5 Great Ways to Use a Birthing Ball For an Easier Childbirth
What is a Birthing Ball?
Very simply it’s an exercise ball that you can find at any department store. We call them birthing balls because we use them for birth, but you don’t have to go seek out any sort of specialty “birthing ball.” They’re pretty inexpensive and definately invaluable.
1) Using the Birthing Ball During The Early Stages of Birth
When you first start to feel your rushes coming on using your birthing ball is a great way to ease into the process. The best way to use your birthing ball in the beginning is to simply sit on it and begin spiraling your hips in a circular motion. Having your birth partner standing in front of you holding your hands or being available for you to rest your head on between rushes can help you feel more supported.
Don’t think too much, don’t worry about the direction your going, or counting your spirals. You can just follow the natural flow and rhythm that you feel in your body. Remember to trust your body and allow it to lead you. This spiraling movement is one of those essential keys to moving the rushes through without allowing them to compound and become painful. The birthing ball makes it easy to move without a ton of effort allowing you to just relax and merge that connection between the rhythm and movement of your body and the flow of the birth. While simultaneously it is opening up your pelvis creating space for your baby to move down.
Using Spirals on the Birthing Ball to Get into Active Labor
Active Spirals on the Birthing Ball to Get Contractions Started
Now this one is similar to the first one but is used to get your birthing rushes started. Perhaps your water has broken but it’s taking a while to progress to the point of contractions yet, so to get things rolling you can sit on the ball and do smooth but active circles (perhaps to the same flow as salsa music) for 20 minute alternating directions periodically during that time. This will bring your babies head right down onto your cervix and some nice juicy rushes (contractions) should start flowing.
2) Rocking and Spiraling on Hands and Knees Over the Birthing Ball
Great to use any time throughout your birth. It’s a good way to maintain that hands and knees position without putting any extra strain on your wrists. And the birthing ball is a fabulous support for your upper body allowing you to relax while your body does the work. In this position you can lean over the birthing ball and rock or sway your hips from side to side or from front to back. This movement feels really nice, and can be very soothing. Or even better spiral your hips in this position.
3) Using the Birthing Ball When Mama gets Tired and Needs A Little Extra Support
Birth Partners Helping Mother on the Birthing Ball
Another great reason to have a birthing ball on hand is because there may be times during your birth that you get really tired and movement may become challenging. This is when the birthing ball comes in handy. With the help of your birth partners you can sit on the ball and they can easily help to move rock and spiral your hips while your on the ball. Since balls move around easily it is a way to keep your body moving and flowing with the birth without exerting a lot of effort. Also if you’d like to lean over the birthing ball as in the previous position while your birth partners rub your back or apply warm compresses it can help you to relax and release your muscles.
4) Using Birthing Ball to Progress Labor or Get Baby into Favorable Position
Using Birthing Ball to Progress labor
This is a position to use if birth has slowed for some reason and you need to get it going again. Sometimes when birth has slowed it is because the baby has moved into an unfavorable position. This one will help to correct this and get your baby properly aligned. You sit and bend your knees touching the soles of your feet together. The birthing ball is placed in the space between your knees and you lean forward to hug the ball. Now you have two trusted people at either side of you.You vigorously rocks side to side as your support team holds your arms and shoulders to hold your weight when you lean towards them preventing you from falling. This is a vigorous movement that shifts the asynclitic (the baby’s head is tipped as if listening). It may correct the angle of the baby’s head and allow it to descend if it was in an unfavorable position.
5) Deep Squatting with the Birthing Ball
Squatting is a great position to be in during birth, because you are upright and working with the pull of gravity to move the baby down, it also creates a wide opening in your pelvis. The arch of the ball can help to support your upper body while in this position. This is a great one to use during all phases of birth and may even be a good possiblity during the pushing phase.
