Pain-Reducing Labor Exercises: A Guide for Expectant Mothers

Question
Hi

Can you please help me to find exercises that are initially set for pregnant women to help them pass labor with as much reduced pain as possible?

Please don't tell me that I should go to some trainer in this field, because there aren't any in my small town, I've searched the web and couldn't find anything helping, I've looked for books in our major book stores but I only found exercises to stay fit and to prevent backache.

So please if you have some pictures of these exercises you can send me, please do send me on my e-mail:  adi_dt@hotmail.com

My wife has only four weeks to deliver.

Another thing, can you please tell me brief what is waterbirth and why?
Thanks


Answer
Hello Lina. The book you need is called Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way by Susan McCutcheon and it can be ordered from Amazon. However, you may not have enough time now. It would be a good book to order for future births though. You might be able to get some good info from the Bradley Childbirth website as well. I have attended many mothers having a waterbirth. Submerging her body in lovely warm water helps the woman relax very well. The baby can be born under water as well and allows for a very gentle transition from the mother's body to the outside world. The baby will not try to breath until the air touches it's skin. So- once the baby has been raised into the air, you must be very careful not to allow it's head to be submerged again. Don't pull any part of the baby above the water until the WHOLE baby has been born- THEN bring baby up into the air. It allows for a lovely, gentle, peaceful birth. Now, the labor info. What she needs to be able to do, is relax and allow her body to do the work it was designed to do. Most of the pain of labor is from the tension the woman has in the muscles she CAN control. These tight muscles fight against the work that the uterus is trying to do. The harder the mother fights these sensation, the more pain she will feel. Your job and hers is to accomplish as much relaxation as possible. Many of the women I "coach" appear to be asleep during their most powerful contractions- because they are  striving to remain very relaxed. Help your wife sit or lie down in a comfortable position, close her eyes, and now you must talk to her to help her relax her body bit by bit. Ask her to relax her face, neck, shoulders, arms, chest, buttocks, thighs, legs, feet. Slowly talk her through scanning her body from head to toe. While she listens to you she breathes very slowly and deeply concentrating on letting her belly sag with each exhaled breath. It is not possible to tell you everything about this here- do try to get your hands on the book- I believe Amazon has a FAST service if you want it. I wish you all the best- Cheri.