Saturday, February 6, 2010

How did you do that?

I have had so many friends ask me how I did it. How did I reach total complete relaxation and not feel any pain at all during child birth. I finally have a few moments to tell ya. (Being a mother of 5 is kicking my butt.) Feel free to ask questions or call me. I love this stuff!

Relaxation! The only way I think I can explain HOW is to walk you through it. I start at the top of my head. I close my eyes and think of what my eyes feel like and relax them. What I mean about thinking of what they feel like is feeling the actual nerves and the what they are feeling. To get in touch with those nerves, sometimes I have to scrunch up my eyes. Then I make them smooth out, like there are no wrinkles.(haha! I wish!) Then after I get my eyes totally relaxed, I move on, down my face and down to my shoulders. Every single part of my body from top going down to my toes. I will feel those nerves and be totally conscious of what they are feeling and relax them. I remember scrunching up my toes when a contraction was there and Chris was always reminding me to relax them. If I had my toes relaxed, I knew that the rest of me was. It takes total concentration to do that. Don't think it takes over night to be able to do that. It takes months and months to practice the result you want. BUT the coolest thing is that you will always know how to do it after you know how!! Very cool!! To come out of your meditation and relaxing, you start at your toes and wiggle them and go UP your body to awaken it. So, you are reversing your relaxation to be awaken. Does that make sense?

I have a certain way I breath when I am in labor too. None of this.... heee heee hoo hooo crap. Its breath in for 8 counts and blow out for 15 counts. Can you believe that!? Every single speck of air out of ya! Its a very slow action. Every breath is a new life. Its very fun when you learn this too. But, it takes time to learn this too. Just practice practice! The breathing helps you focus on relaxing your muscles everywhere. Especially the ones inside of you.

I needed Chris. I needed him to constantly stroking me with a light touch massage. I know he couldn't do anything to help me accept just be there and physically hold me or touch me. I needed to know that I was not alone. I can do anything if I know I have support and in this case, someone physically there to be with me. I would not have been able to do it without him. I am also notorious for being physically uncomfortable and just dealing with it. He is the total opposite than that! HA! He knows when I am uncomfortable and he makes me become comfortable. So, he is the one that changes my position.

In my birth story I mentioned this CD that I listen to. I have a few. Hypnobirthing is an actual technique that people use that comes with a book and CD and there are classes. We took them all when I was pregnant with Adeline(she's 6 now). LOVED THEM! Here's the sight for that company. http://hypnobirthing.com/ The programs idea is that you can only do one thing at a time. Your body can only feel one thing at a time. SO if you are in complete relaxation, then you are not going to feel your labor. They don't ever use the words contraction either, they use serge or wave. It teaches you how the uterine walls move so you understand what is happening to your body and how the baby is coming to you. The CD that they have walks you through a meditation called Rainbow Relaxation. Its great for practicing your muscles and nerve relaxation. Love that. The book has lots of scripts that your birth partner can walk you through a more personalized meditation. They are great for breathing and muscle relaxation. Also, they are great for helping you find a "Happy Place". BUT! Here is my problem with that entire philosophy.... Labor DOES HURT! HAHAHA! I tried to talk myself out of that, but its true! SO! How did I get it to not hurt? .... I'll get to that! By the way, I did not use this CD during the labor.

I used this CD during labor.... www.healthjourneys.com/Product_Detail.aspx?id=15
You don't have to use this one, but the point is to have one that helps you. I loved this CD because the guided mediation walked me through my feelings. They actually did say contraction and they did say pain. I loved that they addressed it and didn't lie to me saying that it didn't hurt. ha! I loved that they mentioned that I had women behind me that went through this same thing and there are women that will go through this in the future. We all are together in spirit, helping each other. Sounded beautiful when I was in labor. The mental support was there! It also guided me through one awesome fact that made all the difference in the world to me. It was this, I turned myself over to my body and let it do its job! AWESOME! TOTALLY SPIRITUAL! God made my body! He made it perfect! A woman's body knows how to deliver a baby! WOW! So, I finally realized that I didn't have to do anything. I really understood that fact and I could have it hurt or not at all. It was up to me of how I wanted my baby to come to me! How cool is that! I know you are saying... whatever, it still hurts. Well, it will until you truly believe that one fact. Your body knows what to do. This particular CD guided me through those feelings and my fears and supported me in the idea of my body knowing what to do. So, those that have pain in labor, fear the pain. I am totally serious. I have had 5 children now and know what its like!

If you do all these things: have support, knowing how to relax and breath, use meditation and have your mental brain decide that your body is going to do the work and its not up to you and totally understand that, then you will have NO PAIN DURING LABOR!!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!! OH YEAH!!! I SAY... PRETTY DARN COOL!!!

If I can do this, ANYONE CAN! I am just an average gal that found out that a great birth experience makes a huge difference to my baby and me and.... (hey, why not it's my blog)... the world! hahaha!

6 comments:

Unknown said...

That is a great write up. It sounds like it took a lot of work and practice! It is awesome that you have such power over your body, emotions and pain. Not many people could say/do that. You are really great! I'm sure you could even use that technique in other aspects of life. Love ya, girlfriend!
Melanie

chelswatts said...

you go girl!

Trav & Jess said...

I have a friend that is going to have a baby, I was just going to email you to ask about it. Thank you for writing your experience I am defiantly going to do this for my next one.

Mortensen Baby Farm said...

You are amazing cuz!

Gluten Free Teacups said...

Thanks for detailing the aspects of your birthing experience. I remember reading your process a few months before I had JJ, and desiring to learn the techniques. You put forth an amazing amount of effort to make this experience personally wonderful. However, I soon became stuck on the fact that after I gave birth in the hospital setting I wasn't could handle the discomfort and the distraction of the doctor's sewing me up as I tried to bond with my new little one.
So I opted for an epidural and ended up having no stitches. C'est la vie. Granted having twins in an operating room was an entirely different experience than having this baby. If we can have one more, I am on it, Leslie. I want to commit to this new relaxation experience. I sure appreciate your example.

Christopher and Leslie Parker Lheron said...

Yeah! Me writing this has helped a little bit to someone. That is awesome! Thanks for your positive remarks!!
I am POSITIVE that if I can do this, ANYONE can! I really am just a total space case, so I am sure any one normal could do it better than I! :)