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Hello
this is Wintergreen again. As a trustee of Common Knowledge Trust, which is
an educational charitable trust located in New Zealand, I go all over the
world to share the pink kit method for birthing better childbirth skills
that come from ordinary moms and dads just like me and just like you. In my
last talk we started to answer one of the big questions that dads ask – how
do I know when she needs my help? You learn that her facial messages help
you know when to help. Today we’re going to talk about listening to how a
woman breathes in labor.
Since
we can’t practice labor we have to go through a series of simple experiences
instead sort of like exercises. Since all of humans are essentially the
same we can easily learn from the same experiences. In these three
exercises, or experiences, you will breathe in your nose and out your
mouth. In the first two experiences you will create so listen to the
positive breathing patterns. In the last experience you’ll create so listen
to a stress breathing pattern. This is the one that women use when they are
not coping well on a contraction. Usually the facial expressions will
change first and then the breathing.
Are
you ready now? We are going to do experience one. Take a deep breath in
your nose and slowly and relatively quietly blow out your mouth. Keep your
forehead relaxed. Now dads if she has a relaxed forehead and breathing in
this way you can feel pretty relaxed that she is feeling in charge of the
contraction. So experience two take a deep breath in your nose again and
exhale with a slacked jaw and make a deep sighing sound. This type of
breathing also indicates the woman is coping with a contraction. In fact
either one of these two types of breathing are the positive breathing
patterns to use particularly during intense contractions. Either one
provides a great way to focus your breath which is a great coping skill.
We
all know childbirth can increasingly hurt as dilation progresses so dads she
might love you to breathe with her at certain phases of or throughout the
whole contraction. She may shut her eyes or she may want to look deeply
into yours. Now for the third experience wrinkle up your forehead a wee bit
still breathe in your nose and exhale out your mouth. Don’t make it sound
relaxing but don’t go over the top. If you are over the top no one helps
you soon enough. So now listen to the differences between experiences one
and two and experience three.
Even
though the woman in all three experiences is breathing in her nose and out
her mouth you should be able to hear the difference between whether she is
coping or having some difficulty and needs your team work skills.
Childbirth is called labor because it’s hard work. A woman doesn’t need to
work alone. As you get better at seeing and hearing how the birthing woman
is responding to each contraction then you will have answered your own
question. I know when she needs my help.
Next
week we’ll discuss a different angle to the same question and how the
confusion between the term birth coach and birth support is making it harder
for dads to know when she needs help. You can always come to our website at
http://www.birthingbetter.com and check out the pink kit method
resources. These are childbirth skills that come from ordinary people just
like ourselves, skills from both moms and dads. See ya next time.
