One day past the due date, should be soon now! Feeling well, and lots of activity from the baby.
While rereading Laura Kaplan Shanley’s book Unassisted Childbirth I came across this passage and thought it might be helpful for other women preparing for birth.
“When we truly accept the fact that we create our own reality, all fear of pain or complications in childbirth vanishes. We feel comfortable giving birth by ourselves or in the company of our mates, friends, or family. When no fear is present, some women actually prefer to be completely alone.
Solitude, it appears, may actually be beneficial to the laboring woman. When she has no overly concerned observer’s to “comfort” her, she can be free to look within herself for support and direction.”
“Physician and author Michel Odent agrees. He believes that “the length of labor is proportional to the number of people around” The more people observing, Odent says, the longer the labor will be. In The Nature of Birth and Breastfeeding, he states that almost all animals seek seclusion when in labor. This allows the mother, as he puts it, “to go off to another planet”, or in other words, go into an altered state of consciousness that allows for the safe and easy delivery of the baby. When a woman feels she is being observed, generally she is unable to do this.”
This passage sums up nicely a woman’s potential access to this instinctual part of their being to birth easily without interventions and the complications which may ensue thereafter.
I have experienced this “go off to another planet” feeling with my two previous births. It really feels like a trance, where no outside contact is getting through to you and you are only listening to what your body is telling you to do. When someone does speak to you, it is rather distracting and takes several moments to react and respond to what they are saying or asking of you. You are temporarily pulled out of your altered state and then need to refocus to go back to that place where this instinct is grounded.
I would find it difficult to reach this state in a hospital setting, but I am sure it could be achieved with a little help from your mate. An advocate that can keep you from being hassled in the hospital while in labor may be able to help you achieve this state of consciousness. In the safety of your own home, it is quite easy to access this part of your mind, making labor easier and much faster.
Many women find it beneficial to tune into a labor coach or husband to guide them through labor, and help with breathing techniques and massage areas of their bodies that are feeling pressure or aches. I find this distracting from the instinctual part of the birth process, and looking within myself has brought the answers I needed for a smooth labor that progressed rapidly. You will find out as you journey through the birth process what works best for you.
