Prepare for a no-fault birth. . . . If you confidently participate in all the decisions made during your labor and delivery—even those that were not in your birth plan—you are likely to look upon your birth with no blame and no regrets.
William Sears and Martha Sears, The Birth Book
The best way to manage a slowed or resting labor is to meet it with patience. Most HypnoBirthing families are better able to do that because they respectfully decline to use an Electronic Fetal Monitor (EFM).
Introduced onto the birthing scene in the 1980s, these machines were devised to help monitor the labors of women who were high-risk, but now with one in every room, the devices have become a huge drawback for the family who is not at risk. The biggest drawback of having an EFM in the birthing environment is that some medical caregivers tend to get overly caught up with tracings and patterns. There is the mistaken belief that a woman’s cervix must open according to some regulated pattern or time frame, or it needs to be “fixed.” The baby often ends up on the short end of the fixing.
A resting labor later does not mean that immediate steps need to be taken to restart the labor. Nature will have its way, and calm is what you need. After experiencing the calm of a nap, many mothers resume an active and even accelerated labor.
Ask for time to be able to use some of the same natural methods used to initiate or restart a resting labor. Ask for privacy so you can use natural methods—hugs before drugs. As long as indications point to a healthy, strong baby and you are in no danger, be willing to protect your baby from the assault of drugs.
Occasionally, when a mother accepts the suggestion of rupturing her membranes or of using a Pitocin drip, her labor does not move along more rapidly. Perhaps her body is being prompted into a labor that it is not quite ready for.
It is important for parents to meet all suggestions with curiosity. In the absence of a true medical urgency, the family should pause and consider the effects upon the mother and the baby, as well as the overall impact of the birthing experience. It is sometimes difficult for medical care providers, accustomed to directing and playing an active role in birthing, to adjust to waiting and “standing by” in the event that they are needed. But if this is how you see your labor advancing, this is what you should insist on.
Passing Time Through Labor
In addition to employing some of the suggestions in the section on inducing labor naturally, there are several ways in which you can pass time during a slow or resting labor that actually enhance your comfort and contribute to the opening and spreading of the pelvic area. For example:
The Birth Ball: The birth ball serves many purposes: It can offer you an alternative to remaining in bed during a prolonged labor; it is an excellent prop for you to support yourself by the side of your bed while your birthing companion applies Light Touch Massage; and it relaxes the pelvic muscles. Many hospitals provide birth balls for laboring mothers. Feel free to request one or bring your own. They’re fun and so beneficial.
Tub or Jacuzzi: The benefits of the tub or Jacuzzi have already been explained. Many mothers delight in spending a good deal of time in them if their labors are taking time. If you are using a regular tub rather than a special birthing tub, you’ll find that the depth of the water is rather shallow. In order to derive the most benefit from your stint in the tub, place a towel from the tips of your nipples down to your thighs to keep the protruding parts of your body warm. While gently scooping water over your body, your birthing companion can recite the usual prompts during your surges.
Shower: A warm shower, with the water directed to your abdomen, is also a good way to pass time and gives the effect of effleurage.
Humor: The breathing produced by laughter is one of the best means of relaxing. Pack several pieces of humorous reading. Many of the “humor” sections of Reader’s Digest provide an excellent source of short, amusing stories and quips. Humor increases the production of endorphins, which, in turn, block the introduction of catecholamine.
Nipple Stimulation: The stimulation of one or both nipples triggers the hormonal connection between the breast and the vagina, producing your body’s natural oxytocin that can enhance your uterine surges. Ask for the privacy to be able to use nipple stimulation. Your medical caregivers will be neither surprised nor embarrassed at your request.
Light Touch Massage: Light Touch Massage, described in an earlier chapter, is among the exercises that you will want to familiarize yourself with. Your HypnoBirthing practitioner will supply you with specific instructions for the massage. Here again, we have a wonderful source of endorphin production.
Walking: This is another advantage to keeping your own clothes. Walking around the birthing unit, the hospital or even the grounds is an excellent way to pass time in labor. Fresh air has been known to work wonders. The change of scenery often relieves some of the tension that can be felt when there seems to be concern about restarting labor.
If Labor Weakens
There may come a time when all accommodation to your wishes has been extended, but for some reason, an obvious pattern of decreased or severely weakened uterine activity forms, and your baby is not weathering it well. In such an instance, it may be determined that your birthing needs medical assistance.
In this kind of situation, you will find that your relaxed HypnoBirthing attitude and techniques can still help you through whatever turn your birthing may take. Understanding the need for medical intervention and, along with your birth companion, being a part of the decision-making team will help you accede to whatever preparations need to be made. You will remain calm and in control of your circumstances. This is HypnoBirthing.