Labour Aids and my birth experience

With both my children I decided to try for as natural a birth as possible. Between studying early childhood brain development and going to Tina Otte's antenatal classes I decided that natural was best for the baby. My mom and grandmother also had 'easy*' labours so I decided to try it. I also hate hospital and so when my physio told me about Genesis Clinic I was sold.

Now that I've had two children I can safely say that I am extremly blessed with 'easy*' labours as well so natural birth was best for me and my babies but I know that this is an extremly personal choice. I want to state now that I make no judgements on mom's who have ceasars. I think that when the time comes you make the best and most well informed decision you can for you and your baby and that is that - no one has the place to judge. Giving birth is an extremly intimate experience and every women is different so every birth is diffferent as well. In the end we all want the same thing a healthy baby and mommy.

Each of my birth experiences were different. With my son I was very anxious as I'm one of those control freaks who hates not knowing what to expect. The labour was also much faster and I felt out of control and was not able to relax. We wanted to have a water birth but my own anxieties along with a few other factors meant that he wasn't coming fast enough in the pushing phase and so I had to get out of the bath. I gave birth to him on a birthing stool and although he needed a little bit of oxygen he was none the worse for wear. I had a second degree tear though and that was horrible but did heal well.

This time around, with my daughter, we made some changes to our birth plan and to my perfectionist expectations. This, along with knowing what to expect, made a huge difference. We arrived at Genesis much earlier and the labour was slower because I was almost too relaxed. Super dad and I worked amazingly well as a unit through the contractions and even found time to laugh. Then when the time came we got in the bath and within minutes, out she popped. As my midwife, Henny, said to me afterwards "the second birth is often the healing process for the first." How true this was for me.

I have decided to share some of the things which made were the biggest aids to me this time around on my blog. Perhaps they will help you or some one you know. So after this rather lengthy (sorry) introduction here they are.

The most important aid was a wonderful, supportive birthing team who listened to what I wanted and needed and made helpful and wise suggestions. I believe the correct midwife can make or break your birth experience so I am very glad I chose to use Growth Spurt Midwives again (this is a small practice of two private midwives, Henny de Beer and Cornelia Scheepers). They are wonderfully supportive, extremely knowledgable and very wise women. They were with me for my son's birth and I would never have chosen anybody else this time around. Also the staff Doula from Genesis, Claire, was wonderful. She took us for a walk around Zoo Lake when my labour slowed, gave me many words of encouragement and took precious photos of the birth. 

My husband was the biggest support to me during the labour. He encouraged me, listened to my requests, reminded me when to breathe, rubbed my leg which kept cramping and literally held me up through the worst contractions. Without him I would never have been able to manage the contractions and have the pain reliever free water birth we both wanted. The other aids were:

• Tummy breathing - during a contraction breath in through your nose and when you breath out imagine that you are breathing out through your belly button. This is the complete opposite of Pilates breathing which I am used to. What it does is it lifts the stomach muscles of the uterus and so relieves some pressure. I made it through the entire labour with no pain medication just by using this technique.
• Standing up - I found that standing with my arms around my husbands neck made the contractions much more bearable. When I tried sitting through a contration I could not believe how much more painful it was. How so many women have given birht lying on their back I'll never know. 
• Hot packs - my midwife and doula suggested these during the labour and they helped a lot with the pain. They were those wheat filled bags which you heat in the microwave. The ones they use were in specail covers which had ties on them so your could hold them in place. I had one on my lower back on one at the base of my big tummy on the pubic area. 
• Tens Machine - I had used a Tens Machine during my first birth to great effect. This time around one of the midwives suggested I start using it earlier as it builds endorphines. This worked wonderfully and kept the pain at bay for a large portion of the labour.I hired mine from Annel van Wyk  082 879 9300 or bump2baby@gmail.com. She is great because she will deliver it to you for R50 and because she works with Genesis moms alot I could just leave it with the Growth Spurt team for her to collect. She charges R400 and you can have the machine from your 37th week for 4wks.
• Water - I wanted to try for a water birth again but last time around the bath didn't work out very well for me. So this time I was nervous. We were doing so well dealing with the contractions outside the bath that I didn't want to ruin a good thing. However when our midwife suggested that it might be time to get in the bath I gave in and Super Dad and I got in together (much better than last time when I got in alone). The soothing, calming affect of the water was wonderful and I really wish I had gotten in sooner. 

I have been debating with myself whether or not to add photos to this post, mostly because they are unflattering. However the teacher in me has won the debate and so, as they may be helpful and interesting, here they are. A peek inside the very personal and intimate experience of a birth. Just a little disclaminer - there are no x-rated photos below.

Still smiling and off for a walk at Zoo Lake when the labour slowed.

Doing the contraction dance.

Ick I need a rest. (You can see the TENS machine attached to my shirt in this photo)

Heat packs tied to my back and having my leg cramp massaged by my amazing husband. 

In the bath. This was the really tough time but the water really helped.

Super dad is praying for me.

She's here and crying. Woah I look exhausted.

Our wonderful midwife Henny de Beer telling daddy its time to cut the cord.

A super proud dad.

* When I say easy labour I definetely do not mean 'oh what a nice stroll in the park we've just had' but in terms of some of the stories I've heard of 22 hr labours I suppose that you could say the women in my family have easy labours, although all labour is painful I promise you that.