Curriculum Topic: Group Activity, Practice
Activity Type: Labor & Birth, Healthy Birth Practice 1, Labor Support, Healthy Birth Practice 2
Purpose: By using the actual comfort measures during a simulated painful experience, participants will experience the concept of "Gate Control" where outside stimulus successfully diminishes the pain felt.
Supplies: Clothes pins (spring action)
Ice in water buckets
Frozen water balloons
Instructions:
Simulating Contractions Ideas:
- Use a clothespin for muscle fatigue. To simulate pain from a fatigued muscle, give each person a clothespin (spring- action kind). Instruct the class to use the thumb and first finger to pinch and release the clothespin rapidly so that it opens and closes repeatedly. Time this activity for 60 seconds. The hand and even the arm will fatigue and hurt, due to the lactic acid that is formed when the oxygen to the muscle is depleted. This demonstrates one reason to relax all voluntary muscles in labor while the uterus contracts. Try adding music, visuals, movement, etc. when repeating the exercise for another 60 seconds.
- Use ice as a pain stimulus. Ice is a stimulus that can be very uncomfortable, yet can be managed by the participant. While subjecting themselves to the intense cold for specified periods of “contractions,” students can practice various pain-coping strategies — breathing, vocalizing, moving, focusing, massage, etc. They will see how their ability to block painful sensations improves with practice of various techniques. Ice cubes can be put in zipper-type plastic bags for each person to hold, placed in individual bowls or tubs with a small amount of water for hand immersion, or frozen inside water ballons. The water balooms may be taken to class in a cooler, then refrozen and reused in future classes. They are less messy than ice cubes and water, but not as painful as immersion. (Do be aware of the latex in balloons, in case of allergy.)
- Wall squat. If wall space permits, each student can do a wall squat. When the thigh muscles begin to feel tense, a cleansing breath and breathing pattern is begun. They will see progress in the length of the “contraction” they can handle if they practice this with various coping techniques. The wall squat could be taught as an exercise in one class and used as a pain stimulus in another.
- Youtube or DVD "3Rs: Relaxation, Rhythm, Ritual" by Penny Simkin shows clips from the labors and births of 10 different women, Penny shows women effectively using relaxation, rhythm, and ritual to cope with the pain of labor. Only 15 minutes long, this is a valuable teaching tool and an inspiration to pregnant women and their partners.
Important note: Pain that is inflicted on oneself is preferable to having a partner press, pinch, or otherwise cause pain to the pregnant woman.
Talking Points:
After simulating pain with an alternative method, have the groups report back how they experience a reduction in pain after using various comfort techniques.
Reference: Adapted from the Lamaze Toolkit
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