If you're expecting your first baby, it can be a bit scary. Too many women like to share their horror stories of labor and birth with you. The best thing you can do for your own peace of mind is spend some time learning about what to expect when labor starts. There are plenty of good books available, or you can spend some time online checking out the many websites dedicated to pregnancy and giving birth. If you've already chosen a hospital, then it's quite likely they offer free or very cheap classes all about labor and different birth methods they support.
The reality is that the more prepared you are for labor and birth, the more relaxed you will be when the time comes. If you're more relaxed and understand what's happening, it's easier to deal with it all. Your birth partner should also attend the classes if possible, so that when the time comes you can have the best possible support they can give.
One very popular birth philosophy is called Lamaze. The focus of the Lamaze technique is your breathing. The idea is that you focus on breathing through the pain of each contraction, so that you enter something like a meditative state during labor. This helps you to cope better when the contractions become more intense. The role of the birth partner is to act as coach during labor. Many women find Lamaze breathing makes pain medication unnecessary, so if you're interested in a medicine-free birth, this is definitely a birth method you should learn about. It can also be used together with standard pain reduction drugs.
The Bradley Method is another popular birthing method. The focus here is mostly on your body, and you learn a variety of positions and relaxation techniques during classes, so that your body can have contractions that are as productive as possible. You can also relax and choose one of the positions to help reduce pain. Relaxation is one of the best things you can do to help manage the pain of labor. Your birth partner acts as a coach to help the mother-to-be relax during contractions. Again, this method is often used successfully for a drug-free birth, and can also be used in conjunction with pain relief medication.
Apart from these two main birth methods, you can also have a professional come and help you during the birthing process. A doula, or labor coach, isn't a nurse or midwife, but someone who has been trained in the best ways to support a woman during labor. The doula can also give the birth partner advice on how best to support the mother-to-be. Many husbands feel completely lost during labor, and desperately want to do something to help their partner with the pain, but have no idea how to help. A doula can support both partners and suggest effective ways to reduce pain and make labor easier.
There are many different options available for giving birth, so take the time to educate yourself and learn what those options are. That way you can choose one or two methods that appeal to you, and use them to help make giving birth as positive an experience as possible.
