What should pregnant women do during labor?

When contractions begin, the mother should breathe out slowly and gently and imagine beautiful images to help reduce pain and discomfort.

According to Dr. Tran Thi Minh Nguyet, usually the labor process is prolonged and the pain is too much that can make the pregnant woman exhausted, not having enough strength to push, making the baby easily suffocated. Therefore, doctors advise pregnant women to proactively learn about theKnowing about the mechanism of labor pain and pain relief methods will help increase endurance and get through this stage more easily.

Illustration: News.

Getting used to labor pains

All labor is painful.Depending on each pregnant woman's constitution, the level of pain and the occurrence of contractions will be different. At this time, instead of worrying and panicking, the mother should build confidence by preparing to face the intensity of contractions, understanding the body's tolerance and learning how to reduce pain. Remember that pain is a very positive part of labor, because after each contraction, the moment of birth of the baby is closer.

Relax your body with breathing techniques

Relaxing and focusing on breathing will help pregnant women reduce anxiety and pain. There are two breathing methods that should be applied at this time: slow breathing and gentle breathing. In the first stageswhen the contractions startYou should exhale gently and slowly through your mouth, then inhale slowly through your nose. Keep this way evenly throughout the contraction, which usually lasts from 4 to 6 seconds. When the contractions become stronger and more frequent, and the mother finds it easier to breathe, start using light, short breaths. Note: When breathing, only use the upper part of the body, avoid using the lower abdomen, where the contractions are happening rapidly.

Position during labor

Many positions will actively support you to give birth more easily. You can walk back and forth, lean against the wall and rock your pelvis so that the weight of the baby in your belly is pushed forward to help reduce pressure on the spine, increasing the effectiveness of contractions. Or sit on a chair, lean forward, legs spread out. You can also crawl to reduce back pain when contractions get stronger. Keep your legs wide apart, back straight, rock your pelvis. If you feel tired, you can lie slightly on your side, put a pillow under your head and upper thighs, legs spread out, arms down, close your eyes, relax and focus on breathing.

Develop your imagination

Visualizing beautiful images in your mind helps pregnant women reduce pain and fear. When a contraction begins, try to imagine images that make you feel comfortable and loved, such as a cool beach or a green meadow full of flowers. The first contraction appears when the cervix is ​​dilating, you can imagine the image of a beautiful flower bud slowly opening petal by petal, which will be very helpful for you. You can also think of waves hitting the shore in waves corresponding to each uterine contraction. In fact, many pregnant women say they feel very comfortable when applying this method to reduce pain.

Listening to music is also a very effective way to reduce pain during labor. A soft, melodious song will help the pregnant woman overcome the contractions. Songs with increasing rhythm will help you increase your endurance to cope with stronger contractions.

Medical intervention

When the pain exceeds the threshold of tolerance or the pregnant woman fears that the pain will be too much and she will not have enough strength to give birth, medical interventions such as painkillers, anesthetics, and sedatives can be considered. Using sedatives in small doses relieves pain, reduces anxiety, helps the pregnant woman rest between contractions, and controls symptoms of vomiting and high blood pressure. However, sedatives cause drowsiness, so a doctor should be consulted carefully before deciding to use them.

Note: Many pregnant women do not like to use anesthesia during labor because they are afraid of possible side effects such as drug intoxication, dizziness, vomiting, respiratory depression and drug intoxication in the baby. However, in cases where the pain has exceeded the threshold of tolerance, prolonged labor causes exhaustion, pain relief with medication is necessary. To know which method is most suitable for each person, you should ask in advancedoctor or midwife adviceabout the pain relief methods available at the hospital as well as the effects and side effects that may occur. Thus, pregnant women can decide which method to choose when the labor process is difficult.

According to VNE