Is it painful to give birth, and how to reduce pain during childbirth. Acupuncture or acupuncture

Childbirth is an exciting and long-awaited event for any woman. Before their onset, any expectant mother experiences fear and anxiety. If a woman becomes a mother for the first time, then she is concerned about the question: does it hurt to give birth for the first time? Experienced friends, mothers and grandmothers can talk about childbirth as a painful ordeal. Women can even tell themselves that it will hurt. In fact, much depends on the psychological mood, so it is important to be able to properly prepare for the upcoming birth of a child.

Does it hurt to give birth?

In their life, every person has experienced severe pain at least once. Of course, the birth of a child is a painful process, but even the most tender woman can endure it, because as a result a miracle will appear that will overshadow and help to forget all fears and pain.

Labor activity causes pain if the expectant mother is not injected with epidural anesthesia, which suppresses pain reflexes. But then the woman in labor will not be able to control the process of contractions and attempts.

With the approach of childbirth, every woman begins to worry about the pain that awaits her.

Pain for the first time

When a woman is about to become a mother for the first time, she is not yet familiar with this process, and may experience fear of pain. But you have to overcome this kind of fears, since it is they that cause excessive strong muscle tension, which makes it difficult to focus on the most important thing.

Undoubtedly, giving birth for the first time is painful. This happens due to the long course of the birth process. The body does not yet have sufficient preparation for the birth process, so the first birth will be a test.

Due to the duration, the first birth is always more painful than subsequent ones.

Why does pain occur?

The process of childbirth is a strong irritating factor for the body. In response to stimuli, the human brain transmits signals to nerve endings that provoke pain.

Childbirth is a physiological process. Pain occurs during the first contractions, contributing to the opening of the cervix. Uterine contractions cause severe pain, but subsequently they lead to the expulsion of the child.

Strong pain can occur in a woman due to psychological unpreparedness. Experts who conducted research on this subject found that more than half of women in childbirth are psychologically unprepared for the birth process, as a result, the pain becomes more painful than it could be. Women initially set themselves up for the fact that it will be very painful, and the body begins to perceive them as a danger to human life and health, as a result of which a protective reaction occurs in the form of pain.

Fear is a completely natural phenomenon.

Of course, to experience a moderate fear of the onset of labor is quite natural. If a woman is aware that this fact cannot be avoided, there is nothing abnormal in feeling fear before the very beginning of the process. She understands that serious changes will take place in her life soon. The expectant mother begins to prepare for them, which will help her subsequently cope with her feelings of insecurity and fear.

How to deal with pain and fear?

Physical and psychological preparation for childbirth will reduce pain

A woman is destined to be a mother. She has a desire to have children, and to develop maternal feelings, which means that her body is able to withstand the pain of childbirth. And if the expectant mother is well prepared for the birth process, then it will be less painful. Physical and psychological preparation is important.

Physical training may include attending courses for expectant mothers, where experts teach proper breathing, posture, helping to cope with pain. During pregnancy, you should not refuse intimacy with your spouse (in the event that the gynecologist has not forbidden this due to deviations during pregnancy). This well prepares the genitals of a woman for the process of childbirth.

On a note!Experts have noticed that women who are actively sexually active during pregnancy give birth easier and faster.

Psychological preparation is the most important. It is on her that the course of childbirth depends. If a woman constantly sets herself up that giving birth is painful, then this will increase her fears and will not give her the opportunity to relax. It is important to have positive thoughts. You should not listen to the scary stories of girlfriends, or watch films about childbirth, where it is very colorfully shown how painful it is.

A future mother can prepare her psyche through various breathing exercises, muscle relaxation. You can just imagine that giving birth does not hurt.

It is very important to learn how to breathe correctly.

How to relieve pain directly in childbirth?

There are several reliable ways to relieve pain during contractions:

Correct breathing technique.
Correct posture.
Massage.
Childbirth in water.

Considering certain factors during childbirth, pain can be significantly reduced.

The supply of oxygen to mother and child depends on breathing. Breathing will help the woman relax and direct muscle strength to push the baby out. An important role can be played by breathing training during pregnancy. Daily breathing exercises will serve as a good preparation for the hard work ahead.

Posture during childbirth

During childbirth, it is worth moving more around the ward, which will reduce pain.

Whether it will hurt to give birth depends largely on the posture of the woman. If the woman in labor lies motionless during contractions, then the pain will be stronger. It is important to find the right posture that will help you relax as much as possible and help your body endure pain.

It has been proven that when moving, the pain decreases. During contractions, it is useful to move around the ward and change position. Due to physical activity, normal blood circulation is maintained in the body, and the uterus receives oxygen in sufficient quantities.

If it is contraindicated for a woman in labor to stand up and move, you can do exercises while lying down to help reduce pain. Movement can greatly reduce pain.

