Tuesday, July 24, 2012

The Sounds of Labor

In the movies, labors are very noisy with moms screaming at her support people, the medical staff or to no one in particular. But is that an accurate depiction of a labor?  No.  However, labor does have it's own unique sounds.

Some moms find it best to stay very quiet during contractions and just sink into a quiet world while their body and their babies do the work.  Some use rhythmic breathing patterns to focus during contractions. Some find low moaning to be comforting.  And some are more vocal with loud expressions.

I feel all the above are fine.  A mom in labor has to figure out what works for her - and in some cases their own sounds have to give them some type of a platform to stay above the "noise" of their labor going on inside.  The down side to this is that they usually notice a throat that feels a little raw once the baby is in their arms.

How should support people react to the sounds. First of all - allow her to do what feels best to her. But there are times when added direction can be helpful.  If a mom's sounds are in the high, nasal range, I encourage her to bring them low and deep - describing it like a "mama bear in a cave"..  Upper range has a more hysterical feeling whereas the lower range has a more powerful feeling.

If a mom is making sounds that are heading in a more "desperate" direction,  describing that she is feeling "lost", "scared", "in pain", then I try to direct her in a more positive direction of sounds.  When she is saying "no", I encourage "yes"....when she is saying, "this is painful", I may suggest, "this is working" and if she is expressing feelings that she is scared, I acknowledge her fears but then suggest that she is surrounded by support and that she has the ability to do this.  That she is okay.

So - whether you are at a birth that is very quiet - or in a room filled with sounds, remember to respect laboring moms' right to make sounds.  And enjoy the end result - the sound  of a newborn baby!

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