So today I was looking over the books that it has been a while since I read them. I pulled "birthing normally" by gayle peterson off the shelf. Thought I would just open it to a chapter and begin to read it... found exactly what I needed to share with you today!
page 38 in the second edition- Psychophysiological Integration
This big word means the "integration of mind and body."
"Unhappy, dissatisfied mind states are reflected in body posture and movement. Our feelings can be read in our movements, as we physically relate to the world in context of our perception of ourselves in relation to others. the importance of getting familiar with our bodies and of making such information accessible to ourselves is reflected in the body experience of birthing. The more a woman can cooperate with her body to push her baby out, the smoother the journey through the vagina becomes. Being aware of tension, being able to relax and to let go of tension in a particular part of the body, becomes the process of yielding and working actively with the physical labor of birth."
I often tell my clients that I do not "allow" them to perch. Of course I allow them to do whatever they want to do- but if they are wanting to let a baby go- out of their body- then by "perching" pressing their arms and hands stiffly into the chair or bed, holding their body tight and up and away from allowing their bodies and bottoms to relax, then it is obvious the two don't work together. Thus by encouraging a mom to not perch, I help her to let her body release and let go. Thus this cooperation with the body eases her body out much better and easier. I like the words Gayle uses here- yielding and actively working. I often use the word surrender to help a mom yield. And I like that a mom is actively participating in her labor. Thus she is not delivered, but is allowing her body to birth.
"As women become aware of their bodies, they can begin to recognize anxiety and fear as it is translated into body tension. In this manner, women can be educated to the mind-body link and the relationship of live style and mental state to physical health."
Gayle teaches that active participation in relaxation exercises help a woman to be actively able to relax when in labor. Often times couples will learn techniques but then do not practice them once home. Active relaxation works best when it is practiced. It is like Pavlov's dog - the bell means food- so the dog begins to salivate when he hears the bell. When one practices active relaxation, it allows the body to learn the correct response to this stimuli.
"Fear, and especially unrecognized life stress, can constrict the life breathing passageways, as well as the birth-giving passageways of the body. Visualizing the labor process with positive suggestion for ability to birth can be instrumental in inspiring a change of attitude in particular women."
Often times couples do not address the fears they have about labor, birth or even parenting. If this fear is not addressed, it not only does not go away but it can arise expectantly in labor and cause labor problems. She goes on to suggest that using guided imagery in recordings can change our perception of pain and prepare us for labor as well as our partner. Guided imagery taps into our mostly unused part of our brain that is hungry to be fed. The creative right brain can guide us in our labors in the way that our analytical left brain can not! A woman allowed to go to "laborland" with her endorphins as her vehicle can use the resources of her right brain- the guided images that are laying wait to help her.
"We have found mind-body integration to be a most powerful means of effecting change on the physical level."
"Adequate preparation should leave a couple calm and strong on the gateway to the unknown. They have seen and examined their inner reflection in this pregnancy- their fears, desires and expectations. They have strengthened their inner resources for dealing with stress and the unknown in life. Labor is an unknown. A woman does not know what her labor will be like. Classes doe not prepare her for what her labor will be for her. So she is entering the unknown and knows it. She is prepared only to meet the unknown in herself and is confident in her ability to look to herself for resources needed during her labor. This has been her preparation- that only she can give birth and that she must look to herself for strength, stamina, and active participation in birthing her baby. If she has learned this, she has learned much more."
I wonder if the classes most students take begin to prepare them for this unknown. If the classes do not challenge you to search within to find the strength our bodies have- then is this proper preparation? This kind of preparation of the unknown is not just labor and birth preparation but parenting preparation and marriage preparation and life preparation!
So look to your childbirth preparation not as a means to teach you how to time contractions or know the static stages of labor- which they are far from being- but instead teach you to become confident in your ability to handle the unknown and make good decisions that are right for you along that journey.
1 comment:
Very well said! Our mind controls our reality. Birth preparation is so much more than what is taught in the typical classroom. It starts before you are even pregnant! It still amazes me that women will put more research into the type of crib and wall decorations for the nursery than where and how they birth. Thank you Teresa for continuing to educate. It serves all of us to keep each other informed.
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