Massage

In this case, this method of anesthesia is used in partner childbirth. The partner can massage certain points on the woman's body. Massage is performed when the contraction begins and allows you to reduce the intensity of pain. It is usually necessary to massage the lumbar region, it is there that numerous pain points are located during contractions.

childbirth in water

A woman who gave birth in water claims that childbirth is easier and less painful.

Important! Before carrying out childbirth in the aquatic environment, it is worth making sure that there are no pathogenic microbes and infections in the water. Water must be sterile.
Recently, water births have been gaining popularity.

Is anesthesia needed?

Various types of painkillers can be used as obstetrics. Sometimes it can just be antispasmodic pills. They contribute to the expansion of blood vessels and activation of blood circulation in the uterus. Painkillers should not be administered at intervals of less than 3 hours.

A popular type of anesthesia is. This is a more modern method of pain relief. This kind of anesthesia is injected into the spinal cord. Thanks to this method of anesthesia, numbness of the lower extremities and the lumbar region with the abdomen occurs. The effect of the anesthetic lasts about 3 hours. This method of anesthesia is not suitable for every woman in labor, so you should carefully discuss possible side reactions with your doctor.

Epidural anesthesia is a popular type of anesthesia.

What else can affect the intensity of pain?

The intensity of pain during the birth process can depend on several factors:

If this happens for the first time, then the process will be painful.
If there is a possibility of premature birth, then the pain may increase due to complications.
When a woman overbears a fetus, then due to its size, the birth can be more difficult.
If a woman in labor has chronic diseases of internal organs, then everything can be complicated.
When a woman in labor is well prepared physically, and most importantly psychologically, pain can be avoided.

If labor activity passes without complications, then pain sensations are significantly reduced.

The strength of pain during childbirth depends on many factors.

Let's get rid of fear!

When the expected term of childbirth approaches, the woman will have to prepare and set up her body for hard work, during which a long-awaited miracle will appear. The expectant mother should set herself up for the positive, and direct her thoughts towards a good course of childbirth.

A woman may imagine that she is not the only one who is having a baby. She is not the first to fear that childbirth is painful. Many women in different parts of the world have gone through this process. There is not a single woman who, out of fear, would not give birth.

Yes, childbirth is painful, but any woman can cope with it. The expectant mother must understand that she is not alone, she will be helped by highly qualified staff to overcome all fears and give birth successfully. In the modern world, there are many methods of pain relief, while our parents gave birth without it. It has become popular to have more than one child, which means that it is quite possible to endure pain.

So, the main question for primiparas, is it painful to give birth for the first time? Women who give birth again also worry that the pain will be much worse. But as a result of long-suffering, the long-awaited baby appears, forcing the woman to forget all the torments that she went through so that he would be born.

"I can't take it anymore, cut me!" - came from the delivery room.

During the four days of my stay in the maternity hospital, I had to hear such cries every night. Surprisingly, the whole maternity hospital knew if the birth was going on at the moment.

By the time I was discharged, I began to understand why a few hours after the birth, when I was allowed to get up and go to the shower, I received a compliment from the girls from the antenatal unit about how quietly I gave birth.

In general, there was no special heroism in this. I couldn't help screaming or moaning, I just couldn't scream even if I wanted to. Not only screaming, but also talking during a fight is impossible if you want to achieve pain relief through breathing. Any attempt to say something will choke the breath and, consequently, lead to increased pain.

Many imagine that there are special breathing techniques during childbirth, and postures that help reduce pain. This is also known to be taught in childbirth preparation courses.

I had about the same idea when I was expecting my first child. Then I did not consider it necessary to burden myself with the search for courses and preparation, relying on the forces of mother nature and the knowledge of medical personnel. And at that time I had a very rough idea about the existence of such courses.

It cannot be said that the first birth was unsuccessful. In general, everything went well, I had almost no breaks - only microcracks; childbirth was not too long - 10 hours; the girl was not born large (3100 gr.) and received 8-9 points for. My husband was present at the birth, gave me moral support, especially at the beginning, while I was still able to think something. And then I ended up on a bed with a dropper, they gave me an anesthetic injection, my consciousness became clouded. It was night, I was terribly sleepy, my head was spinning from the medicine. My husband did not know how to help me, and stood at attention behind me, apparently out of solidarity, taking on at least some inconvenience. I was so out of control of the situation that even when I needed real physical help (make a massage, hold my knee in a fight), I didn’t think to involve my husband.

Here is an excerpt from my first birth diary:
“The contractions went on every three minutes, and 60 seconds of torment were replaced by two minutes of sleep. I will have to go through all this to the end, and there is no way to postpone the birth even for a while to rest. And one more thing: if it hurts so much even with anesthesia, then what would it be like without it? .. "

Probably, these sensations are familiar to many.

However, everything passes, and my torment has come to an end. The very next day, holding my newborn daughter in my arms, I recalled childbirth without horror. A week later, I was overwhelmed with pride that "I could do it"! And after a couple of months, I was quite calm about the possibility of having a second child in a year or two.

