No, not reduce, reuse, recycle, or even readin', ritin', and 'rithmatic (although those sure do come in handy!).
My doula trainer taught me that if a woman in labor has these three "R"s -- rhythm, ritual, and relaxation -- she is most likely coping well with the pain of labor. I have found this to bear true! Most moms in labor that I attend practice various techniques for breathing and relaxation which is really useful for a good part of labor. But almost without fail, she ends up doing something of her own invention, repeating it with every contraction. It's amazing to see, really wonderful. I find that in speaking to the moms after, this part of the labor is fondly remembered, that they impressed themselves when they let their mind stop fighting their bodies.
Anyone want to share experiences or observations?
2 comments:
I was very calm and relaxed all during labor. My ritual was to lean over a countertop or table and sway my hips back and forth during a contraction, breathing in and out slowly (I wasn't thinking about my breathing, just doing it naturally that way).
is this from the birth partner? i just read this, GREAT book.
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