Years ago when Rosie was just starting her stand-up career, she was a contestant on Ed McMahon's Star Search. One of her favorite routines was about her aerobics class instructor.
Rosie would begin her monologue wearing a terry cloth head band and a Flashdance off the shoulder sweat shirt with the neck ripped out and sweat pants pushed up to her knees. (Remember this was the 80's.) To the best of my recollection, she'd imitate the instructor and chant, "... and one, and two and breathe and breathe and breathe, and one, and two, and breathe and breathe and breathe!" Rosie would stop here, laugh and ask us, "Do we really need someone to tell us to breathe?"
Apparently we do.
When you hit your thumb with a hammer, what happens? Usually there's a big gasp, an intake of a breath while you jump around holding the injured finger (and in my case a few choice words fly when hammer connects with thumb) and then you hold that breath until the pain is manageable.
For many, when labor contractions become intense, that's what happens. You hold your breath through the pain until it is manageable and/or over.
Here's why that's not the best option for managing labor pains, inmy simple non-medical terms.
The muscles in your body are either voluntary or involuntary. Meaning some move when you tell them to move and others move whether you ask them to or not.
Your leg muscles, for example, are voluntary muscles. You tell your brain that you want to go for a run and your brain tells the muscles in your legs to move. If this didn't happen you'd fall down.
The heart muscle, on the other hand, is involuntary. Involuntary muscles are muscles controlled only by the brain. These cannot be controlled consciously. You don't have to send it any messages at all. Your heart will beat whether you ask it to or not. And thank goodness for that, I say! Otherwise we'd all be.......well, you know ... dead. :)
Rosie would begin her monologue wearing a terry cloth head band and a Flashdance off the shoulder sweat shirt with the neck ripped out and sweat pants pushed up to her knees. (Remember this was the 80's.) To the best of my recollection, she'd imitate the instructor and chant, "... and one, and two and breathe and breathe and breathe, and one, and two, and breathe and breathe and breathe!" Rosie would stop here, laugh and ask us, "Do we really need someone to tell us to breathe?"
Apparently we do.
When you hit your thumb with a hammer, what happens? Usually there's a big gasp, an intake of a breath while you jump around holding the injured finger (and in my case a few choice words fly when hammer connects with thumb) and then you hold that breath until the pain is manageable.
For many, when labor contractions become intense, that's what happens. You hold your breath through the pain until it is manageable and/or over.
Here's why that's not the best option for managing labor pains, in
The muscles in your body are either voluntary or involuntary. Meaning some move when you tell them to move and others move whether you ask them to or not.
Your leg muscles, for example, are voluntary muscles. You tell your brain that you want to go for a run and your brain tells the muscles in your legs to move. If this didn't happen you'd fall down.
The heart muscle, on the other hand, is involuntary. Involuntary muscles are muscles controlled only by the brain. These cannot be controlled consciously. You don't have to send it any messages at all. Your heart will beat whether you ask it to or not. And thank goodness for that, I say! Otherwise we'd all be.......well, you know ... dead. :)
The pupils of the eye are an example of this, too, as they contract quickly when the eye is exposed to bright light.
Did you get this? Voluntary/Involuntary. There's a test at end. :)
The uterus is an involuntary muscle. When you go into labor the uterus contracts, whether you like it or not. You cannot stop labor once it begins. A doctor can stop it with drugs if necessary, but you can't. So it behooves you to work with the contracting uterus, rather than against it. (I love to say, behooves.)
Working with the contracting uterus means breathing. Working against the contracting uterus means holding your breath.
The uterus is an involuntary muscle. When you go into labor the uterus contracts, whether you like it or not. You cannot stop labor once it begins. A doctor can stop it with drugs if necessary, but you can't. So it behooves you to work with the contracting uterus, rather than against it. (I love to say, behooves.)
Working with the contracting uterus means breathing. Working against the contracting uterus means holding your breath.
Your muscles work best and most efficiently when there is a steady amount of oxygen coursing through your body. Continuous breathing without holding your breath, greatly help this process.
Take a look at these two sites to see how the professionals explain it.
Here and here.
Breathing through contractions, whether deep and slow, in early labor, or short and quick in the later parts of labor, is the important thing. So, just keep breathing. Keep the oxygen flowing supplying your uterus with the vital red blood cells it needs to do it's job and don't hold your breath. Nobody will mind however if you let a few choice words fly now and then. Labor is hard work, dag nabbit!
Please note: There will be a time when it's appropriate to hold your breath during the pushing stage, but that's another post.
If you were having babies 70 years ago, you don't remember the birth because you were knocked out cold and presented with a baby when you woke up. Hopefully the baby was yours. :)
If you were having babies 30 years ago, you probably took a Lamaze class. There they taught very specific kinds of breathing.
But just like Poodle Skirts, Leisure Suits and the Ford Pinto, trends come and go. Rarely is a woman sedated to the point of unconsciousness during labor; and while Lamaze classes are still a viable option for preparing yourself for labor and delivery, (and my personal favorite) the numbers are down in Lamaze classes and the Epidural, it seems, is the way to go.
Whether you take childbirth classes or not, just remember Rosie O' Donnell on Star Search, who learned that we do, in fact, need to be reminded to breathe especially in stressful, physical situations like aerobics and childbirth.
Or, if you are too young to remember Rosie's early days, relax and think of Faith Hill and just Breathe.
Take a look at these two sites to see how the professionals explain it.
Here and here.
Breathing through contractions, whether deep and slow, in early labor, or short and quick in the later parts of labor, is the important thing. So, just keep breathing. Keep the oxygen flowing supplying your uterus with the vital red blood cells it needs to do it's job and don't hold your breath. Nobody will mind however if you let a few choice words fly now and then. Labor is hard work, dag nabbit!
Please note: There will be a time when it's appropriate to hold your breath during the pushing stage, but that's another post.
If you were having babies 70 years ago, you don't remember the birth because you were knocked out cold and presented with a baby when you woke up. Hopefully the baby was yours. :)
If you were having babies 30 years ago, you probably took a Lamaze class. There they taught very specific kinds of breathing.
But just like Poodle Skirts, Leisure Suits and the Ford Pinto, trends come and go. Rarely is a woman sedated to the point of unconsciousness during labor; and while Lamaze classes are still a viable option for preparing yourself for labor and delivery, (and my personal favorite) the numbers are down in Lamaze classes and the Epidural, it seems, is the way to go.
Whether you take childbirth classes or not, just remember Rosie O' Donnell on Star Search, who learned that we do, in fact, need to be reminded to breathe especially in stressful, physical situations like aerobics and childbirth.
Or, if you are too young to remember Rosie's early days, relax and think of Faith Hill and just Breathe.
