooves are being cut. This effects the baby's later behaviour, and how the mother will cope with parenting. Interference with this time has drastic effects on the family. The baby should be put to breast as soon as possible after its delivery, as this will quicken stage three of labour.

Stage three is the delivery of the placenta. The birth canal will relax again, and interestingly enough, if you tore during stage two, you will not feel it until now, and any stitching required now will actually be more painful than if it were done straight away! This is because the pain-relieveing hormones in your bloodstream have lessened, and sensitivity returns to the area. With the baby's first cry, the uterus contracts and hardens again, these contractions may continue until the uterus is back to its normal size (sometimese stimulated by breastfeeding). Don't panic - there's not some undetected twin coming, it really is just the uterus shrinking.

In order to get maximum benefit from the birthing process, now you know what to expect, there are a few things you may need to practice. The most obvious being the excercises which are outlined for you to do at the hospital during antenatal classes. These are specially designed to tone your abs while putting little to no stress on the baby. Keep up to date on your housework also, because activities such as sweeping or vacuuming the floor also help to develop muscle tone in this area, in a gentle way. These excercises are important, because although the human body has evolved to walk on two legs rather than four, the blood stream and circulation has not yet caught up to speed on this. That's also another reason why some discomfort may be experienced as your baby grows.

Meditation is also fantastic. It will help you be able to relax more completely between contractions, and also to channel and focus the energy being supplied to you. Meditation classes are great, however I would recommend a process known as Hypnobirthing. It's not what you think - you don't get hypnotised for the birth - it just teaches you how to relax and gives you helpful hints on what to think of in order to channel the energies being supplied to you in a better way. I have the names of two Hypnobirthing therapists in Brisbane if anyone's interested - just e-mail me for the names and numbers.

Like I said, I'll be sticking my own birthing story up here as a conclusion to the theories and concepts listed here. I'll be saying what I found was right and what I needed to do, so it should be interesting to see just how much of the above I am able to actually put into practice.