Thursday, May 22, 2008

Breathe in....

...And breathe out. Our birthing class focused a lot of relaxation tonight, helping baby mama through contractions with massage, breathing, etc. Then we learned about drugs. Quite possibly, if this is even possible, the epidural sounds more frightening than natural childbirth. I think S. felt the same way.

This post is really a reminder to myself to just OMMMMMMMM......really, try it. It feels great! Or just scream, or sigh, or moan. Any noise to relieve stress. The vibrations in your chest do relieve tension--it's not just a hippy-dippy yoga thing! Ommm on this weekend, everyone!



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

i agree, my fear of the epidural was much bigger than that of med free childbirth.i didn't know how on earth i'd stay still - through contractions - while they put it in. thankfuly my plan not to have it worked.

another thing they didn't tell us in the class is that the area hurts for months after as well (i'd heard this from several women how had epis)!

Anonymous said...

Same here - the thought of an epidural scared the bejeezus out of me. (In the end, I admit, I did plead for one, but I was so far dilated, it didn't end up happening.) As for noises, I found a good solid HOOTING did the trick. Well as much of a trick as can be expected, given the whole pushing a human out of me thing that was going on at the time :)

Anonymous said...

I feel the same way about an epidural being MORE scary than many of the other labor things... (I'm 26.5 weeks along now). But I also fractured my spine (vertebra L-1) a few years ago, and the thought of messing with it is totally unappealing! People say that in the heat of the moment, they don't CARE about the pain/fear... but I think I'll STILL care! My plan is for no epidural!

Anonymous said...

One of my favourite parts of yoga class is the Om chant. It is such a beautiful thing chanting in a room with a crowd of people. Yes, I'm destined to join a cult.

The beheaded Buddhas photo is going to give me a nightmare!

Amanda Hanzlik said...

S - yep, I was terrified of an epidural....way scarier than pushing a baby out.....
I ohmmed my way through 8 hours of labor, and it helped SO MUCH...long low tones...it was amazingly centering, and assisted me in kind of entering a really focused and zen place in my mind. My midwife said it sounded like a meditative chant of some kind, it just came out...whatever it was...the noise helped!

more BEANS please said...

Well I'm not pushing any baby out in (although hopefully in the not too distant future), but I really hear you on the OMMMMM and what a great reminder your post was to breathe. I do a chi ball breath,which is basically - deep breath in raise the hands to the sky, bring them down slowly to the prayer position while letting your breath leave your body slowly with a lovely "Chiiiiiiiiiii". Ahhhhhh........

Unknown said...

I cannot believe you only have 46 days to go! wow!

I did the whole natural childbirth "thing", and I'll be doing it again someday if I have it my way. Not that you asked me... :-)