So go out and get yourself a birthing ball! You can practice doing some of these moves while your pregnant such as leaning over the ball (which is awesome to help with back strain) or doing the comfortable spirals on the ball. I used my birthing ball through my whole pregnancy, which relieved a ton of the discomfort and pressure especially the further along I got, and I used it some during the birth. If you already have a birthing ball and have any tips that you’d like to share or if you have any questions please leave me a comment below 
The Powerful Vision that Changed My View of Natural Childbirth Forever
"Pay attention to your dreams - God's angels often speak directly to our hearts when we are asleep"
It’s a pretty common experience when we’re pregnant to have intense dreams and visions about pregnancy, our babies, our natural childbirth, etc. Some of them may not make a lot of sense to us, but occasionally we can experience something really profound that can serve to awaken us to certain truths that we may not have otherwise thought of before.
Well at least that’s what happened for me, when I was pregnant I experienced an AMAZING awakening! A vision came to me that was more unique and powerful than anything that I had ever experienced before, and completely altered the way that I would forever view natural childbirth. It is the reason why I do what I do, and why I am so passionate about giving every child the opportunity to experience the natural child birth that is rightfully theirs, one that is free of fear and all encompassed in love.
Why I Have Decided to Share This Vision
So far I have only shared this with friends and family, and a few of the Mommas in my natural childbirth classes who I thought would actually “get it.” But I haven’t shared it publicly, I guess because of the fear that maybe people would either think I was crazy or wouldn’t be quite ready to except this information. But as we all know, FEAR has to GO! It cannot hold us back any longer!
In the current state of our world right now, with all of shifts and changes that are occurring I feel like this is not the time to delay. That now is not a time to shrink down, hide and be small, but a time to be bold, rise up and free the truths that we hold inside of us! So here goes…
My Visit from a Higher Source – Speaking of Natural Childbirth
One night I experienced a connection with I suppose you can say a “higher source” that came to me and spoke to me about a new group or cycle of souls that are being born into the world right now.
They are of a higher frequency (light children) and they are to be born at a higher vibration.
Their work in this world is very important. They are here to bring light, love, and to harmonize and balance the changing Earth.
Their souls are arriving from a place where they resonate at a higher frequency or vibration, and they will cross over the threshold with this still intact, (if we don’t get in the way and interfere). The biggest obstacle in their way is their birth.
Will they make it through birth with their resonance and mastery still intact?
The possibility is YES!!! But this is the part that lies in your hands. And let me tell you that the odds are in your favor, as long as you can see birth for what it really is, (a threshold bridging the gap from one existence to the next, a doorway) and to not hide from it and shut yourself off, but rather go into it, open the door and tap into its energy.
The energy at work that brings souls across the threshold of birth to be delivered onto the Earth is pure “God Energy”, or the “Divine Energy”, (whatever you want to call it) it is exquisite and unmatchable, the strongest purest energy that exists. During birth this energy comes through the cosmos and enters into us; flowing powerfully through the birthing Mother and the Child.
When this energy is allowed to flow, free of disruptions your baby will be able to travel all the way through with their high vibration still intact, and will be able to carry it with them into the world. However if the energy is interrupted or hampered in any way, it creates a disruption and sense of chaos in the harmonic flow of energy and the baby crosses over out of sync with that connection.
In the Absents of Fear…. there is Only LOVE
This enormous energy that brings our children’s beautiful souls through our bodies and into the world originates from source and is LOVE; it is pure, powerful and unfiltered. But it cannot cross the boundaries of our free will, and it is ultimately up to us to choose. We can unconsciously fall from that state of love and turn it into fear, simply by losing our connection and allowing ourselves to interpret this energy in a destructive way. But we have to be careful not to allow that to happen.
Our job is to consciously allow the energy to flow through us while we hold ourselves in an elevated state of LOVE throughout the entire experience.
Will Our Babies Experience Natural Childbirth in Love? It is Our Choice
We can choose to stay in a state of love just by maintaining our connection and by realizing that all of that energy that comes surging through you during birth is God energy which is LOVE. And no matter what, make the choice to keep interpreting it as such and not allow it to turn to fear.
