Alternative Pain Relief

dory

Hello everyone.
I'm sure this has been asked loads of times but I have gone back a good few pages and can't find anything.
Basically, my very good friend is expecting in the next 6 weeks and I want to do whatever I can to make this experience better for her. We would really like to try a few alternative methods - there'll be no epi in the midwife led unit she's going to.

I would love an intensive few day course on acupressure or reflexology. Has anyone tried this? Heard from one woman that it worked wonders.
Another is hypnobirthing - I read a thread back along in which people had great things to say about it.
TENS machines - are they good? I can't really imagine sticking pads on her when she's an active person who I think would be more comfortable moving rather than being electrocuted.
Any other info on how I could learn any type of massage would be great.

Cheers!

Nevyn

TENS machines are portable units the same size as an old style tape player walk man,
so she can easily have on of those on and walk about.

dory

Hello. Thanks for the reply. Have you used one? Are they effective?

Khannie

For what it's worth....Lidls are selling tens machines at the moment. I was a bit confused, but they do sell unusual stuff from time to time. I don't know if they work / are effective.

lalalulu

Hi.. I used the ten's and i found it useless but have heard other women who say it worked wonder's for them. You can rent them from boot's rather than buying. I think the hypobirthing look's great there was a lady on tv3 talking about it and she had no pain during labour! It's definitely worth looking in to.

twomaddogs

Got your PM Dory, will try and dig it out but we're halfway through moving so I might not find it. If not, try some of the mum's chatrooms and ask if anyone will sell you a Gentlebirth CD, there's usually someone selling one

I went without drugs and things that helped were:

Hypnobirthing - as long as I was relaxed the contractions were manageable. Would honestly not have another without hypnobirthing, it was unbelievable in terms of how relaxed I was coming up to the birth, how well I slept in the last few weeks and how completely chilled I was during labour. Recovered really quickly too.

TENS - only for the first bit though, when I got to the end it annoyed me more than anything but the first contractions are much easier with it

CD - I got a four CD set called Simply Chillout, found listening to the classical one really helped. Classical music is known to slow your heartbeat and relax you so anything that can do that will make the labour easier

Raspberry Leaf Tea - can't say concusively that this helped, but it's meant to soften the cervix meaning you have a quicker labour. I went through active labour in about an hour and a half and that definitely doesn't run in my family, so something helped! Drank one cup a day from about 32 weeks, upped it to 2 cups from about 35 weeks, then in the last couple of weeks just drank as much as I wanted. You get it from health food shops

A bath - my hypno teacher told me to get in a bath and relax for an hour when I felt the first contraction. Think I might have been more panicky if I hadn't have done that.

Accupunture / Chinese massage - in the last few weeks before the birth I had either acupuncture or chinese massage once a week for relaxation. Really helped relax me before labour

The one thing I'd say as well is to make sure she rests, rests, rests coming up to her due date. Labour is unbelievably tiring and if you're wrecked when it gets to the pushing stage it can make it take longer than it would otherwise. I was stupid enough to work right up to one hour before my first contraction (self employed, and went a week early on my first) and was wrecked.

Good luck!

dory

Thanks everyone for the info! We're going to try all of the above. No epis for us!
5 weeks to go!

Quality

Plenty of walking, Yoga is great too..

Try and stay at home for as long as she can as well, you are more relaxed in your own environment.

the raspberry leaf tea is great..

And most importantly a positive outlook. Its pain with a purpose. And knowing that the pain will come to an end once the baby is out is what she needs to focus on...

Best of luck!

littlebug

Hi Dory,

With my first I tried the tens machine but found it too fiddly. I would feel the contraction coming on but by the time I figured out which buttons to press on the damn thing it was nearly over. I had a fairly fast labour though so I may just have been too far along for it to help.
Before my labour I remember talking to someone who had used visualisation through her labour. Hers involved waves and reaching the crest of the wave at the peak of the contraction. I thought it was a bit odd and couldn't see the point myself but I actually ended up using a simplified version on the day. I counted! Strange as it may sound each contraction lasted for a sloooww 7 so when it would start I would start my counting in the knowledge that when I'd get past 4 I was over the peak of it. I also didn't do the huffy puffy breathing that you see on the telly.... slow controlled breathing all the way, timed with my counting. I had the quietest labour(s) ever seen by all accounts
I tried again with my second and managed the slow controlled breathing but the counting didn't work as the contractions lasted forever:( ok not forever but it felt like one big long 45 minute contraction but then he was born . =

I would say just be prepared to try different things on the day and see what happens. whatever works....