As some of you know, I love talking about pain in relation to labour and birth… there is sooo much to talk about and so much we can do to help to reduce or get rid of any pain you may feel.
I mentioned this acronym during a coaching session the other day and wanted to share it with you as it is so useful.
P is for Purposeful.
There is a reason we feel contractions and it isn’t just because we don’t use those uterus muscles very much.. we also feel the contractions because they are a communication system; often your body is communicating with you to breathe more deeply or to change position to help your baby to be born.
A is for Anticipation.
We know those contractions (that can be felt as pain) are coming and when they will happen, unlike much other pain we may feel. This also means you can prepare yourself to help cope/manage the contraction before it begins.
I is for Intermittent.
Contractions are intermittent, you will have a rest/break in between every one. In fact, for the duration of labour, you can expect to be having contractions for only about 30% of the time when you factor in the rest time between contractions. We don’t use these muscles very often so our bodies give us this rest to help us.. so use that rest wisely.
N is for Normal.
The pain you may feel in normal, and it isn’t a bad pain, keep reminding yourself of that. We know why we are feeling it and we can use hypnobirthing tools and techniques to help us cope with it or reduce that feeling.
You can even decide to not use the word ‘pain’ or ‘contraction’. Many decide to use ‘surges’, ‘waves’ or ‘rushes’ instead. This will help to change your perception of why the muscles are contracting and change your reaction to them.