The Importance of Clearing Emotional Blocks before Natural Childbirth
During natural childbirth every emotional block that has not been released prior to birth such as our fears, anxieties, self doubts, sexual issues, and such will find us during our birthing time. Because that is the time when there is no more hiding from our selves, the veil is lifted, the walls crumble and our inner issues come up.
It is important that you take time to clear out these old emotional blocks so that they do not cause you or your baby any more damage. You must find it within yourself to realize that the experiences that have taken place in your life or in your past do not define you; and that you will not let them keep you down any longer. They are only illusions that keep you separated from really seeing the beauty and truth of what you are. You must rise up within, reconnect with your truths and take a stand that you will not allow yourself or your baby to fall out of that beautiful state of divine love. And that you will soar high above the useless illusion of fear, pain, and struggle and reclaim your truth!
You Share the Experience of Natural Childbirth with Your Baby
Remember that your baby experiences what you do, and is working just as hard as you are to be born. Every cell in a Mother’s body is directly linked to every cell of her baby’s body and they are communicating and working with each other throughout their entire birth.
If you are experiencing fear then it will send a signal to your baby to be afraid and hesitant to be born, but if you are experiencing love then it will send a signal of safety, love and security, and that is what will draw your baby peacefully into the world.
In birth the material plane comes secondary, the most important matter is that we find that personal power that exists inside of us and focus it as love. There is unimaginable strength in LOVE, and when it is embraced in its fullness all else falls into place. And that LOVE is what will guide your baby across the threshold of birth.
Natural Childbirth Should be Approached as the Ultimate Meditation
It is only when we allow our own resonance to be activated that we are able to reach that state of deep connection and meditation.
The overwhelming energy of hospitals, drugs, procedures, etc. can all interfere with our original state of being and prevents us from reaching that direct connection with ourselves. They keep us trapped in the role of the victim. We feel like they are there to help our babies to be born, and it is then that we surrender control, not to the higher source, but to the hospital staff or the medical system or whatever may be in place to help our babies to be born.
When we do that we are looking outside of ourselves for the answer, instead of within. And we are not allowing our personal strength, power and vibration to be active.
In order for our babies to be born at that increased vibration we need to step through the door into the truth of our full potential, and see ourselves as we truly are. We are not small, weak or insignificant. We are part of God, we are Goddesses, and we bring life!
I hope this makes some sense to you. I have wanted to share this with you but didn’t know if you’d “get it.” But I believe that you will, and that you have an amazing gift and an amazing amount of personal power. Call upon that power. Call upon it now while you are pregnant. Work every day on your energy, release dark or stagnant energy and refill with light and love.
I do believe that all of our visions are meant to teach us something. If you feel like this vision resonates with you and that you understand it, or if you’ve had any dreams or visions of your own about pregnancy, your baby or natural childbirth please share your experiences in the comment section below.
How to Make Your Vag Stretchy so that You Won’t Tear During Natural Childbirth
Sounds fun right, but yes ladies this is indeed a part of preparing yourself for natural childbirth. You want to be as stretchy as you can be, so that your baby’s head will slide right on out easily without a lot of resistance. This can be beneficial to you in so many ways! First of all it can make natural childbirth a whole heck of a lot less painful, and it often helps the pushing phase to be much quicker and easier.
There are a few techniques that you can use to prepare yourself to be really stretchy. In this article I’m not only gonna share them with you, but also share my experiences using these techniques. So get ready to get up close and personal with my flower of life! ; )
My Biggest Fear about Natural Childbirth
So I come from a family who is no stranger to natural childbirth, I was born at home and my entire life have heard nothing but what a great experience my birth was. So I was pretty confident about having a natural childbirth. But this does not mean that I had no fears. Boy oh boy did I! And this was my biggest fear; I did NOT want to be ripped open or cut during birth. I couldn’t even imagine the pain that would ensue. OUCH!!!!
