Being in Control in Labour
I find that the issue of remaining in control or the idea of losing it is what most occupies a pregnant woman’s mind.Many women during pregnancy describe to me they do not want to think about labour. They do not give themselves a chance to imagine it will be great, so entrenched are their fears and anxieties .The assumption being it is an ordeal to live through, a dreadful experience. A 16 year old told me this week that she has been burying her head in the sand, so deep is her belief despite her young age.
As an NHS Midwife since 1993, I have had many experiences in London and Somerset of observing, and enabling women to have great births and supporting those to have their best possible birth even if it’s not what was originally on their birth plan. Does this change to their intentions mean they feel forever traumatised? Sometimes yes and sometimes no, so what is the difference and how can we be more comfortable with birth in any shape or form?
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Since 2005 I have been teaching HypnoBirthing classes, and this has greatly enhanced my understanding of the mind body interface during pregnancy and birth. That is to say, how do the thoughts in our head affect how our body manages in labour, and what contributions does baby make? Do women trust in the birthing process and do they listen to their intuition? What choices are there for remaining in control or it is a misnomer?
The mind is responsible for how we think and what we think determines how we react to situations and those around us, we all know this. Unfortunately it is not recognised in pregnancy, labour and birth. This is a flaw. As soon as I explain to couples about their thoughts creating chemicals and hormones in their mind and body which have a direct affect on their baby and birth, they can take responsibility for their thoughts. They can recognise the unhelpful ones and together we can work to release and rid them of any negative thought patterns or behaviours which may inhibit their ability to feel relaxed about their upcoming birth.
Embryology is a miraculous process, a baby develops from a few cells to become an amazing new person with eyelashes and finger nails, all reflexes present, all systems working perfectly. How is it then that the section rate is so high and post natal depression rate so high? The amount of women choosing elective caesarean section is incredibly high.
Medicalisation is normal and fear lives and breathes around childbirth. Where is the
control and who has it ? When Women call me and say on the phone
“I am interested in doing the HypnoBirthing classes with you as I don’t want to take drugs and I want to remain in control”, I need to pause and take a breath.
In my experience there is no space for control in labour but there is a place for using willpower to remain relaxed. Relaxation is the opposite of control and yet relaxation is crucial .We know that water is fantastic for its relaxation properties and aromatherapy and massage too. Being relaxed means all the muscles of the uterus are able to work as they should do, and it means Mum stays energised as there is no adrenaline in her system which creates fatigue and exhaustion.
I only learned about the importance of relaxation when I trained in HypnoBirthing. Of course my Midwifery colleagues and I know about relaxation but it is viewed in a very different way : the learned way to offer a woman relaxation is to offer drugs , which have side effects to the baby and alter a mother’s perception , memory , self esteem , ability to breathe properly and cloud her intuition. So when I hear women say “ I want drugs to keep in control”, I think , but they wont give you the control you imagine they will , and there is the paradox .
My understanding of the mind and how as Mothers we can change our children’s experience of being in the womb and their journey in labour and birth through self hypnosis, breathing and relaxation has further been enhanced by training to be a clinical hypnotherapist. For me the most important aspect of all pre birth learning and attention to the developing baby is that parents respect and consider their baby in all situations and this is only possible when they have the confidence and inner strength as a couple together.
Fear needs to go; confidence needs to be nurtured and supported; and relaxation needs to be part of daily life. When a Woman can adopt such attitudes she can then drop needing to have control as she realises that birth is about submission to the process and not part of a successful experience. Only then can she trust in herself to make decisions which may need to be taken.
This photo is of Mia Price, who was born in water after a 4 hour labour which her Mum describes as amazing. Her Mother had worked hard to get to a Midwife-led Unit as the consultant had originally planned for her to give birth in the consultant unit. However by great communication between Mia’s Parents and the Doctors, she was given the green light to go to a low risk unit and here she is!
© Eleanor Copp
April 2008
Click HERE for more information about Eleanor’s work.
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