Alleviate Fears of Childbirth and Manage Labor Pain
Supported by research studies that examine the benefits and risks of maternity care practices, these 6 birth practices are the foundation of Lamaze childbirth classes taught around the world. These healthy practices are designed to simplify the birth process in order to alleviate fear and manage discomfort. No matter what type of labor, the length of your labor, or your confidence level, these practices are key to keeping you and your baby as safe and healthy as possible.
Attribution: Lamaze International
Evidence-based care means using the best research about the effects of specific procedures, drugs, tests, and treatments to help guide decision-making during labor and birth. This is the gold standard for maternity care worldwide. Yes, hospitals and medical care providers such as your OB and midwife are often well aware of the latest research and recommendations based on these findings. That's great until you consider the fact it takes - on average - 17 YEARS for medical professionals to change the way they practice!
I am a Professional Member at Evidence Based Birth, where I receive frequent continuing education on the best practices in the field. I love to pass this information on to my doula clients and students of my private childbirth classes, which are available LIVE (not pre-recorded) both online and in-person. This lesson is tailored to meet the specific needs of each of my clients.
Keep reading to learn how each of these 6 practices can help you optimize birth outcomes, then sign up to take my intensive Labor Lesson. You'll learn tested strategies for labor comfort and progress, gain insider tips from my time working at your birthing facility and alongside your OB or midwife, and easily prepare for your transition to parenthood.
What are the Six Lamaze Healthy Birth Practices?
1) Let Labor Begin On Its Own
A. In pregnancy, labor will start only when all the players - your baby, your uterus, your hormones, and your placenta - are ready. Every day of the last weeks of pregnancy is vital to your body's (and your baby's) preparation for birth. Should you choose to induce labor, know it is a medical event and proceeds quite differently from spontaneous labor.
B. Induction has a higher percent of cesarean rate associated with it. So while a cesarean is not definitive with an induction, ask yourself if the potential benefit truly outweighs the risks.
C. All the hormones that play a part in labor (oxytocin, endorphins, catecholamines, and prolactin) are important. However, there are studies that show now just how important those same hormones are to both mom and baby when spontaneous labor occurs. For example, the naturally-occurring oxytocin surge in the pregnant person’s body that precedes labor is thought to have a neuroprotective effect on the baby, while higher levels of the synthetic version (Pitocin) produced the opposite effect. Catecholamines are vital to readying the baby’s lungs for air-breathing after birth, and fetal catecholamines increase a few days before spontaneous labor. Knowing that due dates are often off by at least a few days, even inducing at 40 weeks can lead to issues if the baby isn’t ready.
To learn more about this healthy birth practice, read our post, Weighing Benefits v Risks of Induction.
Labor Tip:
If you wake up in the middle of the night feeling contractions, try to go back to sleep. Maintain the quietness of the night and don’t wake your partner right away. Remember they need adequate rest in order to provide you with support when labor really gets tough! If contractions keep you awake, try taking a long, warm bath, then go back to bed and doze between contractions. Let the early phase of labor build the natural cascade of hormones; each one signaling another in perfect harmony allowing for your body to help itself and your baby to birth in the safest way possible.
2) Walk, Move, Change Positions
A. Pregnant people who move around and use upright positions during labor have shorter labors, less intervention, report less severe pain, and describe more satisfaction with their childbirth experience than women in recumbent positions.
B. Changing position frequently moves the bones of the pelvis, helping the baby find the best fit to come down.
C. Moving around can also help prevent c-section by reducing the chances of a stall of labor or shortening the amount of time a stall lasts; especially in early labor.
To learn more about this healthy birth practice, read the post by The Happiest Doulas - Make Labor Productive with Positivity, Positions and Personal Support.
Labor Tip:
If you're experiencing pain in your lower back during labor, hang your belly underneath you as much as possible. Try kneeling on all fours or sitting backwards on a chair or toilet. Ask your partner to press on your sacrum or squeeze both your hips at the same time. Also, moving your hips/pelvis in a hula-hoop or figure 8 motion may help the baby rotate off your spine into an optimal position.
