How to cope with difficult contractions during labor?

There are many great ways to cope with difficult contractions during labor, wouldn’t it be great if they were all listed in one post?

Visualizations

Athletes training for competitions know all about visualizations.  These influence the subconscious in producing the experience you want.

The same is true for childbirth.

Imagining and planning out how your labor will go can influence the process, believe it or not!

Visualizations for birth can be pretty powerful in influencing the way your chld’s birth plays out.

Birth Affirmations

Birth affirmations are phrases you repeat to yourself which will put you in the right frame of mind for pregnancy and childbirth.

It also helps to repeat them during contractions as you’re doing your breathing exercises.

Examples of Affirmations:

Rhythmic Breathing

Rhythmic breathing will help you remain calm and relaxed during contractions.

Key is staying relaxed so that contractions can do their work and open up your cervix.

When you are in pain, your body reflexively tightens up.

This could prolong labor.

Taking a deep breath helps your body loosen up and relax.

That is why breathing is such a popular way of managing contractions.  It helps distract you from your pain and it will help your body relax.

There are different breathing techniques that may help you relax during contractions.

Watch the following and see if that helps:

Movement

Movement and repositioning during labor will help you find relief during contractions.

In addition, changing positions during labor encourages your baby to move down, which will speed up labor.

As the baby moves down, the pressure of the baby’s head on the cervix will help dilate it.

There are several positions to use during labor that are particularly helpful:

1) Going on all fours, which I found very helpful with back labor.

2) Sitting on a birthing ball or toilet, which encourages your hips to open, and utilizes the force of gravity to move the baby down.

3) Lying down on your left side, great for resting between contractions and baby is able to descend nicely in this position as well, and placing a peanut ball between your legs can help too!

Rice Sock

This is a favorite of mine.

I have intense back labor during my births and the rice sock is an amazing relief.
I was introduced to it by my doula during the birth of my first child.

She pulled it out of her bag, warmed it up in my microwave. and applied it to my lower back.

It felt so good I didn’t want to take it off!

You can either purchase it on Amazon or you can also make it yourself:

Take a tube sock, fill it with rice, add some drops of essential oil like lavendar, and tie off the end.

Microwave it for 1 minute, and voila.

You can hold it in place using a belly band.

Hydrotherapy

Water is very soothing and relaxing.

Using hydrotherapy during labor is a great way to find relief during contractions.

I save this method for when contractions are getting more intense as it is so effective.

Standing in a shower is relaxing and having your partner or doula direct a jet stream at your lower back can help with back labor.

Sitting in a tub is even better and provides great relief, as the water adds counterpressure thereby relieving the intensity of the pain.

Music

Preparing a playlist before birth is a great idea, as music can help sooth and relax while you do guided imagery.

Guided Imagery

Guided imagery is a great technique for utilizing the power of the mind to escape physical pain.  I used it with all of my births with pretty good results.  I actually also use it when I’m having dental work done 😉

The way it works is you pick a very pleasant memory and you relive it.  For example sitting at the beach, swaying in a hammock, or swimming in the water.

Some people have found their own great tricks that help them during labor.

Labor can be pretty intense.

Try out some of these ideas to help you while you bring forth the amazing life inside of you.

Let us know what worked for you!