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How to deal with contractions during childbirth. How to survive contractions: devices for active childbirth

Screaming during childbirth or gritting your teeth to be silent, like a proud partisan during torture? Many women try to solve this dilemma in early pregnancy. But in fact, the answer to this question is difficult, and not because there are not enough reasonable arguments in favor of one or another position, but because it is difficult to predict the specifics of the course of your particular birth. Even the well-known properties of your own psyche will not become a reliable clue: sometimes a very patient woman breaks down during childbirth to scream, and a sensitive young lady with a low pain threshold gives birth almost with a smile on her face.

Arguments in favor of screaming

The opinions of doctors regarding the benefits or harms of crying during childbirth are divided. In favor of restraint, a number of arguments are sometimes expressed that force some women in labor to gather all their will into a fist, even when labor pain ceases to fit into the concepts of “hellish”, “unbearable” and “deadly”. However, other doctors recommend not holding back, forgetting about your shyness and the image of a reserved woman. From this point of view, you can scream as much as you like, but it is desirable if the scream falls on the exhale. Then the uterus will receive some relaxation, the tension will be removed from her pharynx, which prevents the normal opening of the vagina. The main thing here is not to become isolated in your pain, not to fall into hysterics, but to continue to control yourself. It helps to cope with the fog of unbearable pain, the thought that the torment experienced is not eternal, soon everything will end and everything can be endured for the sake of the long-awaited child.

Alleged negative effects of screaming during childbirth

The first and main argument against screaming during childbirth is impaired oxygen supply to the child. When you scream, you do not breathe, and, accordingly, deprive not only yourself of oxygen, but also the baby inside you. In addition, when a woman in labor cries, she does not hear the prompts of the doctor and midwife, who are trying to remind her how to breathe properly to reduce pain. It is better to stop your crying, listen to the recommendations of the medical staff, and perhaps proper breathing will relieve severe pain very soon.

The second weighty argument against screaming is exhaustion of the woman in labor during it. It is better not to waste energy on screaming, but to leave it for attempts, and then everything can end faster than it seems.

However, it should be noted that not always even the right breathing and strong-willed attitude contribute to the normalization of the course of childbirth. We are all individual in physical and psychological terms, and there is simply no universal advice for all women in labor.

Visitor question:

I'm afraid of childbirth! Giving birth in a month, and I'm so afraid of pain!!! nightmare Obstetrician against epidural anesthesia, I'm afraid to trust another doctor.

How to deal with pain during childbirth? This is very painful? How to ease the condition during childbirth and how to prepare for them?

I will also be ashamed to yell with wild cries, which I heard enough, accidentally running past the maternity ward. Is it necessary to endure, or does screaming help to cope with the pain?

What a person has to experience is the pain of childbirth. Every woman who has become a mother is familiar with the pain that accompanies this process. And in many cases, she is not ready to become a mother again, because it is the pain of childbirth that is holding her back. With what to compare these sensations? Yes, with nothing, because no other pain is able to repeat it. It must be understood that labor pain is individual in nature and depends on the physiological characteristics of each woman.

Features in different women

As noted earlier, pain during labor is individual for each woman. However, it may depend on a number of factors. Let's consider some of them:

Physical and psychological It is desirable that before this process the woman and her husband attend a course for young parents. Here, experts will tell you how to breathe properly during childbirth, soothe the expectant mother. It is important that her husband is also next to her so that she feels his support.
Pain threshold level. It is individual for every woman. If the woman in labor is not able to endure pain, she is given injections of an anesthetic drug.
The complexity of the course of childbirth. Sometimes the birth process lasts only a few minutes, and sometimes - a few hours. It depends on the degree of disclosure of the uterus and the size of the fetus. A caesarean section may be needed.
The use of anesthesia. Many women decide on this method of childbirth, because the pain is practically not felt.

What is the pain of childbirth like?

Most women who are just about to give birth to their first child are wondering what the pain of childbirth can be compared to. In fact, it is almost impossible to compare with anything. Moreover, this process is individual for every woman.

The discomfort that accompanies a woman from the very beginning of labor is episodic at first. At the same time, the woman in labor feels a peak at which the pain becomes unbearably strong, and a decline, when this feeling becomes less noticeable, or disappears altogether. This phenomenon is called contractions. As a rule, contractions are repeated at intervals of 30 seconds to half an hour. Their duration is about a few minutes. The explanation for this is that the woman's body began to prepare for the birth of the fetus.

generic process

What is labor pain like? It is hard to say. But she is very strong and unbearable. The cervix, which is normally closed, begins to gradually stretch, reaching nine to ten centimeters in diameter by the time of delivery. This is necessary in order to pass the baby's head through the birth canal. As a rule, this phenomenon lasts from 30 minutes to several hours, depending on the condition of the woman's tissues.