3) Continuous Labor Support
A. This is not a new concept. Ancient art depicts women giving birth surrounded by other women. This is how birth occurred in many civilizations for many years until about the 20th century when doctors moved birth to a hospital.
B. Having someone who is knowledgeable and able to help you and/or your partner can greatly help the entire birth experience by reducing risk of cesarean, shortening the length of labor (by helping you with positioning and movement), and the ability to cope with labor by offering comfort measures.
Your partner is an essential support person for you to have by your side. However, your partner will need to eat and use the bathroom at times. Also, most partners have limited knowledge about birth, medical procedures, or what goes on in a hospital. Doulas and partners work together to make up a labor support team.
To learn more about this healthy birth practice, read the post, When Childbirth Moved Into Hospitals Labor Support Was Left Behind.
Labor Tip:
Having a baby is akin to running a marathon – laboring people need adequate nutrition and hydration to keep going. Some ideas: small amounts of cheese (1 oz), fruit, veggie pieces, rice cakes, honey sticks (can often be found at Farmer’s Markets). Stay away from heavy foods that may cause GI upset or nausea. Partners need to make sure they are eating and taking care of their needs as well so they can provide adequate support.
4) Avoid Routine Interventions
A. Interventions are like dominos. Often times, one intervention will lead to another and then another. Example: Using Pitocin (artificial oxytocin augmentation) means having an IV, constant monitoring, and often times, an epidural...which adds frequent blood pressure checks, urinary catheters, etc.
B. Most U.S. births today are intervention-intensive. A majority of people surveyed for Listening to Mothers experienced one or more of the following interventions during labor:
Continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM)(93%)
Restrictions on eating (87%)
IV fluids (86%)
Restrictions on drinking (66%)
Episiotomy (35%)
Epidural anesthesia (63%)
Artificially ruptured membranes (55%)
Artificial oxytocin augmentation (53%)
Labor Tip:
Although research shows that routine and unnecessary interference in the natural process of labor and birth is not likely to be beneficial - and may indeed be harmful - many people give consent to routine procedures such as vaginal exams, INT/hep lock/IV ports, and continuous monitoring. While each of these routine interventions are sometimes necessary, you may wish to ask WHY you are being offered such interventions. We recommend you consider the benefits, risks, and available alternatives (acronym: BRA) to any proposed intervention.
To learn more about this healthy birth practice, read the post, How To Avoid Routine Medical Interventions.
5) Avoid Giving Birth on Your Back and Follow Your Urge to Push
A. Spontaneous pushing allows baby to get more blood flow and oxygen than the typical coached pushing for 10 seconds long. Pushing should not go for more than 8 seconds at a time to allow for optimal oxygenation of the baby.
B. Use gravity! Giving birth on your back reduces the size of your pelvic outlet and fights gravity. When you feel the urge to push with a contraction, pay attention to what your body tells you. Do you want to stand up or get on your hands and knees to push? If so, go for it.
Labor Tip:
You may request a bar for support while squatting during the pushing stage. While in a squat position, there is maximum room for your baby to exit the pelvis and travel through a shorter birth canal.
To learn more about this healthy birth practice, read Benefits of Upright and Spontaneous Pushing and How to Get Support For What You Want.
6) Keep parent and Baby Together
A. Ask that your baby is placed on your abdomen "fresh out of the oven" immediately following delivery. Your baby’s natural “crawling” movements as she makes her way to your breast can help expel the placenta naturally, as well as putting pressure on your belly to help minimize bleeding. Also, once the baby latches onto the breast, you begin to naturally produce more oxytocin, which further helps your uterus to shrink down and prevent postpartum bleeding.
B. Any care that needs to be done immediately after birth can be done with your baby skin-to-skin on your chest.
Labor Tip:
Bruising may be seen on various places of the body such as the face, or sometimes on the back. Childbirth can be pretty rough on babies, too – not just laboring person!
To learn more about this healthy birth practice, read The Happiest Doulas’ blog post, Keep Parent and Baby Together.