However I also knew how extremely important it was to rid myself of those fears before my birthing time. I couldn’t very well be birthing my baby while the whole time I was thinking about my most sensitive area being ripped open! So to deal with this fear I decided that instead of dwelling on it I would find out how I could prevent this from happening.
What I found out was that during pregnancy certain hormonal changes occur naturally that help the tissues of the cervix and perineum to become extremely thick and elastic. And I also found out that there were indeed some pretty simple things that I could do to support this process, and to work with my body. I’ll start with the easiest first.
Foods That Help You to Be Stretchy
First I found that you have to stay super hydrated in order to keep your tissues healthy and to help your body with the elasticity. So I drank a ton of water! What I would do was fill up a gallon size water container every morning and just made sure it was all gone by the time I went to bed. Yes I had to pee a lot, but it was a small price to pay!
Also in order to support your body’s process in becoming super stretchy you have to make sure that you get enough of the right stuff: protein, vitamins, and what they call short-chain fatty acids, the “good fats”
Good Fat Sources: Avocado, nuts, seeds, beans, cold-pressed oils and fish such as salmon and tuna.
Vitamin E Sources: (at least 1,000 mg per day) Wheat germ oil, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, almonds, pecans, safflower oil, peanuts, corn oil, soybean oil, and lobster.
Vitamin C: (very beneficial for tissue health, cellular integrity, elasticity and regeneration) Strawberries, oranges, grapefruits and other citrus foods.
Bioflavanoids: These are the compounds that make oranges orange, blueberries blue, and cherries red. Some foods rich in flavonoids are blueberries, cherries, citrus fruits, pears, grapes, cabbage, legumes, plums, and onions.
Preparing Your Perineum for Natural Childbirth
OK here is the fun part, perineum massage! This is the process of actually sticking your (or your partners fingers) inside of your yoni and gently stretching it using a certain massaging technique. You do it every day of your last month of pregnancy and it’s supposed to make your tissues uber stretchy so that when your baby’s head is crowning you won’t tear or have any need for an episiotomy.
My Wonderfully Thrilling Journey through Perineal Massage
This is my experience with perineal massage. My slightly kooky childbirth instructor told us in class that this was a good thing to do for many reasons. Not only would it make me super stretchy, but it would allow me the “opportunity” to get acquainted with the sensations that I would feel during birth giving me a platform to practice remaining calm, relaxed and breathing through the sensations. Also, she suggested that instead of doing it myself that I would have my partner do the massage on me, because this would give us a chance to “work together, communicate with each other and build trust” in preparation for our birth.
Ummm..……..can you say, “AWKWARD!!!?”
Only after she assured me that my vagina wouldn’t stay stretched out forever, and that after birth it would snap back into place did I decide “What the heck, why not.”
After all, when it really came down to it I would do pretty much anything to prevent myself from tearing!
And since I felt like I had done this entire pregnancy by myself I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to con Andy into getting involved in preparing us for our natural childbirth. After all I didn’t make this baby on my own so I thought it only fair that he helped as much as he could. Also it might help him not to pass out if he got used to seeing my vag in a different sort of setting so that he wouldn’t be so shocked by the “expansiveness” during birth.
He was a bit hesitant, and only after cracking a crap load of perineum and vag jokes did he step up to the plate, and we went for it! Now that, is LOVE!
I took a bath to get myself and my tissues relaxed. I imagined that my birthing time had begun and that this was the real thing. We set the room just like we would for the birth; we dimmed the lights, put on the music I had picked out for our natural childbirth, the whole shabang!
Using almond oil to soften up the tissues he stuck both his fingers and his thumbs inside of me and began following the instructions that we had printed out on how to perform the “massage.” http://www.bloomingbellys.com/bb-blog/prenatal-perineal-massage/
I relaxed as much as I possibly could. He would gently and progressively stretch to a point where there was quite a bit of pressure, if it was too much pressure I would cue him by tapping on the bed to tell him to let up a bit, if I could handle a little more pressure I would tap on the wall so that he could apply a little more.