If the process is too slow, the doctor may stimulate it. Each subsequent birth is less painful than the previous ones. Usually the second birth lasts less than the first (provided that no more than three years have passed after them). This is because the woman's body still "remembers" the previous labor activity. It is the sensations of stretching the cervix during contractions that are the main source of pain during childbirth. When the fetus is completely out, the pain disappears.

What is science about?

Every woman is afraid that she will have intense and unbearable pain during childbirth. With what to compare it? No pain can repeat the one experienced by the female body during labor. Although some scientific studies have shown that pain during childbirth is equal to breaking 20 bones. However, in most women, the pain threshold decreases due to the fact that the hormone endorphin is released into the blood. Therefore, in some women in labor, this process proceeds with minimal pain or without them at all.

Each woman can determine for herself what pain during childbirth is like. After all, each person has a purely individual feeling. To make the pain less pronounced, you can not set yourself up for a bad end. In no case should you think about a bad outcome. In addition, do not get hung up on what to compare the pain of childbirth with. prove that for a certain category of women, even tooth extraction is more painful.

How to relieve pain yourself

To reduce pain during childbirth, both physical and psychological preparation is necessary. During pregnancy, you need to walk as much as possible, which will strengthen the muscles of the vagina and pelvis. As a result, pain during childbirth will be significantly reduced. In addition, a pregnant woman should set herself up in advance that the process of giving birth to a child will be painless.

Of course, pain is a companion of absolutely any childbirth, even if they pass artificially (during operations). It doesn’t matter what the pain of childbirth can be compared to. The main thing is that it is not as terrible as it is customary to talk about it. If the expectant mother understands this, childbirth will be much easier.

Artificial pain relief

Any woman shudders when she hears the phrase "pain in childbirth." With what to compare this phenomenon, each woman determines for herself. In any case, even the thought gives goosebumps. If the woman in labor has not managed to cope with the fears of childbirth, then the feelings of panic experienced by her can lead to a weakening of labor activity. Therefore, doctors recommend the use

This type of anesthesia is considered the safest not only for a woman, but also for a baby. However, this method of pain relief has a disadvantage. It consists in the fact that the woman in labor does not feel the active period of contractions, so she cannot start pushing at the right time. As a result, after childbirth, the vaginal muscles may be slightly torn. Therefore, when using epidural anesthesia, it is necessary to follow all the advice of the doctor taking delivery.

Proper breathing

Pain during childbirth is the strongest, comparable to a fracture, so it is necessary to facilitate active labor. You need to learn proper breathing not during the birth itself, but before them. Although most women who have learned the technique of proper breathing, panic during labor, forgetting everything they were taught. Therefore, they have to follow all the advice of a doctor who will tell you how to breathe correctly so that the birth goes as quickly and painlessly as possible.

How to explain to a man what labor pain is?

Explaining to a man when the active phase of labor occurs and with what pain childbirth can be compared is a rather difficult task. What can the pain of childbirth be compared to for men? Yes, with nothing. Don't even try, they won't understand anyway. It is better to make sure that they experience this pain for themselves. Luckily, there is now a huge amount of special equipment that allows you to do this. Of course, you can not do this against the will of the man himself. Although, if he is afraid, then he roughly understands what pain during childbirth is. With what to compare it, he does not know, but that it hurts, he guesses.

Pain when pushing

Despite the fact that most women note that the peak of the most severe pain occurs precisely during the period of contractions, quite unpleasant sensations are also noted during attempts. They are not so strong due to the fact that the baby's head, passing through the birth canal, compresses the nerve endings, which significantly reduces their sensitivity.

It is difficult to say with what pain childbirth can be compared. Quite often, in women giving birth for the first time, as well as in the case of quick and rapid childbirth, so-called gaps appear. This is a violation of the integrity of the tissues during the passage of the head of the child. Quite often, doctors, anticipating the appearance of ruptures, perform an episiotomy. It is an artificial incision in the tissues of the vagina to facilitate the exit of the baby's head, as well as to prevent ruptures. The suture applied to the area of the incision made by medical means heals much faster and delivers less discomfort than a natural rupture. The pain from a rupture or incision of the perineum is practically not felt by a woman, since it is at this moment that the baby's head pinches the nerve endings, so the sensitivity of the tissue area becomes minimal.

