When contractions come, obviously they’re uncomfortable (to say the least).
If we’re in pain, everything in our body tenses up. When I’m stressed or nervous or hurting, I can literally feel my shoulders up around my ears.
But if you think about the fact that we’re trying to get a baby out of your body, you can see that holding that tension is not going to help anything. During labor, we need to be as relaxed and easy and free as possible.
“Relax” sounds really silly when I say it someone who’s freaking out a little bit about childbirth, and the pain of labor. Instead, we as doulas have to give people something to do with all of that tension, pain, and fear that they’re experiencing.
One of the cool things about the way that our body is designed is that if we relax the muscles in our jaw, we also relax muscles that are much lower. When we open our jaw and our throat, it also releases our whole pelvic floor.
We want to use this to our advantage. So in between labor contractions, we encourage people to take nice deep breaths and relax their shoulders. When you breathe in deeply and release the air, notice how nice and easy your shoulders are.
The thing that you can do during contractions is moan.
The problem when we try to practice this during a childbirth education class is that people feel really silly and self-conscious. But thanks to the magic of the internet and our youtube channel, we can give you the chance to practice moaning in your own home, where no one can see.
Do this with us- take a deep breath in, and on the way out, moan and release all the tension in your body.
We want to moan nice and low. Whenever we talk in a low register, our whole throat and all the muscles there are very relaxed and open. You can also notice your shoulders coming down, and your whole body might just want to sink into your nice comfy chair. If I see a client do this, I know that this means the whole pelvic floor is relaxed. This is what you’re going to need when it’s time to push your baby out, and meet them.
This is your quick tip with a doula for the day- watch the video to see exactly how moaning is done, and stay tuned for more tips like this.
Learn more about our labor support here, we want to be there through every step.