I was a bit shy at first, but I very quickly realized how this was helping us to communicate with each other and had also put us both in a rather vulnerable and intimate position where we had to let down our walls of resistance and really become open with each other.
Even still I have to tell you that it wasn’t much fun, and it actually did create quite an intense sensation! But, it was well worth it! I found myself really having to be creative to find ways to fully and completely relax. Which turned out to be a truly great way to prepare me for natural childbirth, because I got to experience firsthand the difference between how when I tensed up it created pain, and how when I relaxed it became easier and manageable.
So we did it every night for the last month, and every time we did it I was stretchier than before, and it became easier and easier to do.
The Results- A Pain Free Natural Childbirth
So what were the results of all of our efforts? It was the 16th hour of my birthing time (of course I had not known that) I had gone to a place where time didn’t exist. I was fully consumed in this alternate reality, of complete surrender and unhampered connection with this HUGE universal energy that was flowing through me.
All of the sudden I felt my body make a changeover and suddenly I felt the urge to push. It felt so completely natural that I hardly even felt like I actually had to do much pushing at all. It more felt like my body was going to do it. So I tried to relax into it. Sure enough my body began to do some pushing and I helped it out by filling myself with enormous breaths and harnessing all of the power and strength that I had within me. This power expelled itself in these amazingly powerful moans!
I had heard all about the “ring of fire” that I was supposed to feel as the baby’s head came out and was secretly waited for the excruciating pain that was supposed to come. 3 gentle pushes and her head was out. No pain, no ring of fire, just a squish.
It actually felt amazing as her head and body came out, it was like this tremendous relief! And the best part, not a tear, not a rip, not a scrape. My perineum was perfectly intact and my yoni was all shiny and pristine! My baby was amazingly healthy and beautiful, no smooshed or cone shaped head, just perfection.
Oh and by the way, Andy was GREAT during the birth, not squeamish at all, he was oozing with love, tenderness and connection. For us the stretchy vagina techniques definitely paid off!!!
I would love to hear your thoughts! What do you think about this whole stretchy vagina, perineal massage business? Have you tried it, or would you think about trying it for a potentially easier natural childbirth? Or do you have any tips on how to prevent tears?
Natural Childbirth: How Cord Cutting Can Affect Your Baby for Life
I know that there’s a ton of things that demand your attention when preparing for natural childbirth, but please do not allow yourself to overlook what to do to your baby’s umbilical cord at birth. In this article I would like to express to you the enormous importance and value of waiting to cut the cord! The difference in waiting a short amount of time after your natural childbirth may not seem particularly monumental to you but to your baby it is huge, and can affect them for the rest of their lives!
What the Umbilical Cord Means to Your Baby - While inside the Womb
The umbilical cord is your baby’s main source of life while it is in your womb. Among other things it takes the place of its lungs. It connects your baby with the placenta which pumps this amazingly oxygen and nutrient rich blood through their entire body feeding, sustaining and nourishing them. And then when the blood is ready to be cleansed it pumps it back to the placenta where it is refreshed, renewed and sent back to them to use. This is a continuous ever flowing beautiful process that nature has created perfectly.
So there is a constant feeding, nourishing and cleansing system that is taking place between you, your baby and the placenta. In essence it is your baby’s “life cord.”
You Chose When to Cut Your Baby’s Cord After Natural Childbirth- Please Make an Informed Choice
After your babys’ natural childbirth it is still going to be connected to its umbilical cord until you decide that it is time to cut it. Sadly we are living in the days where everything is rush, rush, rush, hurry, hurry, hurry! We seem to have forgotten the importance of slowing down long enough to respect nature’s process. It’s all about the short cuts. And this is what it’s become in the medical community; the quickest way to get things done has taken precedence over the most beneficial.