The expectant mother is looking forward to the birthday of the child (birth), not only because she wants to see her baby, but also because she is tired of pregnancy. At the same time, a pregnant woman, especially a primipara, worries about how long the birth will take, and how easier it is to endure contractions during childbirth.

A little about fights

Labor pains are called periodic contractions of the muscles of the uterus, accompanied by pain. The average duration of contractions varies from 9-13 hours, while the contraction period is from 15-20 minutes.

If at the beginning of the onset of contractions, the frequency between them is about half an hour, then by the time of delivery, the time between contractions is reduced to 2-3 minutes.

The pain of contractions also increases. At first, a pregnant woman can still endure pain, but as the contractions become more frequent, they seem to her more and more painful each time. This is due to the fact that as you move along the birth canal, the fetus puts more and more pressure on the woman's pelvis.

Labor pains cause quite painful sensations, but it will be much easier to transfer them if you follow a few rules. Let's look at the main phases of contractions, as well as recommendations on how to reduce pain during them.

preparatory

This phase is considered latent, its duration is from 5 to 9 hours. In this phase, the birth canal opens. All this time the woman can stay at home. The main task during this period is to relax and save energy. During the latent phase, the cervix can dilate up to 5 cm. The duration between contractions at the beginning is 30 minutes, and by the end of the phase it reaches 10 minutes.

What to do to mom:

Keep a fight diary
At the time of contractions, breathe deeply into the abdomen (inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth). The ratio of inhalation and exhalation is 1 to 2 (inhale for 3 seconds, exhale for 6 seconds)
Lie down, relax, spend time with your husband
listen to music
Carry out hygiene procedures, put yourself in order. You can take a shower, the water temperature should be no more than 38-39 degrees.
Have a bite. A small amount of fruits, vegetables, dairy products is acceptable.
Collect a bag for the hospital

What not to do in the preparatory phase:

Panic and randomly rush around the apartment
Eat well before the birth
Forget about the necessary documents in the maternity hospital

Active

In this phase, contraction intervals are reduced from 10 minutes at the beginning to 3 minutes at the end. There is an opening of the neck by 7-8 cm and the discharge of water due to the natural rupture of the bladder. It is important here not to miss the moment and come to the hospital when the intensity of contractions is at least 5 minutes.

What to do to mom:

Talk and interact with your child
Focus on the result, not the process
Stroke your stomach in the direction from the waist to the navel. You can also clench your hand into a fist and at the moment when the next contraction overtakes, rub your lower back with it in the area along the spine. It will help you endure the pain.
Breathe slowly and deeply, trying to inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth.
Look for a comfortable position in which it would be easier to endure contractions.
Stimulate the approach of childbirth, walk more.

Yes, yes, do not lie in bed, but move along the corridor or generic. When a labor pain overtakes a pregnant woman standing on her feet, it is easier to bear it, since the woman’s body is not relaxed, but is in some tone.

In addition, the periodic movement of a woman on her feet will allow the fetus to descend faster to the cervix, which will speed up its opening. And, therefore, will bring the moment of childbirth closer.

A pregnant woman should not be afraid that she will become exhausted as a result of being constantly on her feet, and she will not have the strength to give birth. Enough strength, as nature intended.

What not to do in the active phase:

Sit up straight on a solid whole pelvis
Drink and eat
Retain urination
Taking painkillers on your own
Refuse doctor's advice
Contract and tense muscles
Go to the hospital on your own
Shout, fear, panic

The last point can lead to the termination of labor due to a stressful situation. In addition, during the cry, the air is inhaled superficially and the mother and child may experience oxygen starvation.

Transitional phase (lowering)

Phase period from 1 hour to 2 hours. In this phase, contractions last up to 2 minutes. There are pain sensations in the sacrum, it can feel sick, tear, freeze, throw in a fever.

What to do to mom:

If there is a desire to push, then you must first call a doctor.
If the doctor says that the dilatation has occurred, but it is still too early to give birth, this means that the baby's head is still high. In this case, the mother needs to push vertically at the time of contractions.
If the opposite situation occurs, when there is no full disclosure, but you want to push, you need to stand in a knee-elbow position, thus rolling back the child in order to reduce pressure on the perineum.

