JUST RELAX

By Melissa Coleman

My talk today was inspired by someone who said to me, "Why don’t you do a talk about how to give birth."

Well, Tim, I’m glad you asked because I was kind of wondering about that myself.

What I learned is that it’s actually a lot like preparing to give a speech. You’ll see why in the end.

I started out by doing a little research:

1) I talked to other people

Everyone has a birth story to tell about their own birth (ie: my mom gave birth to me at home with a midwife) or their own experience with birth.

• “It was hell, it split me open.”

• “It was the most wonderful experience of my life.”

• “As painful as passing a kidney stone.”

I realized that while I enjoyed hearing people’s stories, I was getting a little anxious. So I decided to pursue more intellectual approach to research.

2) I read books and watched videos

While the books were helpful, I found myself falling asleep while reading them. I realized that in order to really learn, I needed to be taught about birth by a teacher who could answer my questions.

3) I signed up for a class

Someone told me that Lamaze is passé these days and that Hypnobirthing is where it’s at.

I found a class with Jessica Porter, a top Hypnobirthing instructor who happens to be located right here in Portland, Maine.

My husband poo-pooed the whole thing until we arrived in class to find three other mothers just like me, all with very manly husbands just like him. Before I knew it, he was the first to raise his hand to ask questions, and to answer them.

The premise behind Hypnobirthing is that birth is a natural thing and should not be as painful and feared as it is today. People who’ve studied birth find that animals give birth relatively painlessly, as do African tribal women who have never learned that birth is supposed to be painful.

So how do we erase centuries of conditioning that birth is a painful thing requiring strong drugs and lots of fear?

Jessica said we must learn to stop being afraid and here's why:

When humans are afraid, stress hormones are released causing the fight or flight response, neither of which is appropriate for labor.

Stress/fear causes our muscles to tense and sends blood to the extremities, ie AWAY from the cervix.

Instead of letting the cervix do it’s job and push the baby out, stress causes the muscles to tighten and do just the opposite. As well, the lack of blood flow constricts the muscles and lessens the flow of oxygen to the womb and baby.

In other words, exactly the opposite of what you want to happen. Now you are begging: call in the drugs, call in the surgeon.

So how do you avoid this?

Of course I haven't been there yet, but it sounds like preparation for birth is actually much the same as preparing for a speech. If you do the right things you won’t get stressed or panic, and everything will proceed as it should.

1) Do your research.

2) Practice breathing and relaxation exercises.

3) When it’s time, relax and let your body do its job.