“Come on, quieter, mommy, quieter, breathe,” says the midwife. And the poor woman in labor does not hear – she screams. How could it be otherwise? The pain is hellish.
Anyone who has given birth at least once knows that the process of childbirth is often long, painful, and even traumatic. Moreover, they are forbidden to shout. Sometimes they even strictly pull back: do not shout, they say. Why is that?
Obstetrician-gynecologist, associate professor of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Volgograd State Medical University
“From a medical point of view, childbirth is divided into three parts: contractions, the birth of a child during attempts, the release of the placenta. In general, sometimes it can even last 12-16 hours. Doctors and midwives understand perfectly well the woman in labor who is afraid for the child, for the outcome of childbirth. Doctors know that absolutely everything scares a woman – that she is alone and that they seem to have forgotten about her in the delivery room, that the process is going on somehow wrong, for too long … “
Fear is intensified by pain, sometimes it comes to panic. It is difficult to withstand the pain, sometimes impossible: it is not for nothing that men, trying with the help of special devices to feel on themselves everything that a woman feels during childbirth, are able to hold out for a matter of seconds.
It is impossible that doctors do not understand this, it would be too cynical. But why do they still forbid women to scream in childbirth?
There are three main reasons.
Cause 1… Screaming causes muscle spasm. But at the stage of contractions – an involuntary contraction of the muscles of the uterus – the uterine pharynx opens. Both in time and in sensations, this is the longest and most painful stage of childbirth. For the successful opening of the uterine pharynx, it is much more useful to provide relaxation, that is, the woman should try to relax. If the woman in childbirth manages to accept this reality, then she copes with contractions with less suffering. Why shouldn’t you shout? The screaming (and spasm) interferes with the dilatation of the cervix and lengthens the period of the contractions, which means the pain will last longer.
Reason 2. Attempts are a period of selfless work by a mother for the sake of a child’s life. At this time, the woman in labor spends all her strength and energy to ensure that the baby “quickly come out.” Correct push – at the command of the midwife, the woman should take a full chest of air and strain the abdominal muscles as much as possible, as if pushing the child. If she screams at this time, then she loses the maximum force of pushing, releasing air from the chest. The baby’s progress slows down. His life is in jeopardy.
Reason 3: Screaming is the panic and fear of the expectant mother. Doctors, of course, react to this. They try to influence emotions, talk, calm down. Very painful? Pain relief. But this does not mean that complete comfort will come for a woman. This can never be!
It is also very important to understand that screaming does not have any analgesic effect!
Courses for expectant mothers help to prepare for childbirth very well, where doctors explain what will accompany a woman at every stage and what needs to be done. You know means you are less afraid.
Doctors are encouraging: the doctor and midwife who took the woman into labor do not let go of control for a minute.
“From the outside it seems that everyone is going somewhere and abandoned mommy – this is not so. Just sitting next to 10 hours, of course, is not necessary, and indeed possible. This can be done, for example, by a husband or mother. If you feel calmer, then go to childbirth preparation courses with your family and come to childbirth together, the so-called partner childbirth, “says Anatoly Miroshnikov.