And yet the birth left a slight feeling of dissatisfaction.

After the birth of my daughter, I began to read a large number of magazines about children, and most importantly, I gradually found a lot of information on the Internet. Although the birth was over, the topic of pregnancy and childbirth still interested me. And by the beginning of the second pregnancy (the eldest daughter was then a year and a month old), I was already quite aware of what kind of preparation courses there are for childbirth, and about the birth itself, their traditional and non-traditional methods, about maternity hospitals, etc.

So, having set off on a journey "on the second circle", I decided not to let everything take its course.

First of all, I wanted to decide on the "birth plan". Here's another snippet from my diary:
“The first time I didn’t have any plan, I just had a desire to give birth naturally. And now something more definite.
I want to give birth without stimulation and anesthesia. Together with her husband. Without an IV, and without being tied to a bed to be able to change position.
I want the baby to be put on the breast right away. Maybe I want too much?
And I want everything - not to interfere !!!"

So, the plan loomed more or less definitely, it remained to find a place where it could be carried out. I worked out the topic in sufficient detail, it attracted me, but after discussing and thinking it over with my husband, we came to the conclusion that this was not for us.

So, it was necessary to look for a suitable maternity hospital.

This turned out to be not such an easy task. I looked all over the internet and came up with a few options. But the more I collected information about different maternity hospitals, the less I was satisfied with all of them.

I will not bore the reader with the vicissitudes of my search. Let me just say that they were successful only by the 38th week of pregnancy. Quite by accident, I discovered a maternity hospital in Dolgoprudny.

The head of the maternity hospital turned out to be a very nice woman. She talked to me in detail on the phone, and set up a personal meeting at which we discussed the details. My birth plan was quite feasible here, plus it was allowed to bring with me any things from home that could help during childbirth: a ball, a pillow, a rug, music ... At the same time, the price was simply ridiculous, could not be compared with rates of Moscow maternity hospitals.

To implement my plan for an ideal birth (now I can already say this without fear of the evil eye), I signed up for courses for pregnant women at the Spaso-Perovsky hospital. I managed to get exactly what I wanted from the courses: real breathing skills, positions in childbirth, watch several films, both domestic and foreign. In addition, despite my seemingly already quite extensive knowledge about pregnancy, I learned a lot of useful information on this topic.

So, by the time of the birth, we were quite savvy and morally set up in the best possible way. What happened next, the diary will best show.

“On the morning of February 8, I woke up from a nagging pain. After 20 minutes, the pain recurred, and after another 20 minutes I realized that I seemed to have waited.

I took care of my toilet: I did an enema, shaved (of course, with the help of my husband). The contractions were weak. It seemed to me that the process was going too slowly, so I tried to achieve not pain relief, but, on the contrary, an increase in pain. To do this, I took the "frog pose": I squatted, spreading my knees and leaning my hands on a stool. It seemed to make contractions more effective.

By noon the contractions became more noticeable. I began to use slow deep breathing (inhale for four counts - exhale for six).

At 14.20 contractions became more frequent and more painful. We immediately began to gather. At 15.45 we arrived at the hospital. I was issued, changed clothes and examined: the disclosure was 3-4 cm. I endured the contractions, bending over and leaning on the couch. Deep breathing provided excellent pain relief. Only I could not speak during the fight, so as not to lose my breath.

Finally, the registration was over, and at 16.30 we were escorted to the ward. Here I was examined by the doctor on duty. The dilatation was already 5-6 cm. The doctor said that the bubble was flat and offered to prick it. I didn't react much.

After the puncture of the bladder, the doctor suggested that there were two hours left, and suggested pain relief. I refused, saying that I had enough strength for two hours.

After the doctor left, I settled down on the floor, leaning on a pillow. In between, my husband and I did a crossword puzzle, during the fight I breathed, and he gave me a lower back massage. At this stage, the massage gave complete pain relief!

The contractions became more painful, and I switched to rapid breathing at the peak of the contraction. The husband still did the massage, which relieved the pain not completely, but certainly half. After the end of the fight, I showed him where the pain had moved and where to massage.

I endured two contractions on all fours, this position was less painful. However, it was also less effective, so I returned to my previous position: sitting on my knees spread apart. In this position, I physically felt the progress of the child. During the fight, I tried to imagine the opening of the neck, it was painful to think about it, but it allowed me to relax and not to pinch the pain, but to go towards it.

During the next contraction, I felt the urge to push. While it was not very strong, I decided to breathe a few more contractions. When this feeling intensified, I asked my husband to run for the midwife. Until this moment, we continued to guess the crossword puzzle in between.

The midwife laid me on the bed. The disclosure is already complete. We spent several attempts on the bed, but either I was pushing badly, or the neck was not ready yet, the process was slow. Only after 25 minutes something began to work out, and I was taken to the delivery room. But the contractions were still rare, and they decided to inject me with sinestrol.