All too often we just go along with whatever procedures are in place simply because we don’t know any different. But please do not allow your baby to miss out on all of the benefits that nature has intended for it. And remember that this is your baby and all decisions surrounding its’ birth and care are yours to make.
What the Umbilical Cord Means to Your Baby - After Natural Childbirth
Even though your baby is now able to survive on its own without being connected to the cord does not mean that it suddenly is of no use anymore. Remember that this cord has been your baby’s connecting life force for the entire span of its existence so far. So to cut it suddenly, abruptly and prematurely is not beneficial to your baby. In terms of health benefits and emotional benefits it is much better for your baby to wait to cut its cord.
When to Cut Your Babys’ Cord after Natural Childbirth
How long should you wait to cut the cord? After your baby’s natural childbirth the umbilical cord does not just lie limp not functioning. For several minutes after birth the cord is still very much alive and active, still pumping blood and oxygen into your baby. You should not cut the cord until it has completely stopped pulsating. Changes in the cord’s whartons jelly then produce a natural internal clamping within 10-20 minutes after birth. But as long as it is still beating it is still benefiting your baby.
Some parents choose to have what is called a “lotus birth” meaning that they chose not to cut the cord at all but rather allow the baby to naturally detach from the cord and placenta in its own time.
Benefits of Waiting Until the Cord Stops Beating
Besides, leaving the cord intact allows the natural physiological changes to take place within the child’s body at their own pace, and allows iron and many other very important nutrients to be delivered to the baby.
What It Means for Your Baby to be Allowed to Experience Natural Childbirth in His Time
“In the act of drawing breath, of oxygenating his own blood with his own lungs, the child becomes himself. With his first breath, the child sets forth on the road to independence, to autonomy, and to freedom. Nature provides oxygen for the child through two sources: the cord continues to beat even as the lungs begin to function, the two systems work together, one taking over from the other, like a relay. The first system, the cord continues to oxygenate the child until the new system, the lungs, has taken over completely.
But practically speaking much depends on the way this transition takes place; whether this transition is made slowly, progressively, or brutally, in panic and terror. This can make the difference between a calm gentle birth or a…tragedy…
If the changeover comes abruptly it will leave a mark for the rest of life, any future changes will always be perceived as threatening.
Although the child is out of the womb he remains dependent on his mother through the umbilical cord, which continues to beat strongly for several minutes four or five sometimes even longer. Oxygenated through the cord and thus protected from anoxia the child can, without shock or danger settle down to breathing without being rushed – in his own time…
For a few minutes the baby straddles two worlds as it were. Then slowly, slowly he can cross the threshold from one to the other peacefully and easily, and with all safety, as long as we don’t rush in, interfere”
~ Frederick Leboyer “Birth Without Violence”
Trust and allow nature to work as it is intended, birth is not an emergency or a race. It is so precious, and those moments right after birth are what defines your child’s view of it’s new world. Savor those moments, allow them to be sweetly sacred. Just taking a little extra care and those few extra minutes can make all the difference in the world to your baby, sending them the message that you are there to support love and respect their individual journey in this life. After your baby has been allowed to make the change over in its’ own time, and the cord has been detached you can keep it, make art out of it, all sorts of really cool stuff! What are your thoughts on the importance of this process? Do you have any plans on what you’re gonna do with the cord after your natural childbirth, or are any of you planning a lotus birth?
the beautiful umbilical cord stump
umbilical cord art
Happy Baby Minutes After Birth with the Umbilical Cord Still Intact
Natural Childbirth: 7 Simple Secrets to Eliminate Labor Pain
Of all the things that I write about natural childbirth, if you learn nothing else from me please let me share with you this single truth, and allow yourself to believe it. Despite everything that you may have seen, heard, read or thought throughout your life time that has lead you to believe that natural childbirth is this excruciating and horribly painful experience, let me tell you, that is not the truth!
