You asked and you shall now receive. It’s only fair for us to share all of this stored up knowledge about having a baby and what is going on with your body during those nine (really ten) months. We now will answer, in a very public forum, all of those burning questions about having a baby. Each Monday, we will tackle a commonly-asked-question from the point of view of an expectant parent. Chiming in to give her feedback will be three women who have been there and done that: an expert (you know someone who does this for a living), a mom from our community (for the “best” friend advice you need) and a babybites’ team member (someone who will promise to give you the REAL deal and no fluff). Earmark, share and add your own input to today’s question; it’s good karma.
What are some ways I can manage pain during labor?
Expert: Renee Sullivan
Great news! There are so many effective ways in this day and age to navigate labor and bring your little ones into the world. From the traditional epidural, to comforting pain relief methods such as specific breathing techniques, yoga poses, massage, acupuncture and water therapy. One of my faves? The simple act of walking. Movement – the more we are able to move around, change positions and walk in labor, the quicker things can go. One of the gals in the groups walked over a mile across Central Park to the hospital – and was pleasantly surprised upon arrival that she was almost done! Keep it moving, and the baby will often move along.
Mom: Andrea Reid
Thankfully, there are lots of different techniques for managing pain during labor! An epidural is one of the most common ways to manage pain, but there are many non-pharmacologic or “natural” pain relievers that one can try to cope with labor. Some of these include breathing techniques, massage, water (i.e. shower or bath), birth balls, movement including walking or swaying, and good ‘ole fashion encouragement! Another idea is to hire a birth doula who is an expert in labor techniques and can be your personal “birth coach” to support you throughout the process. The childbirth class my husband and I took was taught by a birth doula who shared lots of great strategies and tips for managing labor pain.
babybites’ team: Elise Jones
Pain and labor pain to be specific, are NOT my thing. Being too hot/cold sends me into fits so when I heard about the pain and thought about the pain involved in giving birth, I knew I was in trouble. I like to think I’m pretty tough but did you know I have red hair AND it is proven that red-headed people feel pain MORE than any other hair color (it has to do with our DNA). So I’m justified in knowing the monumental amount of pain having a baby would bring to my person. That being said, I also knew I wanted to wait as long as possible into the birthing process to get some pain medicine. I know if you get an epidural too early, it could wear off before the real fun begins. I also was told in my birthing classes there was a chance an epidural could slow down the natural process of birth and it leads to more C-sections than not having an epidural. Again, pain + me = NO WAY. A C-section was WAY more pain than I was willing to deal with so avoiding one at all costs was high on my pain management list. The ways I coped with pain before having pain medicine were: walking, getting on my all fours and doing cat stretches, sitting on a medicine ball and rocking, having my husband massage my back, eating ice chips and yelling (or high-pierced screaming if you ask everyone else). Lesson learned after my first child: you can wait until it’s too late to ask for pain medicine. So if you think it’s in the cards for you, make sure you time it just right!
Renee Sullivan, parent coach and Mommybites support group director, works with moms each week to create their own personal parenting plan that is right for them, while making sure that each mom gets the support, resources, and community they need for their parenting journey. Drawing from her experience as an birth coach and educator, she guides moms – new, seasoned and expectant through the never – ending array of decisions that come with having a child. Before joining Mommybites, she narrowly escaped the trenches of Corporate America where she was a Senior Project Manager for The New York Times, Morgan Stanley, and Pfizer. She lives in New York City and is the mom of one happy kindergartener.
Andrea Reid is a expectant mom awaiting the arrival of her first child (a boy!) around January 20th, 2012. Andrea moved to NYC from Chicago in May and started attending expectant moms groups organized by Baby Bites right away to learn as much as possible about becoming a mom. After participating in four cycles of expectant moms groups, she feels very fortunate to have gained a ton of insight and knowledge from facilitator, Renee Sullivan, and fellow participants on all things related to having a child. Prior to moving to the Big Apple, Andrea worked as a Senior Clinical Specialist with Genentech. She continues to volunteer as an alumni recruiter for the University of Michigan and enjoys exploring the city with her husband, Dustin, and Yorkshire Terrier, Zeus.
Elise Jones
Elise is the social media director and blog editor for babybites. She is responsible for engaging and investigating a variety of parenting topics found on babybites’ social media channels: parenting videos (webbybites), blog, Facebook, Twitter, and BlogTalkRadio show. The babybites’ blog is an outlet for moms who are in search of information to support them in their role as a parent. Prior to working with babybites, Elise was a teacher and worked in corporate PR. She is a wife and loving mom of two lovely girls and currently resides in New Jersey. In her spare time (HA!) she performs in the theater and is an active member of her local public arts council as well as blogs at Here in This House.
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