What not to do:

Start pushing without doctor's permission
Squeeze hips, stand up abruptly, jump
Push in the face and puff out the cheeks
Holding back a bowel movement due to inconvenience and shame

Positive attitude during childbirth

By talking to your child and assuring him that everything will be fine, you set yourself up in a positive way. Follow these tips and by doing so, you will help yourself to ease labor pains.

With the approach of the day of childbirth, every pregnant woman is increasingly thinking about how everything will go. Thoughts of impending pain cause particular stress. It happens that girls who give birth for the first time bring themselves literally to a fainting state. Communicating with their acquaintances and visiting a antenatal clinic, they eagerly absorb the stories of experienced people about how terrible and painful childbirth is.

In fact, there are many ways to survive contractions without pain. Reviews of specialists and women who have successfully coped with the situation will be very useful for primiparous young ladies.

Causes of pain

Before discussing how to survive childbirth and contractions, you should understand what causes pain. By the time of childbirth, the uterus, without exaggeration, becomes the largest internal organ. Moreover, it does not grow, but simply stretches. Thus, its sensitive surface is increased by about 400 times. Panic and literally animal fear of a woman in labor add "pleasant" sensations.

Several factors that provoke pain:

maximum tension of the ligaments;
resistance of the pelvic muscles;
dilatation of the cervix;
inability to psychologically control contractions;
tissue ischemia;
curvature of the vessels supplying the uterus;
an increase in the surface area having highly sensitive receptors.

How to survive contractions? Reviews of experienced women in labor boil down to the fact that they simply do not need to concentrate. There are many ways and techniques to help alleviate the condition. But it is still impossible to give birth completely without pain. The main thing is to learn how to control it.

If a woman concentrates only on pain, waits for them and is afraid, complications in childbirth are guaranteed. This behavior leads to disruption of metabolic processes in the plasma and can harm the fetus. How to survive contractions? They just need to be prepared.

Beginning the process

To understand how to survive contractions without pain, you need to learn a few positions that will help alleviate the condition. At the initial stage, you should try to relieve the tension from the pelvic area as much as possible and provide the main organ involved in the process with maximum freedom.

Sit on the edge of a bed or chair with your feet flat on the floor. Try to spread your knees out to the sides as much as possible. In this position, the lower back arches somewhat, and the stomach relaxes. For greater stability, you can rest your palms on your hips.

If you can't sit, you can stop and stand. For example, spread your legs a little and lean on the edge of the bed. Try to arch your back slightly and relax as much as possible.

active phase

Over time, the active phase of contractions begins. How to survive this moment and help yourself to relax?

During this period, it is quite difficult for a woman in labor to remain in an upright position. But going to bed during this period is not recommended. Especially when there are no medical prerequisites for this. The best option during this period is the kneeling position. You can, for example, let the stomach sag a little under its own weight.

Some women in labor adapt a fitball to relax - a large elastic ball. You can take different poses with it. The main task of a woman in labor is maximum relaxation. The only thing you don’t need to do is sit tight on a hard chair or couch.

How to help yourself before childbirth

The last prenatal phase is characterized by the opening of the uterus. How to survive contractions during this period? It is important to relieve tension not from the abdomen, but from the legs. To do this, you can use the same fitball. You can lean on it with your lower back, and push your knees apart. It is better to stretch the feet forward. Instead of the ball, you can use the help of a partner.

During this period of contractions, doctors also advise staying on your feet. This will allow you to activate labor activity in a natural way. Facilitates the situation and proper breathing.

Application of anesthesia

Medicine has come a long way. Therefore, many women in labor prefer to get rid of suffering using anesthesia. There are various drugs that allow a woman not to feel pain, but at the same time feel everything. Some medications, on the contrary, can make it so that a woman does not feel anything at all. It all depends on the dose and the professionalism of the anesthesiologist.

Apply anesthesia or not - the doctor decides. The body of a woman, tormented by pain and fear, can behave as she pleases. For example, labor activity may weaken or even stop. After a little rest, the woman will again turn to work.

At the same time, an incorrectly selected drug can provoke pressure surges, allergies, cause drowsiness or other side effects. All this can adversely affect the health of the mother and child. Therefore, anesthesia is best used as a last resort.

In some countries, acupuncture is used to relieve pain during contractions. This allows you to stimulate special points and reduce pain. In our country, acupuncture is rarely used. It is not easy to find a good specialist familiar with oriental techniques.

