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When I went into labour I had no idea what pain relief I wanted to use and very little about what options were available. All I knew was that I wanted a natural birth but would keep an open mind.
By Mummy
There are many different pain relief options, I have written a bit about each type, some I can comment on from experience but others I have written about from knowledge that I have gained from research.
Breathing: Learning how to breathe deeply and calmly will help control the pain. A panicky breathing can restrict the oxygen supply to certain muscles which can increase the cramping and pain.
Visualisation: Another method that some people find useful is to try and focus on an object whenever there is a contraction. The idea of this technique is to escape the pain by concentrating on something other than the pain.
This is part 4, a few days after the birth what are my overall feelings about the experience of labor from a fathers perspective.
By Dad
Firstly I'd have to recommend sharing in the experience with your partner. I know it was tempting to leave it up to Clare and her Mum but we would have missed out big time. It has given us a shared experience (well okay I didn't exactly go through what she went through) and a bond that I don't think a marriage could possibly emulate. It is also a great start to our family, Clare and I as a team going through all that together. It seems so much more real and authentic than if we were just delivered the baby into our arms with no drama.
This is part 3, the end stage of labor, something I will never forget so long as I live. A big dose of respect to every mother out there, I'll never look at a woman the same way again.
By Dad
We had gone 90% of the way with only gas and air, a dose of Pethidine seemed to give a little break, but now she wanted an Epidural and I was ready to give in. Then in walked my Saviour, a new midwife had come on duty by the name of Moira. Clare said she may have to have an Epidural and Moira said 'No you won't, you have come this far without one, the hard work has been done I'm not going to let you have one'.
This woman was amazing, really inspirational and just what we needed after the 24 hours we had just been through. She even made me a coffee, the first thing to pass my mouth for about 10 hours. She was so upbeat, but told me we were just at a stage where Clare will think she can't possibly go through with this, and try to run away. She will also start swearing at me.
Nobody could ever explain to me what it was like to be in labour, nobody could really describe it and nobody could answer my one question 'how will I know when I am in labour?' They just said you will know when it happens. The last thing I expected was a 27 hour labour.
By Mummy
I went into labour on Friday morning at 4am and had a 27 hour labour which may sound shocking but it was a great experience and I was lucky to have a lot of support from Alex.
My first contraction pains were like an upset stomach. I spent a large part of the day running back and forth to the toilet with an upset stomach. I was feeling very confused thinking that it was probably gastric flu or something like that and not sure at all as to whether it was labour. Diarrhea and stomach cramps are very common in the early stages of labour as your body is preparing itself for the birth. I found that paracetamol helped ease the stomach cramps.
Yesterday our daughter was born after 27 hours of labour, This is part 2, the middle of labour trying to convince Clare she didn't need pain relief.
By Dad
Clare had obviously been suffering a lot of pain. Here is where I'm going to be hated by every woman on earth and a lot of men also, apart from Tom Cruise who probably thinks I'm too soft. I'd advised Clare not to take pain relief, and we had discussed this very early on in the pregnancy. It's my view that you can cause damage to your body if it's compromised with pain killing drugs or relaxants. You need to listen to your body, I also think that mother nature may have other tricks up her sleeve such as the pain helping with bonding with the baby and moving into motherhood.
...... Read the rest of this Article >>Today our daughter was born after 27 hours of labour, here are my thoughts and memories of the experience. It's a long one, so have split it into separate articles. This is part 1 the start of labour.
By Dad
Firstly I have to get this out of the way. I am pretty squeamish when it comes to hospitals. I have dodged blood tests and hospitals for years, I have fainted at the vets, and when my mum was in hospital suffering from Cancer I had to crawl on the floor at times to get to her room. I had always thought that whoever did eventually carry my children, would have to give birth without me being there.
...... Read the rest of this Article >>At over a week overdue I started looking into natural ways to induce labour. I'd even tried getting very drunk and hungover to see if 'sods law' could be used to bring it on.
By Dad
After hours of trawling the Internet, talking to friends with babies, and a chat with the midwife I'd pretty much heard every natural method of bringing on labour. Unfortunately what seemed to have worked for most people was not particularly palatable to me. Sex was advised by 2 friends, the midwife and countless forums and websites on the topic. Something to do with the semen ripening the cervix, or some hormone released by the female orgasm.
...... Read the rest of this Article >>
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