Why CounterPressure in Labor is Counterproductive

Utilizing counterpressure in labor is a fast approach to carry ache aid when wanted! Most girls know “again labor” could make contractions extra painful, and that counter-pressure stops that. It is a good software, however it’s additionally necessary to perceive why again labor occurs and when different strategies can carry aid and get labor transferring extra easily.

Your child’s place drastically impacts what you are feeling through the contractions. Utilizing strategies that reposition your child can pace labor up and make contractions much less painful. 

I will focus on what causes again labor, the professionals and cons of counter strain, and different consolation measures to carry ache aid and optimum child positioning.

In the event you’re hoping for an unmedicated beginning, I will cowl tricks to get the ache underneath management, get baby in a good position, and have the pure beginning expertise you’ve got ready for!

What’s Again Labor and Why am I Having It?

Counterpressure is utilized in labor for again labor.

Again labor is persistent ache in your again, particularly low in your again round and simply above your tailbone. Your tailbone (technically known as your coccyx) attaches to a bony plate behind your pelvis. This plate is your sacrum; above the plate is your backbone.

The sacrum types the again of your pelvis and attaches to the remainder of your pelvic bones by cartilage that softens throughout being pregnant (your pelvis is not inflexible and your child can transfer by means of it!). Try the graphic under to see the sacrum: 

Again labor is felt as decrease again ache – in your tailbone, your sacrum, and the decrease a part of your backbone.

This labor ache is commonly due to a posterior child, which suggests your child’s again is up in opposition to your again. The again of your child’s head pushes in opposition to the tailbone and sacrum throughout contractions, inflicting again labor. You might hear this child place known as occiput posterior. 

The “occiput” is your child’s head. Click here to read my full article on baby position – it contains illustrations and video!

I used my useful doll mannequin, Ari, to indicate you what occurs once you labor with a child within the posterior place. As you may see, the child’s head pushes in opposition to the sacrum and tailbone because it engages throughout lively labor:

You might not really feel plenty of strain throughout early labour, when the child continues to be increased within the pelvis. However as child strikes down throughout lively labour and the again of his or her head places intense strain on the sacrum, again ache will get extra pronounced.

(NOTE: Need a Good Beginning Plan Template? Use this template and step-by-step movies to jot down a beginning plan that will get your beginning group in your aspect for a wonderful beginning expertise! Get the birth plan kit here.)

CounterPressure Methods for Fast Ache Reduction

The aim of counter-pressure in labor is to present ache aid. By pushing in exhausting in your sacrum, your beginning accomplice helps to push again in opposition to child’s head, lessening the ache that you simply really feel.

It is efficient, which is why there are tales of daddies exhausted from hours of counterpressure. Some doulas carry tennis balls of their beginning baggage to rub into the sacrum and provides counter strain. Here is an image of the artistic answer considered one of my MamaBaby Birthing course college students got here up with:

Listed here are directions in your help particular person to do counter-pressure successfully:

You might must attempt totally different counter strain factors over or to the aspect of the sacrum (generally on the prime of her bum) – you’ll know once you get the “proper” spot!

Preserve regular strain on this space – keep away from rubbing, massaging, and so on.

The quantity of strain you’ll want to use might appear to be loads, however it’s going to carry enormous aid to her!

Utilizing a ball to therapeutic massage and apply counterpressure in labor:

This technique is commonly very efficient at controlling the ache of labor and beginning!

In actual fact, the issue is not that counterpressure relieves ache. The issue is that is the one factor it does!

Whereas it is an enormous aid to cease that ache, it would not tackle the reason for the again labor to start with, which is child’s place.

Use the method to get a break from the depth of the contractions, however contemplate combining it with different strategies that assist open the pelvis so child can rotate and transfer into an optimum place.

This each lessens the ache and helps labor transfer ahead easily (and possibly extra shortly!).

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Click here for details on MamaBaby Birthing, my complete online birthing course. Utilized by hundreds of birthing households, you may be utterly ready for a wonderful, secure, and assured beginning expertise.

Getting Lasting Reduction (and a Smoother Beginning)

The aim of labor and birthing is to get your child out! Counterpressure in labor might trigger your child to take longer to show and be born as a result of it is simply pushing again in opposition to your child quite than serving to her or him to rotate. This results in a protracted labor, or perhaps a labor stall, which isn’t what you need!

Counter-pressure brings aid and should purchase you relaxation time with out utilizing ache treatment. In the event you’ve been working exhausting, really feel extreme ache, or your child is a persistent posterior and you feel worn out, undergo a number of contractions with counter-pressure.

Relaxation between, and benefit from the lessened depth whereas somebody applies strain to your sacrum. As soon as you feel extra in management, your beginning companions can add in further strategies.

These might result in a shorter length of labor! Good labor progress and a neater beginning are each doable once you create more room in the pelvis.

The Double Hip Squeeze

Among the finest strategies for that is the Double-Hip Squeeze:

This video demonstrates learn how to transfer your fingers:

Use the flat or heels of your fingers to use strain in, in the direction of the middle of her physique

You might must attempt some totally different positions. These movies present learn how to press – use a gradual urgent motion as soon as you discover the correct place

You may also do that with a helper, which makes it simpler for the beginning accomplice!

Utilizing the heel of your fingers could be more practical than the flat if the mother needs plenty of strain. If doing this with two beginning companions, place one hand over your different as you push in.

