Importance of Relaxing
By Grantley Dick-Read, M.D.
"Any stress to the mother stimulates the adrenal glands to
pour out catecholemines. As a result, muscle sphincters tighten
down making uterine contractions less effective and sending blood
away from the uterus to the arms and legs because stress and tension
prepare the body for fight or flight. All of this prevents an adequate
supply of oxygen to the big contracting muscle-the uterus.
There are three muscle layers composing the uterus, the outer muscles
contract to push the baby down, through and ultimately out of the
uterus. The middle muscles contract to squeeze the blood out of
the walls of the uterus and then relax to allow the blood vessels
to fill up again with a fresh supply of blood.
But when the inner circular muscles contract they close the outlet,
maintaining the uterus in its unemptied shape. Thus, these inner
circular muscles must be loose and relaxed when the long muscles
contract to open the womb and push the baby out.
If a woman is frightened during labor this inner muscle layer contracts,
then the muscles of the uterus and the muscles that hold it closed
are working against each other.
Whenever there are two big groups of muscles working against each
other they soon begin to hurt and in a short time the pain becomes
very severe. We speak of this as the fear-tension-pain-syndrome
of childbirth for a woman who is afraid and unconsciously resisting
the birth of her baby by tightening the circular uterine fibers
which prevents the progress of the birth and increases muscle tension
within the walls of the uterus. This causes nearly all of the pains
and distresses in otherwise normal labor. Which describes the labor
of about ninety five women out of a hundred."
- Grantley Dick-Read, M.D., excerpted from Childbirth Without Fear
Reprinted from Midwifery Today E-News (Vol 1 Issue 15, Apr 9, 1999)
Additional Information:
Perineal Tear Prevention
Warm Tub Bath During Labour
Blue Cohosh and Birth Defects
Labor Pain
Why is there Pain in childbirth?
Dealing with Pain during Childbirth
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