What did you do to cope with contractions?

Question

I would like to hear calm soothing instrumental music, this is my first so I am looking to hear what other things helped your during labor?

Answer

An epidural and fentanyl 🤷🏻‍♀️😂

Answer

For me, breathing through it, accepting and working with the pain and not against it.
Also going in knowing that if the pain did get to be too much that I was ok with accepting something for it.

Answer

Relaxation is key. I practiced hypnobirthing and took classes before each of my deliveries. The pain has a purpose. Each contraction brings you closer to meeting your baby. I've been through 2 very differently hard labors with no medication and it's really not that bad. Just surrender to the process. Pain causes tension causes fear and you gotta break the cycle and just relax into it.

Answer

I had the tv on and tried to distract myself. Obviously when they came nothing to do to get around lol but at least had some sort of distraction in between them

Answer

My first birth was entirely unmedicated, my second I was induced and ended up needing dilaudid, although I’m not sure it did much to take the edge off. 
I got through the process with my first by moving essentially: swaying, walking, changing positions and focusing deeply on my breath. 
With my second I was extremely limited because I had a pitocin drip and was confined to my hospital room so between those limitations and the intensity of the contractions on pitocin I was really struggling. I also wasn’t able to eat and had been dealing with contractions all day so I was exhausted before the pushing stage even began. 
My recommendation is to mentally prepare as much as possible, affirmations, practice calming yourself and creating relaxing associations to smells, sounds etc that you can use as tools. Believe your body is capable and knows what to do, trust yourself and the process and flow with each stage as much as possible. It is fear, tension and resistance that throw you for a loop.

Answer

Biting down on a washcloth & making any sound that came out through the pain.

Answer

With my oldest my contractions were registering off of the charts and my nurses thought I was nuts because I didn't feel anything. When everything finally hit me all at once it was overwhelming and I thought I was losing another baby. I tried Fentanyl, but it didn't help with the pain and just made me repeatedly faint. I couldn't focus either and it made pushing difficult at first until it started to wear off. I got an epidural because I was in full panic mode convinced I was losing our baby. The epidural eased my pain enough to handle things the doctor knew I didn't want to be fully numb. Once the edge was off enough I relied on calming words and affirmations from my husband. 
With our youngest I felt contractions immediately. At first I breathed through them, then I swayed, then I bent over the bed and swayed, and bounced on a ball for a long time. I snapped at my husband and had him turn off the tv because all noise was distracting. My husband's touch helped calm me. He massaged my lower back, applied counter pressure, and would stare into my eyes and breathe with me. Eventually I was ass up in the bed leaned over a peanut ball rocking back and forth with my lavor nurse applying a hot pad and rubbing my back with my husband massaging my lower back. I had been sick for 2 months and knew I needed what little energy I had left to push so I got an epidural. My husband held me and breathed with me until the epidural was placed.

Answer

put some earphones in and watched videos or listened to music, and the epidural lol

Answer

Man, i just pushed through it. At one point I was looking at myself from the top of the room. I went in thinking I’d do the epidural relieve the pain and give birth… nope, the epidural didn’t work due to spinal injuries and well, unfortunately it was horrible but I did it and I’d do it again in a heart beat

Answer

This was exactly me. I really wanted calming music I researched Hypnobirthing as I wanted an unmedicated birth. I ended up being induced on the drip and got the epidural after 8 hours in labour at 6cm. I would definitely recommend Hypnobirthing but don’t have your heart set on a particular birth xx

What did you do to cope with contractions?

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