After breathing through another contraction, I climbed into a chair and began to push, although both midwives and the doctor were not busy with me. I don’t know if the threat of stimulation worked, or the desire to end it all as soon as possible, but I managed to gather all my strength and move the child to the exit. At the next attempt, everyone rushed to me, and by the intensity of the pain, I realized that it was not long before the birth of the head. "And no sinestrol," someone said. The midwife encouraged and gave instructions, my husband supported my head, which was also very helpful.

It was difficult, but I knew that the more I put in the effort, the closer the end, and I tried to overcome myself. After four or five attempts, I saw a blue-crimson head, I was ordered to breathe through my mouth, the child was turned, and on the next attempt the whole body was born. I saw all this perfectly, because I was pushing as it should be and did not close my eyes.

17.40 - stated the doctor.

The mucus was sucked off the girl, she was wiped off, wrapped in a diaper and put on her chest. She smacked a little while the doctor pressed on my stomach and squeezed out the placenta. I didn't find any breaks."

It remains to draw some conclusions.

Am I satisfied with my birth?
I find them almost perfect. I did everything as I wanted. I gave birth with almost no pain (compared to the first birth, which went with pain relief). I was amazed at how effective my husband's help can be.

Would I like to give birth at home?
No. I needed clear commands from the midwife that allowed me to direct my efforts. And I needed the feeling that if something happened, help would come immediately.

Were preparatory courses necessary?
Necessarily! Women who go into childbirth without preparation have no idea how much they complicate their lives! You should not doom yourself to torment, which can be easily avoided if you imagine what is happening in your body and how to help it. And of course, you need to prepare your husband for childbirth. Mine was only in two classes, but this allowed him to feel much more confident than the first time, and to provide me, in addition to moral support, real help.

Go to childbirth consciously, and you will enjoy them!

Anna Minyaeva

For medical questions, be sure to consult your doctor first.

Every pregnant woman looks forward to the upcoming birth with excitement and even fear, because very often the birth of a child is associated with pain, long hours of painful contractions and, of course, breaks that can significantly overshadow your joy.

It is for this reason that young mothers quite often experience conflicting feelings in the first months after childbirth, and also endure a lot of inconvenience.

It is not surprising that pregnant women and women in labor often wonder how to give birth without tears and incisions, or at least reduce their intensity and depth? You should definitely consult with your doctor, attend special classes and courses for pregnant women, read literature and prepare for childbirth so as not to get lost in their process and not make unnecessary mistakes.

By following all the medical commands and adhering to proper breathing techniques, you will significantly alleviate your condition and help your baby be born as soon as possible.

Degrees and types of gaps

Doctors distinguish several types of tears: internal ones can appear on the cervix, and external or external ones can appear on the walls of the vagina (outside).

Internal ruptures are most often fraught with situations: when the child's head, already pressed against the entrance to the small pelvis, puts pressure on other internal organs and causes severe pain, but the neck has not yet fully opened.

If at this moment you begin to push, ruptures are simply guaranteed to you .

Already at the transition to the vagina, the baby's head can also injure you if you push before it reaches the exit from the small pelvis. Injuries to the mucous membrane of the labia are possible if, at birth, the head unbends too quickly.

There is a definition of several degrees of ruptures, depending on their severity:

in the first degree, only the walls of the vagina can suffer, and minor injuries of the posterior commissure are also possible, while the muscles of the perineum itself remain without breaks;
the second degree of injury means that not only the walls of the vagina were broken, but also the skin of the perineum, in addition, the muscles up to the sphincter may also suffer;
the third degree is the most severe, because in this case, the sphincter along with the walls of the rectum are also added to the tears of the second degree.

Features and causes of pain

In the structure of the human body, everything is wisely and clearly thought out. So, shortly before childbirth, the muscles of the perineum or pelvic floor become more elastic, stretching, so that it is not only easier for the child to pass through the birth canal, but it is generally possible to do so.

That is, if your pregnancy proceeded normally, you and your baby gained weight, according to the norms, everything is in order with your health, you give birth on time and are quite aware of that, and pushing, most likely, the birth will pass without breaks.

However, such ideal situations, unfortunately, are not for everyone. But almost every second young mother complains about breaks and the discomfort to which they lead. First, you need to understand the main reasons why this happens and find out if the risk of tearing can be reduced.

First of all, cracks and tissue damage are possible with improper organization of labor, that is, when a woman does not follow the recommendations or instructions of the midwife and doctor, does not control contractions and pushes hard, instead of doing breathing exercises.

The second most common cause of tearing is in the ratio (especially when it comes to first births). That is why the doctor controls throughout the pregnancy, since it is very important to monitor your diet, not only so that it will be easier for you to get in shape later, but also so as not to feed the baby to a large size.

