It’s early (or late). 5:20am. we have been able to sleep on and off, disrupted by nurse visits, restlessness, contractions, and uncomfortable beds (even with all those shaping/tilting/lifting options).
Sarah’s contractions are still a little irregular, ranging from 3 to 6 minutes apart, lasting from 30 to 90 seconds. they aren’t too strong yet, but definitely strong enough to prevent deep sleep.
we only attended one week of birthing classes. luckily we learned the signs of labor, and got some critical questions answered… but we currently know very little about breathing patterns, pain management, and what to actually DO during contractions. so between naps and contractions, i’m flipping through a few books trying not to read about everything that can go wrong to find some helpful instruction.
slow breathing. massage. mental focal points. signaling breathes. repetitious prayers. these things really seem to be helping. ok, now i just gotta find the strategy for the next phase… Sarah, what page are you on?
February 8th, 2007 at 07:38
hey brooke a few ideas…when it gets worse, s. can use lower register and make deep groaning noises. as far as what to DO during contractions, I did all of the stuff you mentioned (repeated prayers, breathing, etc) and then just try to find a position that works for Sarah…the one we used the most was putting the bed like stairs and me sitting on the top part and Erik kneeling on the lower part and me putting my arms around him and my head on his shoulders - then Erik would recite verses to me, or just say “relax & breathe”, or “the baby is coming soon”, etc.
He also kept getting the water pitcher filled and encouraging me to sip water - I totally didn’t want to a lot of the time, but staying somewhat hydrated was key to being able to do labor.
February 8th, 2007 at 07:40
continuing (hope this helps)…other positions are you going on all fours and s. leaning on your back, a “slow dance”…I’m sure they are in the books.
let me know if you have questions! 917-821-4752 i will try to check your blog again
pamela
February 8th, 2007 at 08:10
Brooke, this is so awesome! I’m glad to hear about this journey of yours, and I’ll be praying for you! Blessings to you, Sarah & Micah!