Learning relaxation techniques during pregnancy serves you well.
A few minutes of practice every day conditions your body to relax when you want it to - making relaxing during labor much easier.
To fully relax you need to be aware of two things: your breathing and the tension in your body.
It sounds simple, but for many people it's tough to slow down enough to notice these things fully.
Begin by finding a quiet, relaxing place to lie or sit down. Close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Quiet your thoughts and notice your breath going in and going out. Focus on your chest rising and falling.
Pay attention to how you breathe now -- and the rest of the day. When you're moving through your day, take time to focus on how you're breathing. If you're upset or frustrated, purposefully calm your breathing.
You don't want to take exaggerated breaths. But you do want to take deep, calming breathes. As you first notice your breathing you may want to take one very deep breath - a cleansing breath. Then begin your rhythmic breathing in and out.
It can be tough to figure out how to relax your body, so try this simple exercise. Ball your fist and hold it tightly. Notice the tension in your hand. Now do this with the muscles in your forearm. Now with the muscles in your upper arm. Feel the tension.
You can do this with the muscle groups all over your body. Go from the top of your head down to the tips of your toes. Notice each group of muscles you can voluntarily control - even the ones you usually never think of.
Now go back and do the same thing. Ball your fist again. But this time hold your fist in a ball for a few seconds - then release. Let go of all the tension, let it melt out of your hand so that your hand is hanging soft, limp, and partly flexed.
Do this with all those muscle groups you just tensed. By doing this exercise, you learn what your body feels like tense, and what it feels like in a totally relaxed state. Some muscle groups (your forehead, your neck, and your shoulders perhaps) may be very hard to relax. You're so used to holding tension there that you really have to focus to let it out. Keep working at it.
Again, watch yourself throughout the day. Notice how you respond to certain situations and how you tense your body.
Practice letting go. If you tense your neck and throat when you get frustrated, practice letting go of the tension as soon as you notice it beginning
Begin by getting comfortable. You can do this sitting or when you lie down.
If you're going to be lying down be sure that you're on your side, and use pillows to support your body and your belly if you need to.
Make the time to do this every day. If you're caught in traffic and getting frustrated - start your breathing and relaxation. If you're angry - start your breathing and relaxation. If you're scared - start your breathing and relaxation. You get the idea!
You'll begin to condition yourself to relaxing. Your body will be very used to it, and in labor it will come naturally - simply because you've trained your body to relax. The calm, deep breathing is also excellent breathing to use throughout labor.
In the remarkable (and recommended) book Birthing From Within
, Pam England gives a chapter of extensive pain relief options for natural birth. In the book she recommends practicing the pain relief techniques using an ice cube.
Hold an ice cube in your hand while you attempt to calm your breathing and relax your body. It's a whole lot harder isn't it! The ice is a constant distraction, and can even be painful, as you try to relax. It's effective practice for labor.
If you find that you master having the ice in your hand, have a helper hold it behind your ear as you try to relax. Breathe and let go as the cold throbs behind your ear and icy water slides down your neck! It's an excellent exercise!
If you'd like more detailed information and guidance on how you can discover effective relaxation techniques for labor (and how your partner can actually be helpful using them with you during labor), check out this childbirth skills course - it goes above and beyond your childbirth education so you get skills that will help you relax and stay in control during labor.
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