How I Prepared for an Unmedicated Birth (Part 2: During Labor)
I shared my 7 tips on how I prepared for an unmedicated birth before actually going into labor in part 1 that you can read here. In this post, I’m going to be talking about what I did during labor that I felt helped me to have an unmedicated birth.
Relax, Relax, and Relax: I will say it a million times you have to be able to relax your body during labor. I focused on keeping a loose jaw, bringing my shoulders down and away from my ears, and keeping my palms open. When I clench my fists and hands together my body immediately tense up, so anytime I could remember (usually after a contraction) I would think about opening up my palms and relaxing my entire body.
Low Moans: When I had been in labor for a few hours and we were talking to our doula on the phone and right away she gave me the best tip: keep my noises deep and low. This helps bring baby down by allowing the body to continue to relax and open. For me, it also gave me something to focus on during the contractions.
Breathing: This may seem obvious, but in early labor, I really focused on long, slow, deep breaths like I had been practicing my entire pregnancy. This helped keep my body relaxed, but I also think it kept me from freaking out. I remember thinking to myself (what I know look back on was transition) how in the world was I going to make it to the birth center?! Anytime I felt myself losing control I would focus on my breathing.
Water: I never knew water could feel so amazing. I tried the bath earlier in labor, but our tub wasn’t quite big enough for me to be in a squat, and laying down was absolutely not comfortable for me. However, once we got to the birth center I got in the tub straight away, and honestly, it was like everything melted away and at that point, I knew there was no way I was getting out of that tub. It just alleviated so much pressure and can see why so many women opt for water births.
Support Team: For me, I knew my body was capable of bringing our baby into the world and I trusted God wholeheartedly, but when you are in the thick of labor your mind will try to deceive you and start planting doubts in your head. My support team (Andy, our doula, and our midwife) were so encouraging in the best way possible by reminding me it was all going exactly as it was supposed to and this was all normal and most of all reminding me that I could do this.
I hope in sharing my experience and things that I did during labor will inspire you and give more clarity on what you would like during your labor and birth. It’s such an empowering experience that I look back on as one of my greatest accomplishments.