Stress-Free Birth |
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Every woman is likely to have her own preferences about the way she would like to deliver her baby; there is a wide range of choice, and fortunately more and more hospitals are able and willing to cooperate with individual wishes.
You may wish to have a 'natural' birth, relying on the labour positions and deep breathing techniques you have been taught. You may have investigated the possibilities of pain relief offered by acupuncture or transcutaneous nerve stimulation, or you may prefer to accept some of the more conventional methods available in labour, such as pethidine (pain-killer by injection), epidural anesthetic (insertion of tube into spinal cord), or entonox, often called 'gas and oxygen' (a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen inhaled through a mask).
Whatever decision you may have made in advance, it is a good idea to keep an open mind and remain flexible. You can do a great deal to minimize the stress of labour by developing a good two-way relationship with the midwife, and the presence of your husband or partner, or perhaps of your mother, sister or a close friend, can also be very reassuring and helpful.
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