Why CounterPressure in Labor is Counterproductive

Utilizing counterpressure in labor is a fast technique to carry ache reduction when wanted! Most girls know “again labor” could make contractions extra painful, and that counter-pressure stops that. It is a good instrument, nevertheless it’s additionally vital to perceive why again labor occurs and when different strategies can carry reduction and get labor transferring extra easily.

Your child’s place vastly impacts what you are feeling through the contractions. Utilizing strategies that reposition your child can velocity labor up and make contractions much less painful. 

I am going to focus on what causes again labor, the professionals and cons of counter strain, and different consolation measures to carry ache reduction and optimum child positioning.

When you’re hoping for an unmedicated start, I am going to cowl tricks to get the ache underneath management, get baby in a good position, and have the pure start expertise you’ve got ready for!

What’s Again Labor and Why am I Having It?

Counterpressure is utilized in labor for again labor.

Again labor is persistent ache in your again, particularly low in your again round and simply above your tailbone. Your tailbone (technically referred to as your coccyx) attaches to a bony plate in the back of your pelvis. This plate is your sacrum; above the plate is your backbone.

The sacrum kinds the again of your pelvis and attaches to the remainder of your pelvic bones by cartilage that softens throughout being pregnant (your pelvis is not inflexible and your child can transfer by means of it!). Try the graphic under to see the sacrum: 

Again labor is felt as decrease again ache – in your tailbone, your sacrum, and the decrease a part of your backbone.

This labor ache is usually due to a posterior child, which implies your child’s again is up towards your again. The again of your child’s head pushes towards the tailbone and sacrum throughout contractions, inflicting again labor. You might hear this child place known as occiput posterior. 

The “occiput” is your child’s head. Click here to read my full article on baby position – it consists of illustrations and video!

I used my useful doll mannequin, Ari, to indicate you what occurs if you labor with a child within the posterior place. As you’ll be able to see, the child’s head pushes towards the sacrum and tailbone because it engages throughout lively labor:

You might not really feel a number of strain throughout early labour, when the child remains to be larger within the pelvis. However as child strikes down throughout lively labour and the again of his or her head places intense strain on the sacrum, again ache will get extra pronounced.

(NOTE: Need a Good Start Plan Template? Use this template and step-by-step movies to put in writing a start plan that will get your start crew in your facet for a ravishing start expertise! Get the birth plan kit here.)

CounterPressure Strategies for Fast Ache Reduction

The aim of counter-pressure in labor is to present ache reduction. By pushing in onerous in your sacrum, your start associate helps to push again towards child’s head, lessening the ache that you just really feel.

It is efficient, which is why there are tales of daddies exhausted from hours of counterpressure. Some doulas carry tennis balls of their start baggage to rub into the sacrum and provides counter strain. Here is an image of the artistic answer one in all my MamaBaby Birthing course college students got here up with:

Listed below are directions on your help individual to do counter-pressure successfully:

You might must strive totally different counter strain factors over or to the facet of the sacrum (typically on the prime of her bum) – you’ll know if you get the “proper” spot!

Hold regular strain on this space – keep away from rubbing, massaging, and many others.

The quantity of strain it is advisable use could appear to be so much, however it is going to carry big reduction to her!

Utilizing a ball to therapeutic massage and apply counterpressure in labor:

This methodology is usually very efficient at controlling the ache of labor and start!

In actual fact, the issue is not that counterpressure relieves ache. The issue is that is the one factor it does!

Whereas it is an enormous reduction to cease that ache, it does not deal with the reason for the again labor to start with, which is child’s place.

Use the approach to get a break from the depth of the contractions, however take into account combining it with different strategies that assist open the pelvis so child can rotate and transfer into an optimum place.

This each lessens the ache and helps labor transfer ahead easily (and possibly extra shortly!).

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Click here for details on MamaBaby Birthing, my complete online birthing course. Utilized by hundreds of birthing households, you will be fully ready for a ravishing, protected, and assured start expertise.

Getting Lasting Reduction (and a Smoother Start)

The aim of labor and birthing is to get your child out! Counterpressure in labor could trigger your child to take longer to show and be born as a result of it is simply pushing again towards your child reasonably than serving to her or him to rotate. This results in a protracted labor, or perhaps a labor stall, which isn’t what you need!

Counter-pressure brings reduction and can purchase you relaxation time with out utilizing ache remedy. When you’ve been working onerous, really feel extreme ache, or your child is a persistent posterior and you feel worn out, undergo a number of contractions with counter-pressure.

Relaxation between, and benefit from the lessened depth whereas somebody applies strain to your sacrum. As soon as you feel extra in management, your start companions can add in further strategies.

These could result in a shorter length of labor! Good labor progress and a neater start are each attainable if you create more room in the pelvis.

The Double Hip Squeeze

Among the best strategies for that is the Double-Hip Squeeze:

This video demonstrates tips on how to transfer your palms:

Use the flat or heels of your palms to use strain in, in direction of the middle of her physique

You might must strive some totally different positions. These movies present tips on how to press – use a gentle urgent motion as soon as you discover the best place

You can too do that with a helper, which makes it simpler for the start associate!

Utilizing the heel of your palms might be simpler than the flat if the mother needs a number of strain. If doing this with two start companions, place one hand over your different as you push in.