The doctor will necessarily take measurements of the pelvis shortly before the birth and compare them with the parameters of the height and weight of your child. This will help to make the right decision on the choice of the method and tactics of delivery and will provide an opportunity to prepare for this important event.

If you have previously undergone surgery or have had injuries on the perineum from which scars remain, then this can also lead to ruptures.

When a woman in labor has a very rapid and rapid delivery, so that the shoulders and head of the child appear suddenly, and the midwife cannot cope with his reception, the maternal tissues are torn due to such pressure and speed of labor.

The physical preparation of the expectant mother is also extremely important. Pregnancy should not be associated with complete amorphism and lack of physical activity. Of course, all exercises, loads and sports should be carried out only with the permission of the doctor and if you have no contraindications to them.

However, many believe that everything should be in order for professional athletes: the muscles are trained, the body is used to physical activity. Unfortunately, everything is not so simple, and just women who are professionally involved in sports can suffer even more during childbirth, since the pumped muscles are torn much more often.

Also, the anatomical features of the woman in labor sometimes become the causes of ruptures, for example, if a woman has a distance of more than 7-8 centimeters between the entrance to the vagina and the anus, then it is believed that she has a high perineum, which significantly increases the risk of cracks and ruptures. And when labor activity is very weak and slow, so that prolonged attempts cause swelling of the perineum, this can also serve as a provoking factor for the appearance of tears.

Doctors also pay attention to the fact that the presence of any inflammatory processes or diseases in the vagina and other female genital organs can contribute to a decrease in tissue elasticity (sometimes a woman’s skin may be of little extensibility simply by nature), as well as increase tissue injury.

Perineal incision as a way to give birth without tearing

Sometimes, in order to prevent injury, the doctor who delivers the baby decides to make an incision. In this case, an incision is more preferable, since ruptures will leave lacerated wounds with uneven edges, which will heal much longer and worse after suturing than smooth wound edges from incisions.

For episiotomy, there are certain indications in which it is simply vital:

If a pregnant woman suffers from chronic or other diseases in which her condition worsens, and the period of childbirth needs to be urgently reduced (this applies to women in labor with congenital or acquired heart defects, severe disorders of the endocrine system, kidney problems, myopia, etc.). );
Also, incisions are inevitable if there is a need for operative or emergency childbirth - severe bleeding, difficult situations, such as using a vacuum extractor or applying forceps. This also includes cases of premature birth;
With a breech presentation, dissection will also be done without fail, because the baby's head is much larger than his buttocks, which will come out in the first place, therefore, in order to ease his path and protect him from any complications, you will have to resort to episiotomy;
If intrauterine hypoxia is diagnosed, then doctors will be forced to deliver as soon as possible, and this will require a dissection.

Doctors can predict whether or not a woman in labor will rupture, since they do not happen suddenly: before a rupture should occur, the perineum changes visually - bulging forward, swelling, becoming bluish and then turning pale.

By itself, the rupture will begin even from the posterior commissure, gradually moving to the perineum and vaginal walls, so if a threat arises, the doctor will prefer to make a dissection and prevent you from tearing.

What is the best cutting method?

Depending on the situation, the method by which the perineum is cut will be selected. If a “high perineum” is ruptured or threatened, then a perineotomy is made - an incision that goes straight to the rectum.

An episiotomy is performed in the following situations:

if the bones of the pubic joint converge into an acute subpubic angle;
with the threat of rupture of the "low" perineum;
in the presence of scars on the perineum after previous childbirth or other operations;
if there is a need for obstetric operations (forceps, vacuum).

Such a cut is directed to the side. But if the perineum is with pathological changes (possibly in the presence of tumors), then the doctor will apply a lateral episiotomy (this means that the incision will be made strictly to the side). True, the seams with such a dissection heal longer and more difficult.

Already at the end of childbirth, the doctor will examine the soft tissues of the perineum, since after ruptures (if any did happen), and after incisions, their integrity must be restored, that is, stitched together.

When the cervix is torn, sutures are applied using absorbable threads (they do not need to be removed), as well as when traumatizing the labia minora or the vagina.

But with severe damage to the perineum, anesthesia can even be used for suturing, and sutures are applied both with catgut (absorbable threads) and silk threads (such sutures are removed 5-6 days after birth).

What do you need to know?

After suturing, you need to follow a number of rules:

Monitor the hygiene of the perineum (constantly wash, dry well, constantly change pads, regularly treat the wound with drugs that the doctor will prescribe for you);
It will be possible to sit down only halfway, leaning on the side where there is no incision - not earlier than the fifth day after childbirth (if there are no complications). When the stitches are removed, you can begin to slowly sit down on a hard surface;
In no case should you push or strain in the toilet (so that you can empty yourself, you will first be given a laxative or an enema);
For the first few days, the doctor will most likely advise you to stick to a diet (light meals so that there is no stool);
Feeding the baby is better to adapt lying down.