Massage and aromatherapy

One of the options for surviving contractions easier is special massage techniques. This method helps a lot from the very first uterine contractions to the beginning of attempts. For additional pain relief, you can use special creams, oils or gels. It is important to be aware of possible allergic reactions. Techniques can be different:

Spot. To relieve pain, you should simultaneously press from the inside on the ankle bone and the depression between the index finger and thumb. The duration of exposure is approximately 40 seconds.
Lumbar. Massage the sacrum and lumbar region for 40 seconds using a vibrating massager or with the bones of your fingers. Perform vigorous circular motions. In between, lightly press your fingers on the sacrum and upper buttocks.
Rubbing. In the supine position, bring your legs together and slightly bend at the knees. With a comfortable hand, rub the inner surface of the thigh in the direction from the knee to the inguinal zone. Each leg should be 30-40 repetitions.
Stroking. Place your right hand on your lower abdomen. Place the left one on top. Gently stroke the belly with fingertips from the center to the sides. In the final phase of the contraction, the pressure can be slightly increased.

A partner can also be involved in the massage. With the bones and the back of the phalanges of the fingers, the partner can massage the sacral area of the woman in labor. You should perform rubbing circular movements and move from the coccyx up to the lower back. Some are helped by gentle rubbing of the lateral parts of the abdomen, massage of the neck. It is important not to press too hard, so as not to hurt the child.

In addition to massage, aromatherapy can also be used. Naturally, the lamp itself will have to stock up in advance. Also, even during pregnancy, you should test the reaction to various odors, make sure that there are no allergic manifestations or other negative reactions. In many cases, scents of lavender, bergamot, or lemon help a lot. Inhaling them, the woman in labor will be able to calm down and relax a little. The smell of jasmine, on the contrary, stimulates labor activity.

Breathing exercises

What to do if your contractions are in full swing? How to survive this condition and relieve pain as much as possible?

The first thing you can learn in preparatory courses for women in labor is proper breathing. It can actually ease the pain of contractions. But the main thing is that a woman can do everything herself. She does not need anyone for this, and she will not have to ask anyone for help. Trying to properly perform a breathing exercise, a woman is distracted from pain and tense muscles. In addition, at this moment, the blood is additionally enriched with oxygen, which is very useful for the baby.

There are several breathing techniques that can alleviate discomfort during contractions:

intermittent. This method can speed up the process. It is necessary to breathe through the mouth, quickly alternating inhalation and exhalation. This is how a big dog breathes on a hot summer day. This may seem ridiculous. However, in this case there is no place for constraint. Believe me, no one in the maternity hospital is interested in how a woman in labor looks. They saw everything there.
Sobbing. You need to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. In this case, there should be one long exhalation for 2 breaths. This is how a person breathes when he begins to calm down after bitter sobs and he is a little short of breath.
Pipe. Inhale deeply through the nose and exhale through the mouth. In this case, the lips must be folded into a tube, as if you are trying to blow out the candles on the cake or play the pipe. With this method of breathing, the diaphragm tenses, and the stomach is as rounded as possible. So the child will be easier to move, and the mother will be able to relax a little.

Comfortable postures

If the doctor does not insist that the woman in labor lie down, movement will be the best pain reliever during contractions. In this case, you can not curl into a ball or lie on your back. So it will be difficult for the child to be born. The best solution is a position that allows you to relax as much as possible.

Here are some postures and movements to help relieve pain:

on a fitball - you can roll from side to side, gently spring;
squatting - squat, holding onto a support;
on your knees - slightly spread your legs and lean on a chair or bed in front, bend your lower back;
lotus - sitting on the floor, pull your legs bent at the knees and close your feet;
on all fours - bend the lower back in different positions, imitating the movements of a cat;
standing, leaning forward - rest your hands on the object standing in front and draw a figure eight with your pelvis;
in the same position - swing your hips in different directions;
roll from heels to toes;
"saddle" a chair and at the time of the fight, deflect the body to the sides;
hang a little on the support fixed at the top or the shoulders of the partner.

Water and thermal procedures

This is a great option for surviving contractions during childbirth. Warm water is great for relieving muscle tension. However, it should be exactly warm (not higher than 37.8 C), but not hot at all. If possible, take a bath or shower. Stay in the water for as long as necessary.

If this is not possible, it is good to attach a warm heating pad to the lower back. It can be filled with water. Or you can take a small linen bag, fill it with oats, wheat or salt and heat it in the microwave to a pleasant temperature.

As you can see, there are a lot of ways to relieve pain during contractions. You just need to listen to your body, learn the necessary methods and techniques. An excellent help in this matter will be courses for pregnant women, which should not be neglected.