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| Me and yogi bear |
This article was published in Yoga Therapy Ireland's Winter 2013 issue (Issue No. 56); this is the unabridged version and probably one just for the ladies, although the men might learn something too ;)
Last December – just in time for Christmas – we found out that I was
pregnant. Thus began the journey through nine months of pregnancy, to the
moment of delivery of Baby Alannah Marie.
As I look back now, the nine months seem to have passed in the blink of
an eye, although there were times when I felt I would be pregnant forever and I
was impatient for the birth to come. But growing a baby is a very intricate
process and it’s not something to be rushed! The whole pregnancy experience for
me though was amazingly smooth - no back pain, no SPD or swelling, no
restricted movement – except of course in the last four weeks when sitting
anywhere comfortably becomes a challenge in itself (get a birthing ball – it
will transform your life!). Other glamorous features that seem to be
unavoidable for most women are piles and varicose veins, and the increased
pressure on the pelvic floor. There were times during the last few weeks
when I would get crippling darting pains in my groin area – and that’s when you
realize that the pressure of a baby’s head bearing down on that ‘hammock’ of
muscle is something that’s going to need some attention to ensure recovery of
its function once all that pressure comes off – think pelvic floor exercises as
often as possible before and after to counteract any potential problems
post-partum.
One of the main things that helped me through the pregnancy, and now
three weeks into the post-partum phase, was participating in the YTI Pregnancy
Yoga training course between January and March this year. In terms of physical
and mental preparation, understanding the whole process and changes to come in
my own body, learning about the kind of problems that pregnant women in general
can experience – not least how to adapt my own and my class’s yoga practice –
the course was fundamental. Every woman would benefit from taking part in the
course, and especially yoga teachers who need to understand how to help
pregnant women to move, breathe and cope throughout pregnancy, labour and
delivery, and what comes after.
I really understand now the whole thing about emphasizing plenty of
cushions (for sore bums!); about being super conscientious of the
softening of the pelvis in every move; and the superpower of being present in
the moment – aided by deep breathing (pranayama) and meditation, along with
relaxation (savasana). You don't really understand it (as I found) until
it happens to you, as is the case with so many things - the classic learning by doing. But in having
completed the pregnancy yoga course in my own first trimester, I had the
benefit of learning from the years of experience and insight of the course
leader Trish Malone and participating midwife Aileen Murphy to guide me at
every stage. And pregnancy is very much an experience that changes as you go
through the trimesters so you need to be aware of how your abilities change in
response to your physical and mental changes over 40 weeks and more.
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| Never under-estimate the need and the power of relaxation.... |
From about week 35, I really started to prepare myself for labour and
delivery. The first stage of labour (effacement and dilation of the cervix) is
about pain management and that is where breathing and relaxation coupled with a
few valuable poses come in. The second stage – the actual delivery - is less
about pain and more about effective pushing. As for the first stage and the
contractions – wow, such pain I have never experienced before, but all
positive of course. It started in earnest on a Thursday morning and
by lunchtime I thought we were in well-established labour - but no! I was
only 1cm dilated when I landed in Mullingar Regional Hospital at 4pm - but the
cervix was completely effaced and they kept me in. We sat in a room and
waited, and waited and then walked outside to the shop (probably weren’t meant to
- but I knew they wouldn’t kick us out) - the walking was good and helped me
feel like I was keeping the whole process moving.
From about 10pm the crippling back pain began and we realised labour was
only then well established even though I had thought the pain couldn’t get any
worse. The baby had started to turn her head for some unknown reason and
while she had been perfectly poised for delivery for at least 5 weeks previous,
this turning resulted in serious lower back pain. I couldn't walk. The
midwife was 100% supportive in helping me with a natural birth as much as
possible and suggested a hot bath. I actually couldn’t get into it with
the pain and ended up heaped on the ground beside it instead. The best position
I found for this phase was kneeling on the floor over the birthing ball,
with my husband putting direct pressure on the lower (very lower) back pain
area. It was difficult to keep the breathing going but the midwife was
great in reminding me - she wasn’t taking any nonsense and just kept saying
Breathe Catherine breathe. You really
need to hear it as opposed to relying on yourself to do it when you're in that
kind of pain, and you need someone to be firm and authoritative – so bear that
in mind when you’re preparing with your birthing partner.
I managed to get sick at this point and it was then that I reluctantly
agreed to take pethidine, as I was still only 2cm dilated by 10pm. The
pethidine didn’t take the pain away entirely but it softened the blow. That was
when the magic started and because I was more relaxed, I went from 2cm to
8cm by midnight. Once we got installed in the labour ward I was given a small
dose of sintocin to progress the last few cms, and I was making the most
of the gas and air. When the time came for pushing, the pressure was
unbelievable as the baby worked her way down - it was five contractions and
three pushes with each and she was out. I did have to have an episiotomy
at the last minute, but I didn’t feel it. It didn't frighten me at the
time and I just went with it.
After the delivery early Friday morning, I didn’t sleep really until
Saturday - home by Sunday, and since then every day is a learning curve.
The stitches were very sore in the first week but daily baths with
tea-tree oil and a strict policy of taking it easy helped me through. Now at
nearly three weeks I can take a short walk but I realize that I must take the
time to let my body recover so as not to hinder its long-term recovery. I am
limiting myself to relaxation, breathing and meditation for another three weeks
and no rushing back to headstands or ambitious poses that I might think I can get back into, but why would you stretch your body when it is
still in self-healing mode?
In other aspects, the breathing helps for the initial stinging pain as
herself latches on to a tender breast in the first weeks, and those
difficult first bowel movements when you realise that sometimes going to the
loo can be far worse than labour and delivery - it’s probably the thoughts
mixed with the physical so best to think happy thoughts on the loo!
Having shared our experiences during the YTI Pregnancy Yoga course, and
now having experienced the whole thing first hand, it is more apparent to me
that every person has a different experience of pregnancy and labour and that
really the mental preparation (relaxation, breathing and meditation aids)
is probably as important if not more important that the asanas in the pregnancy
yoga classes. Overall I found the following worked for me - regular walking at
all phases of the pregnancy; daily breathing and meditation (about 20-30mins)
and at least 15-20mins asanas - either while gardening or outside or a
dedicated indoor session, which wasn't always feasible time-wise
or physically. I was basically chopping the tops off the spuds and working
in the garden up until the day before labour and I had plenty of strength
in my legs, arms and mind - enough to go the distance and enough to go beyond
that if necessary. I found the contractions during effacement and dilation of
the cervix the most difficult – keep up the breathing and the asanas to
maintain your mental and physical strength – endurance is necessary, while the
pushing was easy enough (if there was an easy) and I put this down to
squatting from the beginning to the end (I was deep squatting up until 36
weeks).
And the prize for all this pregnancy yoga and preparation and
investment? Well, I just have to look at Alannah Marie to know that it was all
worth it and that I’d do it all again in a heart beat. And I look forward to
sharing the experience and helping other pregnant women on their journey
through my own pregnancy yoga classes.
Catherine Wilkie is an ecologist based in the midlands, working to restore and rehabilitate degraded wetland, peatland and
woodland habitats, both in Ireland and also within the global context. She
completed her Sivananda TTC in 2008 and took part in the YTI Yoga pregnancy
course in 2013, inspired by her own pregnancy. She loves to write, stand on her
head, walk in the woods with new arrival Alannah, and spend time with her
husband and their dog Holly in their kitchen garden. She writes about all these
things in her blog www.hcottage.blogspot.ie