If you experience the slightest pain, bleeding or other dangerous symptoms, it is better to immediately consult a doctor for help in order to prevent any serious complications.

Prevention of ruptures or what can be done to make childbirth easy and painless?

Despite the fact that painless childbirth is perceived as a myth, it is indeed possible and does happen. It is very easy to give birth without breaks. Doctors say that a lot depends on the woman in labor.

The right mindset comes first

The first and most important thing you need to do is carefully prepare for the process of the birth of your baby. Proper behavior in childbirth is the key to a successful and relatively easy delivery without breaks and many hours of suffering.

Be sure to sign up for special childbirth preparation courses, where they will teach you the technique of proper breathing and relaxation, tell you how to push, how to count contractions and give many other very useful tips.

If you are planning a partner childbirth, then go to the preparation with your spouse - he will also have to learn a lot of new things, for example, how to properly massage and provide other assistance to your wife in labor.

Physical fitness and massage

Remember to exercise. Yoga, swimming, aqua aerobics, special gymnastic exercises of complexes for expectant mothers are most optimally suited.

In addition, you should learn to do perineal exercises or Kegel exercises, which will help you control the muscles of the vagina and perineum, tensing and relaxing them when necessary.

One of the most popular exercises is the so-called "lift".

It consists in gradually squeezing the muscles with different strengths, as if going up and down in an elevator, adding intensity to the compression on each imaginary floor.

Another effective exercise is pushing, that is, small attempts, as if during the act of defecation.

Well trains the anus, abdominal and perineal muscles.

You can also slowly squeeze the muscles of the perineum, straining them for different periods of time (increase gradually), and then relax.
Try to do intense muscle contractions at a fast pace.

A very useful prophylactic against ruptures is perineal massage.

As a rule, it is better to spend it in the evening, having previously taken a warm shower and going to the toilet. Some women prefer to massage themselves, others turn to their husbands for help. For the procedure, you will need natural oil (any vegetable oil - olive, rose, chamomile, grape seed, etc.). Before the massage, you must thoroughly wash your hands (nails must be neatly trimmed).

Try to lie down, sit down, or stand up as you please. First you need to generously lubricate the labia with oil and the perineum outside. Then take the oils on a finger or two and gradually and slowly insert into the vagina. Massage it for a while, making rocking and pressing movements on the back wall (towards the anus).

After holding the tension for a few seconds, release, then start again. Do not massage for too long - at first, three minutes will be enough. The main task for you during this massage is to relax as much as possible, then you can do it at the crucial moment of the baby's appearance.

To train the perineum, you can even sit daily or do some work in certain positions that help prevent tears:

for example, you need to wash the floors only on your haunches;
sit cross-legged in front of you, or take the “butterfly” position (connect the heels while sitting and pull the legs to the crotch);
walk "in single file" around the house;
kneel, tightly connecting them, and smoothly sit back on your heels, and then get up.

Talk to your doctor to prescribe you a special multivitamin complex that will help strengthen blood vessels and make them more elastic.

Conclusion

Childbirth is work, because you give the world a new little life. Try not to panic and gather your strength. To give birth correctly (without breaks and episiotomy), listen to your doctor and midwife, follow their recommendations and instructions, and if you were preparing for childbirth, and now you breathe and push properly, then everything will go well and without breaks.

Painless childbirth is not uncommon. On the forums, you will probably come across stories about how a woman in labor did not notice contractions and came to the hospital already at the stage of attempts, or even did not have time to get there. Many midwives and especially doulas (professional birth assistants) are convinced that if labor is painful, it means that something has gone wrong.

If childbirth proceeds in a natural, physiological way, then they are necessarily accompanied by the release of a whole bunch of hormones that drown out pain. Here and oxytocin, which helps mom relax, and endorphins, blocking the effects of stress, and enkephalins - natural painkillers, and a whole cocktail of other, as yet little-studied substances. Yes, and the physiology of natural childbirth is such that in the last few weeks before the baby appears, the process of partial destruction of the nerve endings of the uterus starts, which makes it less sensitive. And if childbirth occurs within the time allotted by nature, then pain is minimal!

But where does the pain come from, which many women in labor have heard of, and some know firsthand? In the normal course of childbirth, the main source, oddly enough, is the very expectation of pain. In this case, the so-called reflected pain occurs. Even if nature works to dampen natural pain impulses, they are felt where physiologically they should not be: for example, in the lower back, upper thighs, groin and lower abdomen.

In the vast majority of cases, the second birth is perceived as much less painful simply because the woman in labor already knows what to expect and is much less afraid of the unknown! If the expectant mother is confident in herself and that everything will be fine, even the first birth can be, if not painless, then at least not painful. Childbirth is easy when a woman in labor feels safe and understands that there are caring and supportive people next to her.

