How can we make childbirth easier? Having a boy or girl is really a great emotion, but it can be scary.
After nine months of pregnancy, women can’t wait to hold the little one they carry in their womb. As the due date approaches, the anticipation grows, but so do the fears. Insecurity, fears, fears: many emotions crowd the minds of expectant mothers. It’s better to arrive prepared, avoiding the 10 most common mistakes during childbirth.
Surely pregnancy and the birth of one’s children are challenges for every mother, even if perhaps it is not her first experience. For months, we can imagine the moment when our lives will change forever. We are afraid of suffering, of not being able to bear all that effort, and of doing something wrong that could endanger the health of our puppies.
Here are the mistakes women commonly make before and during childbirth: By knowing and avoiding them in advance, childbirth can be a much easier time.
Stay in the same position
During childbirth, we have to change positions, whichever one we have chosen to give birth to our boy or girl. Lie down, sit, squat, but also walk or stand: we try to make the body feel good by finding the right position. Even if you have an epidural, you must always be able to turn from one side to the other, sit down, or just put a pillow under your pelvis in order to make the moment of delivery easier.
Being afraid to share your needs
Before giving birth, talk to your partner about what you may need at that moment. And when you’re in the hospital, let the nurses and doctors know if you need pillows, water, ice, or blankets. You have to rely on the help of others; you have to be honest and open, and you always have to talk to the healthcare staff so that they can help you in the best possible way.
Eating too much or eating nothing
Many women believe that they cannot eat during childbirth. Or, instead, they eat a lot during labor. However, you may vomit or have bowel movements during delivery. So it is better to avoid overeating by not eating anything. Eat small snacks and maybe eat some crackers to keep you going during the birth.
Not drinking enough
Childbirth is stressful for the body, and you need to make sure you are hydrating it in the best possible way. We focus on the pain and forget that drinking is essential. The partner can have this task: to bring us water from time to time to remind us to hydrate ourselves and thus have the strength to face the birth.
Having too many midwives
Not having enough privacy during labor could make it last longer. Choose carefully who to have next to you in this intimate moment. Your partner and at most one other person in addition to the healthcare professional, so that you feel comfortable.
Fighting labor
There are women who, once they go into labor, tend to stiffen and fight contractions instead of letting go as they should. We must accept each contraction when and how it arrives, without thinking about the next one. You have to live in the moment and focus on relaxing your body, contraction by contraction. Music, breathing techniques, body movements – anything that helps is welcome.
Don’t rest
Between one contraction and another, it is good to rest to regain strength and clear the mind. Focus on being calm in the breaks between contractions; don’t panic thinking about what the next contraction will be like or how long it will be before you can hold your child in your arms. If he succeeds, he even tries to sleep.
Telling too many people that the birth is about to begin
Each labor is its own story. There are women who give birth within a second after the first contractions and others who experience them for several days. If you tell too many people that you’re about to give birth and are in the hospital, your phone will be inundated with messages pressuring women to do things when they should just relax. This may slow down the labor. It is better to let only the people closest to you know, emphasizing that you will be the one to inform them when there is news.
Not having exercised during pregnancy
Pregnant women should not indulge in a sedentary lifestyle because we know that a little healthy and regular exercise helps keep energy levels up, reducing the risk of complications and excessive weight gain that can make pregnancy and childbirth difficult. Physical activity can help us live better during the nine months of gestation and also at the moment of delivery. Daily walks, a little yoga, Pilates, or water aerobics are enough to feel better.
Not knowing all the options
Before the birth, we must arrive prepared, know the options proposed by the hospital for the birth, including which painkillers will be granted, how to donate blood from the umbilical cord, and what will happen in each phase of the birth, from labor to postpartum. You will feel in control of your child’s birth, and you can always ask the medical staff for assistance with awareness, even if an epidural is used. Always listen to your body and trust it, just as you must trust doctors and midwives to be guided safely through this incredible experience.
Source: babieshealthus.com
