You might be surprised to learn that on average, first-time mothers can expect to spend 2.6 more hours in the delivery room than was required 50 years ago. While it is not understood exactly why this might be so, there’s no denying the fact that expectant mothers are spending longer and longer in childbirth.
That makes it even more important that you do whatever you can to prepare for childbirth, so as to make the process go smoothly, and bring less stress and trauma for everyone involved. Here are some ways that you can prepare for giving birth, so that hopefully you spend less time in the delivery room, and that whatever time you are there is less stressful.
Participate in a Birthing Class
Many of these classes are 12 weeks in duration, so that means you will probably need to enroll in your second trimester. In one of these classes, you’ll not only learn important information about the whole childbirth process, but it will give you a chance to ask any questions you might have. For instance, you can learn all about C-sections, epidurals, and drug-free ways of experiencing childbirth. The better prepared you are, the more smoothly your birthing experience is likely to be.
Banish Negativity
A great many people in the medical profession adhere to the notion that all negative impressions of giving birth can be harmful, and can ultimately contribute toward creating a mental block during delivery. Whenever your friends start telling you horror stories about their own experience, you should politely ask them to discontinue the story. It does no one any good to listen to catastrophic stories or to see negative images of childbirth, because all of these are likely to contribute to the stress of delivery.
Learn How to Focus
Some medical practitioners recommend practicing yoga as a means of learning how to effectively focus. Yoga helps to strengthen the body, it increases your natural flexibility, and it can even build up your stamina. Perhaps more importantly than all these things however, is that yoga can help your mind to relax and focus on the task at hand. That allows your body the freedom it needs to concentrate on the process of childbirth.
Seek out Support
You don’t have to go through this birthing process alone, and there are numerous sources of support which you can seek out. Hopefully your spouse is one of them, but you can also find support from friends and relatives, and from non-medical professionals called doulas, who specialize in providing physical and emotional support. A number of studies have shown that doulas can be very effective in providing information and support to pregnant women, so as to guide them through the process, and increase their comfort level during birthing.
Do Squatting Exercises
You may not have been aware of this, but doing squatting exercises will actually increase the aperture of the pelvic opening by as much as 28%. However, you can’t wait until you’re actually in labor before starting your squatting exercises. This is something you need to take up early on in pregnancy, so that you can build up your stamina and be prepared for when you’re in the delivery room. By preparing yourself in this way, you should have a much easier delivery, with far less discomfort or pain.
Let Gravity Help
Gravity can give you a big assist during delivery, because the weight of the baby will naturally tend to move it down and out. This means you should engage in upright positions as frequently as possible, for instance walking, kneeling, standing, squatting, and even dancing. Medical doctors understand that it’s often necessary to do a little jiggling with your body in order to get the baby in position, and all of these activities can help to manage that. This is a very natural force that can be used to help you during giving birth, and it’s something you should take advantage of.
Pain Management Techniques
It will definitely be to your advantage if you can learn some techniques for managing pain during delivery, so the whole process is less traumatic. Some possible tactics are self-hypnosis, heat pack application, various methods for breathing, and changing your position during labor. If you’re not aware of any of these techniques, then your options during birthing are drastically reduced. Just knowing that there are some options available for the relief of pain can lower your anxiety and stress during childbirth.
Try to Relax
Most medical professionals are aware that the more relaxed a woman is during childbirth, the better she will be able to cope with the challenges of the whole process. It will also help the woman to think more clearly and to be calmer, so as to manage all the challenges which pop up. One of the most recently discovered techniques for remaining calm in the delivery room is known as hypno-birthing, and it involves having expectant mothers putting themselves into a state of deep relaxation.
Studies have already shown that women who can put themselves into this state of self-hypnosis are much better prepared to manage their discomfort and anxiety, and also experience fewer complications during giving birth. There are any number of soothing images which you can focus on to achieve the state of relaxation, for instance a field of flowers, or a baby sleeping in its crib.
Prepare For Your Birth, Today
If you live in North Texas, one of the best places you could choose for having your baby is at the North Texas Medical Center. We have the finest facilities in the state for child-birthing, and our medical professionals are without match, helping guide you through the whole process.
Childbirth is one of the most extraordinary experiences that a woman can go through, and it should be done in an environment where you and your baby can be safeguarded and assisted so as to make it as smooth as possible. Contact us today to arrange for your own child-birthing process when the time comes, so we can be prepared to help you in every way possible at your special time
