Go Ahead and Move!!!

In one of my classes, I was watching a couple during their labor rehearsal--during the part of the class when couples combine the breathing and positions and pretend they're actually in labor. The woman was holding a piece of ice during the "contractions" and working hard to figure out the best way to deal with the pain from the ice. She started rocking back and forth a little. And her coach told her to stop rocking and stay still. After the "contraction" she put her ice down and told her coach that the rocking was helping. And for many people a little movement is a great way to deal with contractions.

Many women find swaying, rocking, pounding, patting, lunging and rocking helpful during labor. The movement releases the energy of contractions and prevents many women from tensing up during the contractions.

But there was a bigger problem in this situation. A woman found a great way to deal with her contractions and her coach told her it was wrong. While coaches always have the best of intentions, it's easy to tell people what they're doing is wrong, especially if it looks a little weird. She may be doing something we'd never do, that seems like it would make the contractions worse. But if it's working for her, it shouldn't be messed with. If you're unsure whether something she's doing is helping, simply ask her between contractions.

How to Use the Room

You and your partner have been practicing positions for weeks and know which ones you want to use. But now that you’re in your labor room, you’re struggling to use the room. You also don’t know where the TV is, where extra towels are or where the call button for the nurse is. Here are some tips for using your birthing facility room.

• Page the nurse if you can’t get hot water in the shower, can’t get the toilet to flush or can’t find something. It’s part of her job to help you.

• Open up the cupboards. If it’s not locked, peek inside to see what’s in there. Grab towels, sheets, blankets and washcloths. If you’re not sure what something is though, don’t touch or try to play with it. You may accidently set off an alarm.

• Find out how to unhook the fetal monitor. If mom has to be on the fetal monitor you don’t want to have to take it completely off each time she has to run to the bathroom. Ask the nurse to show you how to unhook the wires and how to hook them back in (it’s very easy). Promise your nurse you’ll only unhook mom after getting your nurse’s approval.

• Figure out how to use the bed (and no, not in that way—we’re trying to get the baby out, not put another in there). Your partner’s bed can be raised up so mom can lean onto a birthing ball and put her cheek onto it. The back of the bed can lean up so she can kneel, facing the back of the bed and get a massage. Many hospital beds can be made into a chair for mom’s comfort.

• Use the hospital table that fits over the bed for various positions. These can be raised and locked into place for mom to lean on and get a back rub. Just make sure you lock the wheels or place a washcloth against them so the table doesn’t move.

• Look for a small stool in your room. The stool is great if mom wants to slow dance but you’re an uncomfortable height for her. The stool is also great for shorter moms while they’re hopping into and out of bed or while she's sitting in a chair and getting a foot rub. You can even use the stool for sitting on next to mom if you don't want to sit on the floor (just put a cushion on it).

• Lay blankets and sheets on the ground for mom to lie on if she wants to lie on the floor. Use lots of support to make mom as comfortable as possible.

• Learn how to page the nurse, how to work a CD player, the TV and any other electronics in your room. That way you don’t fool around with it for a while, potentially breaking things or changing settings, before finally realizing you don’t know what you’re doing and need the nurse to fix everything.

• Use pillows and blankets to make chairs and rocking chairs as comfortable as possible.