For many women I think that they end up having painful childbirths simply because they didn’t know better. There was no one there to educate them, to tell them, “Hey it doesn’t have to be this way, natural childbirth does not have to be painful!”
I was fortunate to come from a line of women who have given natural childbirth and so this information was readily passed down to me, but for many of you who may be the pioneers of natural childbirth in your family this may be new to you.
So let me be the one to tell you that there are very simple steps and techniques to eliminating labor pain. And that you directly affect how much, if any pain you experience during natural childbirth by the choices that you make.
If you adopt these easy tips it will make giving birth a whole heck of a lot easier for you!
Redefine Pain and Release it from Your Natural Childbirth
You will experience what you expect to experience, so if you expect pain then that is what you’ll get. I know we’ve been told our whole lives that it is going to hurt so changing this in our minds may be a little tricky, but it can be done! Part of the problem with the belief that natural childbirth is filled with pain really just comes from our lack of a better word for it. Our language is too narrow; we have simply one word (pain) to describe virtually anything that we deem as unpleasant. However the word pain is not appropriate in all situations.
Definition of Pain:
“An unpleasant feeling often caused by intense or damaging stimuli, such as stubbing a toe, burning a finger, putting alcohol on a cut, and bumping the “funny bone.” [2]The International Association for the Study of Pain’s widely used definition states, “Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage. [3]Pain motivates the individual to withdraw from damaging situations, to protect a damaged body part while it heals, and to avoid similar experiences in the future.”
So there it is, pain is our body’s way of communicating with us. When our body experiences something that is not a natural part of its healthy process it sends us a signal that tells us, “Hey don’t do that again or it is going to cause damage!”
This definition of pain does not apply to natural childbirth. It is not an injury, an illness or a disease. It is not something your body has to protect itself from. It is not your body going wrong! It is actually quite the contrary; it is your body working perfectly to do the job that it is supposed to be doing. It is birthing your baby.
The Difference between Pain and Pressure in Natural Childbirth
During natural childbirth your body will work harder than it ever has before, all systems are Go! Every part of your body will become fully activated. And this will create sensations that are all new to you, that you have never experienced before. But it is not neccesarily pain unless you chose to turn it into pain.
It’s important to understand what is happening in your body during birth. Your uterus is going to be rhythmically contracting and then releasing, contracting and then releasing. This will build in strength and intensity until your baby is born. While it is firmly contracting inwards your baby is little by little being pushed downward. Now this is not something that you actively do, it is something that your body does perfectly all on its own. And as long as you can relax enough not to get in its way, then it will continue to do its job, and you will continue to experience it as a very strong sturdy pressure.
But if you react to those new sensations by tensing up, then your body is going to try to help you by communicating with you in the only way it knows how to. It will send you a signal of pain to tell you, “Hey stop doing that, don’t clinch up! I can’t do my job well if you’re gonna be fighting against me.”
So if you do feel pain it is because your muscles are clinched, and your body is trying to tell you to release and relax.
Now I know that it can be a challenge to relax when all of that pressure is going on inside of you. But here are some easy tips that are designed to help you stay relaxed so that your body can do its work.
An Open Mouth = an Open Vagina
This one is easy. Open your mouth. Let it hang wide open. It doesn’t matter if you feel foolish; when you are giving birth looking foolish should be the last thing from your mind. There are two big reasons for keeping an open mouth during natural childbirth.
One: Your jaw is a control valve for all of the sphincters in your body. (This is important because your vagina is a sphincter, it is a muscle that opens and closes.) When your jaw is clinched tight so are your sphincters, when your jaw is nice and relaxed and open so are your sphincters. An open mouth = an open vagina.
Two: When your mouth is closed it is too easy to clinch your teeth and jaw together when you feel the pressure from your contractions. This clinching of your jaw subsequently clinches and tightens your whole body which will result in your body sending you that pain signal to tell you to stop doing that. Your body needs to be able to freely move, expand, contract and make space for your baby to come down. To allow this to happen without pain you need to stay nice and relaxed, soft and pliable. Let your mouth hang loose and open. An open mouth = an open vagina.
