Natural Birth Methods

Types of Natural Childbirth Techniques

There are a number of different techniques that can be used when trying to have your baby without the use of any medical interventions. The following techniques have been successfully used for many years in aiding natural birth. If you are a candidate for natural childbirth, take time to study the different techniques to determine which might work best for you and your partner. It may also be useful to talk to a doctor or your childbirth Educator about your different options.

The Alexander Technique

In learning how to deal with his own vocal problem, F. M. Alexander (1869-1955) developed a technique for sitting, standing and moving with safety, efficiency, and ease. Anyone, including a pregnant woman, can learn to release muscular tension to increase breathing capacity and restore the body’s original poise and proper posture.
As your body begins to experience lower back pain, balance and digestive problems, and shortness of breath, simple modifications in your movement can help alleviate these symptoms. When the time for delivery arrives, you will be able to breathe better, calm yourself, focus during the birth, help open the cervix during dilation and prepare for effective pushing as the baby comes.

HypnoBirth in Chennai & Hyderabad

Self-Hypnosis to Reduce Pain in Labor and Childbirth

Using self-hypnosis, the mind can be reprogrammed to expect relaxation and pressure rather than fear and pain. This process reduces the amount of adrenaline that is produced, addressing one of the primary causes of dysfunction in labor. A hypno-birth also reduces the need for interventions including cesarean sections.
It is possible for the mind to produce its own anesthesia by training it to do so when needed. As pressure builds in the body it is a signal to the mind to relax even more so as the labor progresses the reaction in the body is one of release rather than fight.
Relaxation allows for the flowing with the birthing process, releasing tension and tightness. As the downward movement is not restricted by constriction of muscles, the labor can be shortened. In turn, this reduces the trauma on the baby, making for a more relaxed newborn.

Dispelling Misconceptions about Hypnosis for Labor and Childbirth

Admittedly, the idea of using hypnosis can conjure up all kinds of images. However, it is commonly used today therapeutically in a variety of areas in medicine, dentistry, and for personal use. There are a few facts about hypnosis that can make thinking about using this as a means of handling labor and birthing pain easier:
· All hypnosis is self-hypnosis. A hypnotherapist serves as a guide only. A person retains full control and can stay in or come out of a hypnotic state at will.
· Willingness, belief and motivation have influence of the ability of a person to be hypnotized.
· Hypnosis is neither sleep nor unconsciousness – a person can come out whenever they want.
· Stronger-willed people are easier to hypnotize (not the other way around)
· Nothing can be done against the will.
· It is simply a way to direct the inner mind toward something positive. It is not mind control.
· It is not a religious or satanic ritual.

Why Hypnosis for Labor and Birth is Important

During the process of learning hypnosis for labor and childbirth, a couple is taught how to surround themselves with positive messages and positive people. They are taught to create a positive picture of childbirth and to expect their experience will be wonderful, peaceful, beautiful, and filled with the good things they want in the birth.
Clearing fear is essential to the ability to embrace and allow positive mental processes and is done early in the process of learning hypnosis for childbirth.
As mentioned earlier, fear has negative outcomes in labor and delivery:
· fear creates tension
· tension creates pain
· fear and anxiety increase adrenaline production and intensifies pain
· fear causes a release of catecholamine that make the uterus work harder, creating more difficult and longer contractions
The removal of fear and the use of hypnosis during delivery have many benefits, including:
· hypnosis minimizes resistance of muscles to pain and delivery time is shortened
· hypnosis helps control nausea and vomiting and helps to stop post-partum depression
· hypnosis creates a peaceful birthing experience and peaceful baby
· hypnosis reduces the need for episiotomies, anesthesia, pain drugs and medical interventions
· hypnosis increases the mother’s confidence in her own ability to manage the birth naturally – she’s in control
Using hypnosis during pregnancy, labor and delivery can make everything more relaxed and it enhances the experience.
There are several types and methods of dealing with pain during labor and delivery. Investigate them on this site.

Water Delivery/Birth in Chennai

10 Reasons to Have a Water Birth

Advocates of water birth provide a long list of benefits, some of which are included here:
· Provides greater comfort and mobility because the mother can move around with greater ease to change position in order to help the baby descend the birth canal.
· There is a reduction in pressure on the abdomen as a result of the buoyancy the water provides. Buoyancy promotes more efficient uterine contractions and better blood circulation. The result is better oxygenation of the uterine muscles, less pain for the mother and more oxygen for the baby.
· Water buoyancy also helps the mother conserve her energy. Immersion in water reduces the opposition to gravity, supporting the mother’s weight so that her energy can be used to focus on the contractions.
· The comfort of the warm water promotes deeper relaxation. Relaxation causes hormones to respond and the labor progresses better, more efficiently.
· The pelvic floor muscles become relaxed in water.
· Pain is minimized in water reducing the need for medications for pain.
· Water facilitates the second stage of labor. Many women are less inhibited in water and the warm water softens the vagina, vulva, and perineum, leading to fewer tears and injuries.
· A woman feels empowered when she delivers her baby while remaining awake, aware and in control. It enhances the birth experience for her and enriches her life though a sense of personal strength.
· It’s easier for men to become more involved in the entire process because the woman’s pain level and stress is greatly reduced. Usually men cannot endure seeing their partners in extreme pain or stress. Water birth significantly reduces that concern.
· Better interactions with the child ensue as a mother who has had a beautiful experience birthing her child will have an especially positive association with the baby and likewise, the baby who has not had trauma in birth will be relaxed and positive with the mother.
During the water birth, both mother and baby should be attended by someone who is well experienced in water births to monitor the progress of the labor and the condition of the baby. There are special underwater Doppler devices that can keep track of the baby’s heartbeat and, if the birth is done in a hospital or birthing center, IV lines can be run if necessary.

How can I prevent the need to have an episiotomy?

The following measures can reduce the need for an episiotomy:

• Good nutrition–healthy skin stretches more easily!
• Kegels (exercise for your pelvic floor muscles)
• A slowed second stage of labor where pushing is controlled
• Warm compresses and support during delivery
• Use of perineum massage techniques
• Avoiding lying on your back while pushing