And many experienced mothers say that labor pain is perceived not as an enemy, but as an assistant, pointing to the right actions of the body in order to receive the most valuable reward - the long-awaited baby!

Why giving birth hurts: The general course of childbirth

Obstetricians who adhere to the concept of natural childbirth believe that almost any woman can cope with the course of childbirth herself with minimal help from specialists. For this, a few conditions are enough, which were formulated by the French obstetrician-gynecologist Michel Oden.

The most important thing, says Auden, is to avoid stimulating the neocortex. The neocortex is the "thinking brain" of a person, which inhibits the activity of the oldest part of the brain - the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. It is the ancient parts of the brain that are responsible for the successful flow of the birth process, releasing a complex cocktail of hormones and at the same time returning the woman giving birth “back to the roots” - the most ancient instinctive principles that make the appearance of offspring a simple and natural process for all living beings.
Any stimulation of the neocortex makes it difficult to call upon the ancient instincts of procreation. Therefore, Michel Auden identifies several phenomena that impede the simple and natural course of childbirth, due to which they turn from a simple happy event, perhaps as happy, but not at all so simple, when giving birth is painful.
First of all, it is language. Communicating with words causes our neocortex to fire up to analyze spoken words. Auden gives the example of a woman who is in the grip of a generic instinct: “She allows herself to scream, to do things that were previously unthinkable for her. She forgot what she was taught, what she read about in books, she lost her sense of time - and suddenly she is asked what time she last peed. A typical example of powerful stimulation of the neocortex!” Therefore, a good midwife will be restrained and laconic, not diverting the attention of a woman from the process that completely occupies her to unnecessary conversations.
A woman's feeling that she is being watched also stimulates the neocortex. The desire to find a secluded corner for childbirth is natural for all mammals. Simply understanding that there is an experienced person nearby who can help if necessary is already quite enough.
The next taboo is bright light. Childbirth is much easier if the woman is not under bright lamps, but in subdued lighting. Mom, in the power of generic instincts, usually herself takes a position that protects her from excess light: for example, kneels and elbows.
The release of the hormone adrenaline, that is, a sense of danger, negatively affects the process of childbirth. During childbirth, the need for safety is very important. The midwife should personify the mother, that is, the person who can provide protection, safety and acceptance of any behavior chosen by the woman in labor.

Does it hurt to give birth? Let's move!

The longest and most difficult for a woman in labor is the period of opening the cervix, that is, contractions. If earlier in maternity hospitals, the mother was offered all this time to “lie and endure” under the supervision of a doctor, today, in most cases, the expectant mother can behave freely. Someone relies on natural instincts, someone - on the knowledge gained in special courses. Here are some techniques that can help ease the pain.

Most women, given the choice, prefer to have contractions moving or at least upright. Someone begins to walk or dance, someone squats with knees wide apart, someone gets on all fours and sways, someone leans back on the bed or (in partner birth) on her husband ... Swinging hips, changing positions in searching for the one in which it will be more convenient right now - all this not only makes you feel better, but also helps the uterus contract better, and it is better for the child to enter the birth canal. This is how labor pain directs the movements of the expectant mother's body to facilitate the birth of the baby!
If you still feel comfortable in a horizontal position, try to lie on your side, not on your back, otherwise the uterus compresses the inferior vena cava, which is important for maintaining normal blood circulation during childbirth. When squeezing the inferior vena cava, the baby itself may suffer from a lack of oxygen, and the mother may develop dizziness due to the restriction of blood flow to the heart.

Does it hurt to give birth? stress relief

One of the main principles of labor pain relief is to try not to strain! Excessive muscle tension always leads to unnecessary pain.

Try to rest between contractions (if they started recently and the breaks between them are long enough, it is better to try to take a nap to save strength), and during contractions - relax as much as possible. A good indicator of tension or relaxation is the state of the muscles of the face: as a rule, the facial muscles seem to repeat the work of the muscles of the perineum, and if a woman has a tense forehead and mouth, then the muscles of the perineum are also unnecessarily tense. Therefore, if you have an assistant during childbirth, among other things, ask him to make sure that your mouth and forehead are relaxed, your forehead can even be gently massaged.
Singing on a low note (the lowest possible) is also very good for general relaxation. Mom, as it were, sings her feelings, giving the pain an outlet and releasing the ligaments.
Water is one of the best natural pain relievers. That is why in the most advanced maternity hospitals, the wards are equipped with a bath or shower. Warm water relieves referred pain, reduces overall tension and helps to relax the muscles of the abdomen and perineum. Some people prefer hydromassage with a shower instead of a bath.
There are simple but effective massage techniques for contractions: pressure on the sacrum (quite strong pressure with a fist or wrist is especially effective if severe pain is felt in the lumbar region); impact on the iliac bones (protruding bones on the sides of the lower abdomen, like the corners of the pelvis); stroking the lower abdomen (light movements from the center to the sides) and stroking the lower back.
Natural aroma oils (it is very important that they are not synthetic, which can not only not help, but also harm!) are rubbed either into the sacrum and lower back, or on the palm and wrist, or applied to the forehead on a hot aromatic napkin. Most often, lavender oil is used in childbirth, which relieves pain; pink (with a relaxing effect); chamomile (also for relaxation); clary sage (increases labor activity and at the same time perfectly relieves stress and tension).
Various meditation techniques are good. For example, a woman in labor focuses on tracking absolutely all her sensations. At the same time, pain from contractions is, of course, noticed, but attention is not concentrated on it: both the sound of a ticking clock and the cool floor under your feet become equally important.

