Fear, Tension, Pain Cycle
Childbirth is the most transformative experience a person can go through. Not only is a baby born, but also a mother. Leading up to this moment there is so much excitement buzzing around. Everyone is excited for the new arrival, but very rarely do we talk about the other side of it. The stress, the anxiety, the wondering thoughts. These are all real feelings and we should address them during pregnancy before they arise in labor.
The fear, tension, pain cycle is a phenomenon that occurs during labor when the birthing person has a rise in the hormone adrenaline. This can be caused by anything that can trigger stress and anxiety but the most common triggers are unexpected interventions, a less than ideal care provider, overstimulating surroundings and a lack of general childbirth education.
Adrenaline is the hormone that keeps us safe. In moments of high stress, it is going to kick in and send our body into fight or flight mode. This is going to lead into the fear, tension, pain cycle. In super plain terms, when adrenaline is flowing we are going to be feeling fear, when we feel fear, it is going to lead into holding tension in the body and when we combine those two, we will begin to feel pain. You’re probably starting to catch on now, when we feel pain it is going to lead to more fear and tension hence the cycle name.
If we get into this cycle during labor it can be really difficult to come out of it, it almost feelings like you are spiraling. We know that by holding all this fear and tension in our bodies, it will lead to stronger, more painful and closer together contractions. These contractions are not going to be purposeful. These contractions are not going to soften, dilate and bring the baby down the birth canal. How could they if we’re holding so much tension in that we’re actually tightening and closing up that pelvic area?
It is SO important to address any fears you have about labor now, during pregnancy so you can do everything to avoid this cycle. Spend some time journaling, writing down all your concerns and questions, create a birth preference sheet and talk it over with your provider during a prenatal visit. Research and know your rights as a birthing person, you can always say no, ask for a new provider and you have the right to have your questions answered before a intervention occurs. Take a hypnobirthing class to learn how to address this cycle head on when it arises so you can nip it right away.
At Flourish Family Doulas, we have a hypnobirthing class with our certified instructor Kezziah Nichols. In this class she is going to cover:
Basic childbirth education
The brain and how it can affect birth
Hormones
Labor and birth positions
Hands-on partner support techniques
Stages of labor and how to manage them
Breathing techniques
Take away materials including 7 hypnobirthing guided relaxations for you to use during pregnancy and birth
Sign up now for our next hypnobirthing class!
