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.