breathe

I am having way too much fun over at PicMonkey creating affirmations .  I am not crazy about this one but I have no idea when I will get another chance to try it again. Till then, this one will have to do...

The reason that I was so excited to make this one is because of the buttons.  As labor progresses we find ways to slow and control our breathing, think old days Lamaze. While it is not so much about the he-he-he or the ha-ha-ha breath pattern, it is more about finding what breathing technique works for you. One possibility is slowly breathing out as if to blow gently at the button on the shirt of your support person.

We used to always hear, "Bring a focal point" for your labor. What is now being shared is find your focal point from your surroundings.  Often times it is an absent minded choice- whatever is in view as the surge begins. One story that I was told is that of a laboring woman who found her self focusing on a button of her husbands shirt. While during a contraction he went to move and his wife lost her focus and exclaimed, "Don't move!" He had no idea until the wave was over and she was able to explain.

So whether it is the shiny gloss paint on the wall in front of you or a swirl on your pillow case, it matters not. The purpose of the focus is to help center and anchor you. As in the case with the husband and the button on his shirt the focal point can become a birth ritual that is part of the three R's of comfort, Rhythm, Ritual and Relaxation. But that is another blog post... 

(PS- Ask me about my embarrassing story of the focal point I brought for the birth of my second child!)