The Double Hip Squeeze gives strain aid and might help open up the underside of the pelvis. 

When mother is in a hands-and-knees place the ischial tuberosities (sitz bones) can unfold extra simply, serving to the child rotate into an optimum place whereas relieving strain for the mom. The mama’s forward-leaning place additionally encourages the child to rotate.

Alternate the double-hip squeeze with counter-pressure if wanted to assist carry extra aid to the mom. Collectively they might help considerably!

Extra Methods for Again Labor

Most infants will flip throughout labor. Infants need to flip anterior. Some infants are born “sunny aspect up,” however most will activate their very own throughout labor except hindered by drugs (proof reveals that the epidural, for instance, causes infants to be posterior).

Being pregnant Ideas for Getting Your Child Right into a Good Place

Your objective throughout birthing it to assist your child do the turning he/she must. In the event you can persuade your child to show earlier than labor, that is the best!

Your pelvis is perfect for birthing your baby and can OPEN fantastically in your child!

Posture might play a job in that – do not lean again in chairs too typically! Sitting on a beginning ball and leaning ahead barely (comfortably) on the hips is an effective approach to sit at your desk/desk.

Spending a while kneeling or on hands-and-knees every day will assist too.

Have to stretch out? Lie down on the sofa in your left aspect, leaning barely into your stomach.

Strategies for Positioning Child Throughout Labor

Throughout labor you should use among the similar strategies – sitting on a beginning ball or hands-and-knees positions can encourage the child to show. 

If you may get right into a beginning tub, you may discover that your freedom of motion will increase. You may naturally transfer to positions or transfer in ways in which assist your child transfer down. Exterior the bathtub, attempt standing the place you rock and sway your hips.

Your beginning accomplice is not overlooked. She or he can help you standing (keep away from squats till the child has turned).

Some strategies, such because the hip press or stomach sifting (achieved with a rebozo or scarf) can create extra room inside your pelvis and get child to show.

Stomach sifting is finest achieved with somebody skilled to indicate you learn how to do it (your doula is a superb useful resource!) – this video offers a fast preview:

Strolling and hip spiraling/dancing, sitting on a beginning ball, and spiraling your hips are nice methods to maneuver by means of intense contractions. You are still encouraging your child to show and transfer down by means of your pelvis.

Place Adjustments

Strikes from any of the above positions to a different can open up room in your pelvis and assist your child transfer down. Place adjustments are particularly necessary in case you’ve been reclining again for some time. Getting up and transferring to a greater place cannot solely get your child transferring down, but in addition helps relieve ache.

Good positions to attempt in case you’re feeling again ache:

The Open Knee-Chest Place

This place is good for transferring your child. Here is learn how to do it:

This place is not essentially the most snug or sustainable for a protracted time frame, however it’s glorious for transfer child again out of your pelvis. This may ease again labor and create room in your child to rotate.

This can be a good place to make use of in case you’re feeling again strain or ache in early labor. Try to keep on this place for half-hour or so.

Then stand up and transfer into a way that may assist child rotate, similar to sitting on a beginning child whereas leaning ahead into the mattress. You may also sit up on the beginning ball and rotate your hips. Or attempt sluggish dancing whereas leaning into your accomplice.

Here is a full list of positions to try during labor.

Gradual Dancing

Gradual dancing, or different positions that give your hips plenty of motion, might help you deal with labor’s power whereas encouraging your child to spiral down into the pelvis in an optimum place.

Throughout my labors I appreciated to lean on my lavatory counter, which is a low counter. I pressed my fingers down firmly into the counter, about shoulder-width aside. That supported my weight so I may sway or spiral my hips backwards and forwards.

This was my favored place till I received into the beginning tub with my previous couple of infants. It helped me cope with the contractions (generally moaning/vocalizing too) whereas additionally transferring my infants down.

Labor progressed in a short time as soon as I received within the tub!

Need to know extra about how I deal with labor ache after 8 infants?  Click here to listen to my podcast on labor pain!

Water Beginning Advantages

In case your beginning coach can get into the birthing tub with you, making use of counter strain or doing a hip squeeze is feasible. It is extra possible, nevertheless, that you will be within the tub your self with out that added method.

Heat water has been proven to assist in labor all by itself, particularly when you may immerse in a beginning tub.  Water birth is a great option for you and baby!

You possibly can have a bathtub in case you’re having a house beginning, and lots of beginning heart and hospital birthing rooms now provide a bathtub for labor (and generally hospital employees is open to water beginning as effectively).

Water helps present even help and strain round your physique, taking away among the weight and instantly canceling out some aches and labor ache. It is such an awesome aid that many mothers swear by it! Research have proven that birthing in water could be as efficient as ache drugs for a lot of mamas.

It will not completely take the ache away, as an epidural may, however it relieves the discomfort of the contractions as a way to get right into a rhythm and deal with labor extra simply.

Having a beginning tub accessible for labor has different advantages, like reducing blood strain and supplying you with freedom of motion. Transferring extra simply might help you get your child in a great place for birthing. Along with lessening muscle pressure, the heat water might help you soften and calm down pelvic muscle groups, providing child a neater time rotating.

These proactive actions not solely show you how to deal with these heavy contractions whereas child is posterior, they show you how to get your child to show and put together for a simple journey into your arms.

The Labor Ache Administration Collection