5 Tips For An Unmedicated Birth
Birthing a child isn't something you forget. Whether it went 100% according to your birth plan or went totally against it. There really isn’t a right or wrong way to give birth to a child. Some of us have sneezed the baby out whilst others have had long, intensive labours leading to a C-section. Regardless, we all hope to come out on the other side with a healthy baby in our arms. I often get asked how I gave birth without medicine and truthfully, I prepared as much as I could. I thought of it as a marathon. You wouldn’t turn up to one without any practice right? So why would you give birth without knowing your options?!
Whilst I understand not every birth plan works out, sometimes medical interventions are needed and people have different pain tolerance. Below is what helped me:
Hyponobirthing, this is a form of self hyponosis to assist the woman to feel physical, mentally and spiritually prepared for birth. It’s purpose is to reduce fear, anxiety and pain during childbirth. I started by reading up on it. Marie Mongon coined this term in 1989. Her thoughts behind this was the body and mind should be in a complete relaxed state which in return leads to a quick and painless birth as the body doesn’t fight natural processes. This seemed doable for me as I used my experience of meditation to help me. I did this every night, starting at 26 weeks. I listened to Katharine Graves Colour and Calmness, Confidence with Power. There is also a Hypnobirthing app that I purchased. I practiced breathing techniques including J breathing (google for reference). Rikin even got involved by using words such as “surge” and “waves” to replace “contractions”, to put a positive spin on anything fearful. The mind is far more powerful than I ever expected. Lastly, I practiced visualization techniques. This was harder for me. I can focus more on sounds than I do imagery. Again, the purpose is to have you daydream. Allowing your body to relax and to be in your happy state and to allow the body to work its process out of the fight or flight mode.
Ever find yourself looking for birthing tips on YouTube?! Well, I came across Built to Birth on YouTube. It’s by Bridget Teyler, a doula based in San Francisco. I found her so helpful. I can’t encourage you enough to take a glance at her page. So many topics explained in details with science and medical knowledge. She talks about everything you would need to know from morning sickness remedies, different types of birth and how to prepare for it, to postpartum care. She has over 180K subscribers on Youtube so she’s obviously doing an amazing job! She is just the sweetest even when you reach out to her and will also help you out.
Hire a doula. I did my research and went with a local reputable doula service, The Growing Place. You can look on www.dona.org for the ones around your local area. They provide support throughout pregnancy, birth and even postpartum. Though their services were altered during the pandemic, they certainly helped me with the process. We met in person and I had a team of two doulas. This gave me ease. I knew one of them would be available anytime should I have needed them. They checked in on me frequently, contacted me after all of my midwife appointments. We went through my birth plan and they made me realize that I was actually in labour and not having Braxton Hicks. While I would have loved their physical presence in the hospital, Covid 19 didn’t allow that but they were there via the phone throughout. At every stage of me being in labour, my midwife and doula were on the same page. Although my midwife was medically in charge and supported me 110%, Rikin was constantly on the phone to our doula. She mirrored all of the suggestions the midwife was making to me but to Rikin all at the same time. All their techniques and alternative interventions were on par with one another. Looking back, although the doula was hired to provide guidance and support for me, I’m certain she did more to provide comfort and confidence to Rikin.
Calm wife + calmer husband = happy birth.
Go with a practice that has midwives. This is NOT me bashing OB’s. A midwives role is to provide you with holistic support and guide you to give birth with little interventions. I cannot emphasize how much I loved our midwife. I met her for the first time during my intake. She was everything I needed and more. Her softly spoken ways yet firm and comforting. Her non-invasive approach and unconditional support for both Rikin and I during the birth was a true delight. There was a moment when I questioned taking the epidural and she lovingly guided me into the shower and demonstrated pressure points on my back for Rikin to ease the heightening of the contractions. Did you know that Asians are more likely to experience severe perineal lacerations?! I whole hearted swear that my midwife was the sole reason I only experienced a stage one tear. She sat there and massaged my perineal from when I was fully dilated to the point Axel was out. This massage helps soften the tissue by gently manipulating it. Resulting in tissue that can stretch over the baby’s head and body without abruptly tearing. Erika from Labour and Delivery, Cedar Crest, if this blog post ever reaches you, know you were a godsend and I hope we cross paths again someday.
Share your desires with your partner. Rikin knew how much I longed to give birth without medicine. Even in a moment of weakness he reminded me what I had visualised and guided me back. He understood that this could be my only chance to give birth and I wanted to be present. I wanted to pay homage to my mother and our mothers before her. I had gone through months of poking and probing. The fear of getting an epidural outweighed any threshold of pain for me. I had a strong foundation to “why” which made everything that much more easier.
Happy birthing! x