The Double Hip Squeeze gives strain reduction and might help open up the underside of the pelvis. 

When mother is in a hands-and-knees place the ischial tuberosities (sitz bones) can unfold extra simply, serving to the child rotate into an optimum place whereas relieving strain for the mom. The mama’s forward-leaning place additionally encourages the child to rotate.

Alternate the double-hip squeeze with counter-pressure if wanted to assist carry extra reduction to the mom. Collectively they might help considerably!

Extra Strategies for Again Labor

Most infants will flip throughout labor. Infants need to flip anterior. Some infants are born “sunny facet up,” however most will activate their very own throughout labor until hindered by medicines (proof reveals that the epidural, for instance, causes infants to be posterior).

Being pregnant Ideas for Getting Your Child Right into a Good Place

Your objective throughout birthing it to assist your child do the turning he/she must. When you can persuade your child to show earlier than labor, that is the perfect!

Your pelvis is perfect for birthing your baby and can OPEN superbly on your child!

Posture could play a task in that – do not lean again in chairs too usually! Sitting on a start ball and leaning ahead barely (comfortably) on the hips is an efficient technique to sit at your desk/desk.

Spending a while kneeling or on hands-and-knees each day will assist too.

Have to stretch out? Lie down on the sofa in your left facet, leaning barely into your stomach.

Ideas for Positioning Child Throughout Labor

Throughout labor you should utilize a number of the similar strategies – sitting on a start ball or hands-and-knees positions can encourage the child to show. 

If you will get right into a start tub, you will discover that your freedom of motion will increase. You will naturally transfer to positions or transfer in ways in which assist your child transfer down. Exterior the bathtub, strive standing the place you rock and sway your hips.

Your start associate is not ignored. She or he can help you standing (keep away from squats till the child has turned).

Some strategies, such because the hip press or stomach sifting (performed with a rebozo or scarf) can create extra room inside your pelvis and get child to show.

Stomach sifting is finest performed with somebody skilled to indicate you tips on how to do it (your doula is a superb useful resource!) – this video provides a fast preview:

Strolling and hip spiraling/dancing, sitting on a start ball, and spiraling your hips are nice methods to maneuver by means of intense contractions. You are still encouraging your child to show and transfer down by means of your pelvis.

Place Adjustments

Strikes from any of the above positions to a different can open up room in your pelvis and assist your child transfer down. Place adjustments are particularly vital when you’ve been reclining again for some time. Getting up and transferring to a greater place cannot solely get your child transferring down, but in addition helps relieve ache.

Good positions to strive when you’re feeling again ache:

The Open Knee-Chest Place

This place is good for transferring your child. Here is tips on how to do it:

This place is not probably the most comfy or sustainable for a protracted time frame, however it’s glorious for transfer child again out of your pelvis. This will ease again labor and create room on your child to rotate.

It is a good place to make use of when you’re feeling again strain or ache in early labor. Try to keep on this place for half-hour or so.

Then stand up and transfer into a method that may assist child rotate, equivalent to sitting on a start child whereas leaning ahead into the mattress. You can too sit up on the start ball and rotate your hips. Or strive gradual dancing whereas leaning into your associate.

Here is a full list of positions to try during labor.

Gradual Dancing

Gradual dancing, or different positions that give your hips plenty of motion, might help you deal with labor’s power whereas encouraging your child to spiral down into the pelvis in an optimum place.

Throughout my labors I preferred to lean on my lavatory counter, which is a low counter. I pressed my palms down firmly into the counter, about shoulder-width aside. That supported my weight so I might sway or spiral my hips forwards and backwards.

This was my favored place till I obtained into the start tub with my previous couple of infants. It helped me cope with the contractions (typically moaning/vocalizing too) whereas additionally transferring my infants down.

Labor progressed in a short time as soon as I obtained within the tub!

Wish to know extra about how I deal with labor ache after 8 infants?  Click here to listen to my podcast on labor pain!

Water Start Advantages

In case your start coach can get into the birthing tub with you, making use of counter strain or doing a hip squeeze is feasible. It is extra doubtless, nevertheless, that you will be within the tub your self with out that added approach.

Heat water has been proven to assist in labor all by itself, particularly when you’ll be able to immerse in a start tub.  Water birth is a great option for you and baby!

You’ll be able to have a bathtub when you’re having a house start, and plenty of start heart and hospital birthing rooms now provide a bathtub for labor (and typically hospital workers is open to water start as properly).

Water helps present even help and strain round your physique, taking away a number of the weight and instantly canceling out some aches and labor ache. It is such an ideal reduction that many mothers swear by it! Research have proven that birthing in water might be as efficient as ache drugs for a lot of mamas.

It will not completely take the ache away, as an epidural would possibly, nevertheless it relieves the discomfort of the contractions so to get right into a rhythm and deal with labor extra simply.

Having a start tub obtainable for labor has different advantages, like decreasing blood strain and supplying you with freedom of motion. Shifting extra simply might help you get your child in a very good place for birthing. Along with lessening muscle stress, the heat water might help you soften and chill out pelvic muscle mass, providing child a neater time rotating.

These proactive actions not solely assist you to deal with these heavy contractions whereas child is posterior, they assist you to get your child to show and put together for an easy journey into your arms.

The Labor Ache Administration Sequence