The idea of feeling comfortable while laboring sounds like a laborious idea already. But it is not impossible. It’s important to feel calm and comfortable while you labor and deliver, and will even help relax you which can help your baby come out smoothly. There are small and simple things you can do to your environment that can bring comfort measures to your labor, and then some things you can do with your body to help bring about comfort when you experience discomfort or pain during your labor and delivery experience.
Here are some things you can do to help make your environment a more comfortable experience:
Lighting
For many women, having a dim room helps them focus and feel calm while they labor, for many others it can be having the lights on or having natural light come through the windows. This is a good time to think about how what make you feel more calm and comfortable. It’s okay if you change your mind during labor, sometimes you don’t know what you prefer until you are in the situation. But taking time to be aware of what environment is comfortable will help you greatly while you labor.
Music
The power of music is real and can influence your thoughts and feelings. When you listen to music, it is shown to help manage stress, regulate breathing, reduce pain, influence emotions and support you emotionally, increase oxytocin which can help the progress of labor and pain management, and music help you bond with your baby. (10 Benefits of Using Music in Labor – Heart and Harmony Music Therapy ) It can be calm music, empowering music, movie soundtracks, or even rock music! Finding music that works best for you, and creating your own playlist can be an amazing tool to help you in your comfort measures in your birth experience. Listening to music during your pregnancy will also help you as you go through discomfort. Calming music helped me best during my pregnancy, labor and delivery. Here’s my playlist I had put together for my birth experience to help you get started. Birthing Music
Affirmations
Affirmations have just as much power as music does. The message you tell yourself, whether positive or negative, will impact how you respond to labor and delivery (and especially during your pregnancy). When you tell yourself positive messages about your labor and delivery, your brain treats it as if it is actually happening. Your brain cannot tell apart what you truly believe and what is actually real, which shows the power of affirmations. You can rather say them aloud, have them written in cards and hang them around the room, or have your birth team/spouse say them to you. Many parents have had their children write down affirmations or draw pictures as a way to become involved in their mom’s delivery. Saying or listening them throughout your pregnancy will help you become prepared for labor and delivery. Find a way that works best for you to provide affirmations through your labor and delivery. Many birth classes offer affirmations. Here is a playlist of affirmations I have put together for my birth that have helped me, and hopefully will help you get started. Birth Meditations/Affirmations 🤰
Essential Oils/Aromatherapy
Essentials oils, both through aromatherapy and topically, can help you in becoming more comfortable during your labor and delivery (and even pregnancy) experience. Essentials oils can help in different aspects of your labor; such as clary sage helping with healthy contractions (only use during active labor), orange or lemon for energy, lavender for relaxation, peppermint for tummy trouble, frankincense to help with focus and improve mood, and black pepper for muscle support. Make sure you bring a diffuser or that your birth location will provide one. It is important to talk to your care provider of what oils to use for aromatherapy or topically to help you best.
Heat/Cold/Water/Massage
A comforting measure that can also help can come from heat and/or cold pads or a warm bath. Especially if you go through back labor, having these tools can help you manage pain or discomfort. Many women love to labor in a warm bath to help manage contractions and calm them. Having a doula or a spouse massage with their hands or with a DIY tennis balls back massager (Pregnancy Back Pain Relief with this AMAZING DIY Massager ) is also a great way to relieve pain and relax your body.
Clothing and Personal Toiletries
The clothing you wear should also help you feel comfortable Labor in what’s comfortable for you. Rather that’s a baggy shirt and sweat pants, just a bra and bath robe, or if you rather labor naked that works too! Start thinking about w hat you want to labor in and what sounds comfortable to wear or not wear! Sometimes you can have dry skin or lips which can become uncomfortable, so bringing lotion or a chapstick can help relieve that dry feeling. Here are some other toiletries to think about bringing; hair ties/headbands, dry shampoo/shampoo and conditioner, pads/liners, and a set of new clothes.
Now here are some positions you can do with your body that can help in comfort measures. These are a great ones to practice and communicate with your birth team
During Labor
Taking time to rest is important during early labor, so having a pillows/your pregnancy pillow and laying on your left side on the bed or the floor can help you rest before you go into active labor. Sitting or rotating your hips, or bouncing on a a birth ball can help open your pelvis, relieve back pain, and keep you aligned. Having a Rebozo is a popular tool to help relieve pain. It can be a oversized scarf, shawl, or a baby wrap. It wraps around your belly, and then is gently pulled by a doula or your spouse from side to side, to help relax the muscles. This can also help aid in rotating and descending the baby. Lunging, rather by kneeling or standing, can help with positioning the baby, being on your hands and knees, standing and leaning on your spouse or yoga ball are also different strategies to help bring comfort whiling you labor. Constantly moving and changing positions are the best way to help you. Below is an image of different positions you can try to help you.
During Delivery
Squatting or being on your hands and knees are great positions to help baby through the birth canal as you go through transition. Also counterpressure, double hip squeeze, or a massage can help with back labor or any pain or discomfort that comes from delivering. Here is a picture below of other positions that can help delivering your baby.
These are few of the many ways that can help bring you comfort as you bring your child into the world. These strategies are also great for pregnancy and as you practice them, will benefit you as you prepare for labor and delivery. Here at the Utah Birth Place, we are here to help and support you as find strategies that best help you, please reach out if you need any guidance in preparing for your special day.