Vocalize to Release Pressure and Let it Out
As your uterus contracts and the pressure and energy begins to build inside of you, do not hold it all in. It helps to find a way to move it through and let it out. Vocalizing is a great way to move the energy through, and to prevent it from compounding! Again get over looking foolish, none of that matters. Just release and let go!
Here is a post that will expand your awareness of just how significant of a role sound plays in natural childbirth, also it will give you some tips and techniques, and has an absolutely must see video of a very empowered woman vocalizing amazingly!
http://mynaturalchildbirth.org/natural-childbirth-secrets-3/
Do Not Underestimate the Power of Your Breath
You can actually control the amount of intensity that is experienced through learning how to move it through with your breathing. If you make the mistake of holding or breath or not breathing fully then your body has a hard time continuing on with it’s job because it is being restricted and deprived of essential oxygen. And that is when pain comes in to the picture, because again your body is telling you, “don’t do that.” Don’t constrict your breath, just let it flow. Here is a video with some tips on how to breathe effectively. It starts out a little rocky so I recommend starting around 4:00 http://mynaturalchildbirth.org/natural-childbirth-breathe-your-baby-out/
Learn Spiraling: The Best Natural Childbirth Technique Out There
First of all you’ll want to always stay upright when giving natural childbirth, the hospitals version of birth with the Mother lying on her back is the worst possible position you can be in, and the most painful. While you are upright the physical act of spiraling may be the biggest and most valuable natural childbirth technique of them all! Actual movement in your body is the best way to move the energy through without allowing it to compound. This article will teach you all about spiraling: http://mynaturalchildbirth.org/natural-childbirth/
Only Use Positive Self Talk and Visualization
Natural childbirth is experienced on two levels, a physical level and a mental level. Your thoughts are as real as anything during birth and what you think will become your reality.
Whatever you do, do not say a single negative thing to yourself during birth.
Do not ever say, “this hurts,” I can’t do this,” or anything that will place doubt or fear into your mind. The only thing those negative thoughts will do is cause you to tense up. And as we already know tensing up will cause your body to send you pain in an attempt to communicate with you, “stop doing that!”
Instead trust birth, and trust your body. Always tell yourself that it feels good. Repeat to yourself over and over and over again with every pressure wave, “aaah this feels GREAT!” Imagine yourself in the midst of a very enjoyable experience and it will be enjoyable. Imagine and tell yourself open, open, open and you will easily open.
Get in the Water It Feels Great!
Water is an ancient secret to birth, woman have been entering into the water to birth their babies since time began. They have gone into lagoons, the sea and other bodies of water to birth their babies simply because it feels good. Nowadays since most of us birth inside we use water birth tubs. I suggest getting one that allows for you to stay upright while you are in it, they can be rented online, or you can buy a big kiddie pool, or even use your bath tub.
Water is so effective at easing labor pain that it is often referred to as natures epidural. And I can attest to how wonderfully it works! It immediately reverses the effects of gravity, so the pressure becomes much less, and much more tolerable. The minute you step into the water your body is able to relax much easier. Also water gives you that feeling of weightlessness so it is much easier to move flow and sway into positions that feel comfortable to you which is a huge help! And in no way are you committed to staying in the water, you can always get in and out at any time.
None of these techniques are new, they are ancient secrets that have been passed down through generations of Mothers and Grandmothers who have been giving natural childbirth since the beginning of time. They sure did work amazingly for me! My birth was the furthest thing from the painful births that we are accustomed to seeing in the movies. If you have never seen the video of my birth I welcome you to watch it. Just click on my birth video on the top of the page. I look forward to hearing how these natural childbirth techniques work for you, and if you have any tips to share that helped you to eliminate labor pain I would love to hear about them!
