For the procreators,
it’s a moment of ceaseless exhilaration and an event that will remain etched
in their memory. The child is a precious gift from God that carries a bundle of
joy for the parents he is born to, who manifest their jubilation with expressions such as, “You are my angel, my cutie, my sweetie, my beloved…” and so on. He not
only brings happiness, but also profound meaning to the lives of his parents — He
is the link that emotionally deepens and strengthens their bond. And so, it’s
the responsibility of the expecting parents to ensure that they leave no stone
unturned in discharging their pre-parental duties, which factually begins from
the first sign of pregnancy till childbirth.
Why Lamaze?
Medical journals have
documented the known side effects and hazards of interventions in childbirth. They
also record how a series of other interventions ensue interventions at the time
of childbirth. For e.g. Epidural analgesia, an injection administered into the
lower back which causes numbness of nerves and thus provides rapid relief from
pain, has serious repercussions in the form of sudden drop in blood pressure,
difficulty emptying the bladder, arduous labor, fever etc. These are the possible
side effects which gradually led to the development of other interventions to
treat the above effects, namely, fetal monitoring, urinary catheter to drain
the bladder and employing medical tools to move the baby out. Quite evident,
these treatments inflict side effects in their own way, not just during
childbirth but also in the post-natal stage, adversely impacting the health of the
mother and consequently the child.
There have been various
birthing techniques, and over the years the science of these birthing techniques
has evolved as well, but interestingly, the era of 1940s, which used the
techno-medical model or the interventional method of childbirth witnessed one
of the most bizarre ways of its implementation, wherein the mother-to-be was routinely
sedated, knocking her unconscious and in that state the baby was delivered with
the help of forceps — A method jocularly termed by Dr. Robert A. Bradley as knock-em-out, drag-em-out obstetrics.
1950s too saw a more rigid
practice of routine maternity care to an extent that it led to the belief that
bottle-feeding was more sanitary and better than breast-feeding — a belief now
regarded as both unscientific and outdated. And this is how natural childbirth
technique made inroads.
Enter, Lamaze’s
technique. This approach deals with childbirth in a more natural and holistic
way, the practice of which begins much before the childbirth, but almost eliminates
the need for any kind of medical intervention, unless deemed necessary, thus
ruling out the possibility of side effects as well. The technique is all about
grooming the mother-to-be, both physically and psychologically, to help her
face her examination day and moment, technically called, the delivery.
Pregnancy is natural process
and so is childbirth, it's the feeling of this confidence that is required to
be instilled in mother-to-be who is afflicted with fear that has its roots in different
sources. Therapists in Lamaze class assist in allaying these fears so that she can
start “believing” in her body — meaning, fostering a progressive temperament
that her body is designed by nature in a way that she can give birth naturally —
presently, a mindset largely absent among women all over the world. But how can
this be achieved? It can be, primarily by way of empathizing and leading by
example. Secondly, as part of the course, mother-to-be are also required to
practice certain techniques which include — breathing techniques, how to relax
in labor, spontaneous pushing, breastfeeding techniques, using birth ball etc.
How it’s done
When someone hears of
“Lamaze” what instantly pops in his/her mind is a scene of a pregnant woman lying
on her back practicing labor exercise and making sounds such as “hee-hee-hoo-hoo”.
Well, if that’s what you pictured, then you got to update your knowledge of
Lamaze — it’s no more the same. Lamaze has come a long way and is now perceived
and promoted more as a philosophy than as a mere “method”.
This philosophy is
centered on six care practices that make a pregnant woman naturally opt for an
intervention free childbirth:
·
Allow labor
to begin by itself
·
Take short
strolls and change postures throughout labor
·
Be
accompanied by loved one for continuous support
·
Keep
intervention at bay unless deemed apt
·
Spontaneous
pushing in gravity-neutral position
·
Place child
and mother in direct skin contact soon after the baby is born to strengthen their
bond
Lamaze classes are normally held at
a birthing center or in a hospital education room by trained Lamaze therapists.
The classes are required to be attended by the supportive partners along with
the mother-to-be to support her throughout the labor.
There are a number of Lamaze
breathing techniques which begins with “cleansing breath” technique, which
involves deep, slow inhaling through nose and slow exhaling through mouth.
Lamaze mainly emphasizes on the concentration aspect of breathing which helps
pacify the mind from stress, than how fast or slow it is done.
In principle, Lamaze of present
times is more a philosophy of childbirth, than a set of superficial methods. It’s
quite impressive in terms of its comforting philosophy and a set of adorable
practices, but, not everything about Lamaze can be covered here due its
vastness; nevertheless, we have been able to at least scratch its surface. More detail about the method can be obtained from its official
website www.lamaze.org
