@labour and ms on Shift.ms

hi Tara, i had my daughter in hospital after a big relapse. i had not been diagnosed at the time i thought i had nerve damage after a fall, anyway. i had some problems pushing because of muscle fatigue and unresponsiveness to the gluteal muscle group. this was made much worse by my reaction to pethadine which made everything horrible. i have since had two boys, both were home deliveries with gas and air for pain relief and both were better than fine. my advice for a first time mum would be don't let the system push you around, most doctors/midwives will try to do what is easiest for them and they have guidelines to follow. be confident in what your body is telling you to do. you will know what your body can withstand and where your problems are with the ms. practise relaxing through pain, which will help with the contractions. try and focus on relaxing your lower back, shoulders, breathing techniques, trust that your body will do what it needs to but everything is a lot easier if you are in a positive frame of mind. when pushing squeeze from your big gluteal muscles, as soon as you find the right way to push it's relatively easy. i'd suggest avoiding an episiotomy if possible and not entirely necessary, if you push in a controlled way, you can avoid problems in that area. don't be scared of the pain, your body kicks in with some pretty awesome endorphins. i was so terrified of giving birth because of the way that the pain is emphasised but it is manageable and is actually a really interesting process. ask your mum what her experience was, i have had the same types of deliveries as my mum and sister, if you are the same shape as your close relatives you probably will have a similar delivery. you can't explain the way you will feel when you meet your baby. it's so exciting. you can email me if you have any specifics.