Week 7 - Labour Support Flashcards
Pain-related goal in our society
eliminate pain
usually through pharmaceuticals
Why is eliminating pain not always good?
doesn’t get to the root of things
masking pain isn’t always good
Perceptions on pain (2)
1) physiology
2) pathology
Pain as physiology
physical sensation
pain itself in labour is not bad
cervix and uterus changes are PURPOSEFUL as part of the birth process
Suffering
emotional response to pain
T or F: Eliminating pain during labour is not the goal for everyone
TRUE
T or F: When hormones of pregnancy are well supported, the person knows what to do as a mammal.
TRUE
What is more important than pain support?
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT
Examples of things to say to a client during pain
“I can see how hard that was for you”
“I’m so impressed at how you handled that contraction”
“This isn’t bigger than you - your body knows what it can handle”
“Let’s try water therapy”
In which system should birth occur?
parasympathetic system
“rest and digest, feed and breed”
Birth hormone of the parasympathetic system
oxytocin
Hormone of the sympathetic system
cortisol
“In between” hormone - awake and aware
adrenaline
One of the best ways to promote feeling safe during pregnancy
trauma-informed care
good touch vs bad touch
Components of the limbic system (5)
1) Prefrontal cortex
2) Thalamus
3) Amygdala
4) Hippocampus
5) Hypothalamus
Prefrontal cortex function
newer, logic, reasoning, memory brain
higher intelligence
logic memory
SLOWER response
Thalamus function
receives input information from the sense
sensory input
Amygdala function
emotional center
how we FEEL about the senses
works in conjunction with hippocampus
Hippocampus function
emotional memory
when we’ve had a hormonal response to a stimulus
Hypothalamus function
produce hormones according to how hippocampus FEELS about the stimulus
Thing that you can do to tell limbic system you’re not in trouble
breathe
Components of a good birth environment
low sensory
quiet
private
dark/dim
calming sounds
Examples of self-affirmation statements
“I can do this!”
“Each wave of pain will bring me closer to my baby.”
“My baby and I are a team.”
Examples of negative statements
“Most people can’t to do that on their own…”
“Are you ready for the pain medication yet?”
“If you do that, your baby is at risk.”
T or F: Birth music should be relaxation music
FALSE
any music that inspires positive emotions
How do humans uniquely birth babies?
upright
upright pelvis
4 adaptations of the pelvis
1) relaxin
2) cardinal movements of labour
3) Rhombus of Michaelis
4) head molding
Relaxin
start making pretty early on in pregnancy
relaxes connective tissue (tendons, ligaments)
more mobility and flexibility of the pelvis
Cardinal movements of labour
tuck, twist, extension etc. that baby has to make to fit through the pelvis
shape of pelvis, pressure on the baby’s butt
Rhombus of Michaelis
triangle of tailbone
with help of relaxin
“door” can actually “open” to give you 17 degrees of extra space
see more often with births with midwives
Head molding
baby can make head smaller, different size
accommodate shape of pelvis are they are coming through
e.g. cone head
Benefits of being upright during birth
gravity
rhombus can move
more movement options
more space when swaying hips
Double hip squeeze technique
apply pressure to change shape of pelvis
great for back pain
DURING contraction
fingers together, lower than hips, squeeze it IN
Places to apply firm pressure to that have a regulatory effect (3)
1) sacrum
-before baby needs to move through
2) Dimples of Venus
-2 thumbs into the dimples
3) Divets in shoulders
-good when person is holding a lot of tension in their upper body
Benefits of Doulas (many)
shorter labour
more satisfaction and empowerment
decreased unplanned C-sections
increased spontenous vaginal birth
decreased risk of low 5 minutes APGAR
decreased need for medical pain relief
Major benefit of the Doula model of care
continuity of care***
Doula model of care (4)
1) emotional support
2) physical support
3) partner support
4) information support
Comfort measures (many)
1) feeling safe
2) breathing
3) birth environment
4) empathetic care (empowering language)
5) music
6) movement & positioning
7) double hip squeeze
8) counter and acupressure
9) doulas
10) Rebozo
11) dancing
12) hydrotherapy