Does it hurt to give birth? Here is the final!

It won't hurt to give birth. The period of attempts for the woman herself always turns out to be less painful than the time of contractions, but for the baby, of course, it is more difficult. Here, the main thing for a woman in labor is the correct distribution of her own efforts.

To avoid ruptures in childbirth and excessive tension, which can burst blood vessels in the face and eyes, try to push at a certain point (the place on the perineum that causes the most vivid sensations) and mainly with the muscles of the abdomen and pelvis. Do not strain your face, for this try to keep your mouth open.

If the baby goes through the birth canal too quickly, you may need to restrain the force of the attempts. For the stage of attempts, this is enough! And about the pains that occur after the birth of the crumbs, you can say briefly: they become dull if the baby is immediately reunited with his mother already on her chest!

Russian traditions

Russian tribal traditions have always been strong enough - which of us has not heard the legend of great-grandmothers giving birth in the hayfield and after giving birth, getting up to mow further? This, of course, was more the exception than the rule, but many ways came to us from folk traditions to make the release from the burden easier ...

It was often customary to give birth in a bath, or take a bath specifically for the onset of childbirth: not too hot steam was supposed to relax and “soften” the body of the woman in labor. Usually the midwife entered the house with the words: “God help me work!”, dressed the woman in labor in a clean shirt, gave her Epiphany water to drink and lit a candle in front of the icons.

Unbuttoning the collar of a shirt, removing rings and earrings, unweaving the braids of a woman in labor were considered sure means to speed up childbirth. They unlocked all the locks in the house, opened the barriers of stoves, gates: after all, if everything is open and untied, then childbirth will “untie” sooner.

The midwife throughout the course of childbirth encouraged the woman, saying that everything was going well. Almost until the moment the fetus appeared, a woman in labor could be led by hand through the hut. The umbilical cord of the newborn was tied with a thread twisted with the mother's hair so that the connection between them remained for life.

Text: Irina Ryukhova, breastfeeding consultant, member of AKEV

When preparing for any responsible event, and even more so for childbirth, the most important thing is the right attitude. We ourselves model our line of behavior. And if every day we think about the fear of the pain of childbirth, then it will happen. In nature, it is so conceived - we think about it, so we want it. And this situation is attracted to us.

Stages of labor activity:

Childbirth consists of several stages. The first one is contractions. They should not be afraid, they are quite tolerant. The pain is comparable to the sensations during menstruation. It doesn't come on abruptly, but builds up gradually. The most important thing is not to resist this pain, but to understand its mission. Then everything will be much easier. If there is severe pain, then doctors give an injection with painkillers.

How to behave during fights? Relax in the fight - this will alleviate the pain. Do not strain the muscles of the face - this tension is transmitted to the uterus and pelvic muscles. Rejoice! With each contraction, you bring the meeting with your baby closer! This mood will ease the pain, switch emotions. Try to treat contractions not as pain, but as new sensations that you want to explore.

When the birth itself begins, it will come push time. It doesn't hurt, but it's hard physically. You will need to work with your muscles, because it is you who push the baby. He won't get out on his own. It is better to practice in advance what and how to do during childbirth. Listen to the doctors, they will explain how to breathe and behave properly.

Believe me, after giving birth you will forget about unpleasant sensations - you will be overwhelmed with happiness. You will see for the first time the baby you have been waiting for 9 months!!!

Pain relief during childbirth

CHANCE(transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation). A simple, proven over the years pain relief technology. The procedure consists of electrical stimulation through electrodes attached to the lower back on both sides of the spine. In this case, the force of impact can be regulated by the woman in labor.

inhalation anesthesia. This pain relief procedure involves inhaling an anesthetic. It is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen.

Local infiltration anesthesia. This method is used to numb an area. For example, the perineum during childbirth or after them.

Regional anesthesia(epidural or spinal). Such anesthesia is used for pain relief during childbirth itself. The medicine is injected into the lumbar region next to the nerve. Thus, the lower body becomes insensitive to pain. The same type of anesthesia is used for caesarean section.

General anesthesia. This anesthesia is used in unforeseen situations. The woman in labor is put into a sleepy state, anesthetized. Such anesthesia can only be used by an anesthetist.

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