Where and how should I give birth? 30 November 2009
Where and how should I give birth? Should the father attend the birth? A unanimous opinion on these questions has not been reached yet. During the last 40 years, these questions have been treated as medical issues and that is why giving birth in maternity hospitals has been recommended. In most cases, the mother has a passive role.
Nowadays, there are a lot of opinions on what is the best way for a mother to give a birth. There are of course some alternative methods. Among the most popular are:
Lamaze childbirth method
This is one of the most popular methods in the world. There are more than 150 000 courses that teach the Lamaze method. Every year more than 2 million married couples attend these courses. The teachers are specially trained. They can be doctors, midwives and nurses, as well as non-medical workers.
This method was developed by Dr. Ferdinand Lamaze in 1951 and it is based on Pavlov’ s discovery about reflexes. Pregnant women are taught special breathing exercises, so that they can develop a reflex, which will make childbirth easier. Husbands attend the birth and support their wives.
The advantage of this method is the development of a deep emotional connection -"husband-wife", "parent-child".
Gamper childbirth method
This method was developed by a midwife, named Margaret Gamper and gained popularity in the 40-50s of 20th century. It focuses on the preparation for giving birth and on relaxation techniques. This was the first method to allow fathers-to-be to attend the childbirth. Training is conducted by instructors, who have a special certificate and it should start during the 4th month of the pregnancy.
The Bradley method (Dr. Robert A. Bradley (1917-1998))
In the late 40s of 20th century the American doctor R. Bradley stared the practice “giving birth with the husband". He described his ideas in his book “Husband-Coached Childbirth", which was published in 1965. The Bradley method suggests that the husband should not just attend the childbirth, but actually participate in it. His major task is to “orchestrate" the breathing of the mother, to massage her back, to bring ice, wet towels, etc.
Nowadays, the Bradley method is one of the possible options for giving birth. Husbands accompany their wives during all the necessary procedures. Unlike Lamaze method, the Bradley method does not recommend some pattern of breathing, but it concentrates on deep breathing. A special attention should be paid to proper diet and physical exercises, which can ease the discomfort during pregnancy, prepare the muscles for childbirth and the breasts for breastfeeding. The Bradley method recommends that women, who are giving birth, should rather focus on their body, instead of distracting their attention with something else, so that they can forget about the discomfort. About 94 % of the women who give birth this way do not use anesthesia. It is used in critical situations or in cases of Caesarean section.
The Bradley method courses start from the very beginning of the pregnancy and continue till the childbirth. If for some reason the husband cannot attend the childbirth (for example if the woman is a single mother), a relative or a friend of the mother can fulfill his task.
Childbirth with hypnosis
British psychologists suggest a new way for preparation, which guarantees a quick and painless childbirth. The new technique is based on autohypnosis and autosuggestion.
The essence of this technique is the following: During pregnancy or during its last three months, pregnant women learn not only how to breath properly, but they also attain a special breathing technique, very similar to yoga. On the one hand, pregnant women constantly visualize their babies and the process of childbirth, thus preparing for it, and on the other hand-they form a psychological connection between them and their babies. During such childbirth women even reach a state of mild trance as a result of autohypnosis. If everything is done correctly, the childbirth will be completely painless. Of course, this technique should be accompanied by proper breathing, which helps to maintain the state of trance and to relieve the muscles from tension.
Water birth
Water birth is different form traditional childbirth, because pregnant women should periodically enter a bathtub or pool with warm water. Water reduces pain during birth. A special bathtub (pool) with normal water (from the pipeline) is used for giving birth in water. The water should not be treated preliminary, only salt can be put in it. The temperature of the water should be around 36, 5-37°С. A whirlpool bath can be used, which has a soothing and relaxing effect.
There are several ways for giving birth in water. For example, women should enter the water once the baby’s head has shown, so that the baby will be born in the water, not in the air. This means that childbirth may begin outside the water. Giving birth in water is executed with the purpose to bring the child to an environment similar to this in the mother's womb and to ease transition to the new living conditions. It is also believed that giving birth in water reduces pain during contractions.
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