Back to Basics Birthing with Vicki Hobbs

In Episode 13 I shared some information about medical pain relief options, so now as promised I want to also provide you with some natural methods of pain relief. It is important to recognise that all of these techniques may not make pain completely disappear, but they may be instrumental in helping you to cope through the intensity of your labour therefore providing good pain relief. What is painful for one woman, may not be for the next. We all have our own perceptions of pain and we are all different when it comes to what our thresholds are. Again, what works for one woman may be useless for you, so you need to just have a whole toolbox full of options that you can systematically work through. Make sure your birth team and partner know that they can utilise all these techniques as well to provide comfort and support to you during your labour and birth.

So this podcast is following on from my previous podcast on Protecting Your Rights as a Childbearing Woman. When women experience what they consider to be a bad, difficult, disappointing or traumatic birth it is important for them to be acknowledged and her feelings validated – because this just doesn’t go away and they can’t just “get over it” and move on. We know that the way a woman is treated during pregnancy, labour and birth can have a huge impact on her postpartum experience and so we have to protect the mother and her emotional health. A healthy mother makes a healthy baby.

This Episode is Part 1 of Protecting Your Rights. 

Women need to know that they do have rights, they can refuse treatment without discrimination, shame or disrespect and healthcare providers need to support a woman’s choice whether they like it or not. Just because a woman is having a baby does not mean that she loses her voice, her rights to her body or her dignity, so this podcast is to educate you so you feel confident and aware of your rights as a childbearing woman in Australia. 

One of the main fears women have about their labour and birth will be whether or not they will be able to cope with the intensity of pain. Here are some medical pain relief options for labouring women to give you a starting point of what is available, but also what you need to do more research on, so you understand all the risks and benefits.

Orgasms release copious amounts of oxytocin therefore I am a big advocate for female orgasms during labour when things start to slow down or stall. If it is a choice between synthetic oxytocin and real oxytocin, what would you rather have? Just put a sign on your door saying “Please keep out – orgasm in progress” which not only allows you time with your partner in a quiet, undisturbed environment at least for a short period, but also so you can achieve an orgasm if required. 

One of the important physical aspects of the body during pregnancy is the pelvis. In this podcast I am going to introduce you to the bones, ligaments and common causes of pain in the pelvis during pregnancy. I will also offer suggestions on how you can ease pain in the pelvic area during pregnancy and prepare your body to be in optimum condition so your baby can get into optimum condition. 

When we discuss the clitoris and the perineum – the holy grail of womanhood comes to mind. We know episiotomy can impact on the function and healing of these two sacred parts of the female anatomy, so it is important for women to be educated on what you can do during labour and birth to reduce or eliminate the risk of tearing and decline routine episiotomy.

Here is a short relaxation meditation to help you wind down from a busy or stressful day. This meditation is not pregnancy or birth specific so anyone can use it to help them to become more relaxed. Give yourself time to rest, rejuvenate and replenish your energy stores and focus on your mind, your body and your emotions. Do not listen to this meditation while driving or operating machinery. Just take some time out to nurture yourself. 

Choosing a care provider for your birth can be a daunting task. Many women feel they are going to get a better birth by going with a private Obstetrician, but statistics show that women are more likely to have inductions, interventions or end up with a caesarean by going private, so it is important for you to have a list of questions to ask potential Obstetricians to notice any red flags or areas where your potential care provider may not be the right choice for you.

There are so many things to consider when you are planning your vaginal birth after caesarean (VBAC) and here are ten tips I put together to get you started, but you have to sit down and do your own mind-mapping to work out where you need more information, where you feel strong and confident and where you have mixed feelings and need to explore more.