Nervous System Regulation During Labor

What is a regulated nervous system? 
A nervous system that is functioning optimally which in turn allows the persons automatic, or not consciously controlled, bodily functions to run smoothly. This includes a stable heart rate and blood pressure, normal digestive function and breathing rate, appropriate bowel and bladder functioning and normal sexual functioning. When your nervous system is “regulated” you feel good, you feel safe, you feel comfortable, you feel calm. The signals your body is sending your conscious brain feels appropriate and helpful for the situation you are in. 


How does regulating your nervous system benefit labor progression and birth? 
If we consider labor, this is not an everyday experience. There are things your autonomic (unconscious) nervous system is doing that aids your labor progression and birth, but they are not normal events outside of labor. Some of these include: 

• Evacuation of bowel and bladder to make space for the infant to go through the birth canal
• Uterine contractions causing pain that is productive and purposeful for birthing an infant
• Increased heart rate and breathing rate during contractions due to the pain (normal pain response)
• Reduced hunger sensations 
  
  

These physiological responses are not due to poor nervous system regulation. During labor, there are symptoms that under ordinary circumstances would be a sign of nervous system dysregulation, but when in labor they are normal and essential. 
For many birthing people these sensations bring about their fight-flight-freeze response because the sensations are scary, painful, intense and for first timers, unfamiliar. This raises the birthing person's fear and/or anxiety which dysregulates their nervous system. Other external factors can add to this, such as their environment and their interactions with others.  If a birthing person has heightened anxiety in a medical environment or they have someone present who makes them feel uncomfortable their nervous system can be even further dysregulated. 
Labor in of itself does not cause nervous system dysregulation. In fact, we don’t need to do anything consciously to birth our child. Our body will do it for us. It is our own conscious brain and our response to the signals we receive from our body and environment that causes nervous system dysregulation during birth. 

What happens if my nervous system becomes dysregulated during birth? 

When a birthing person becomes fearful, stressed, anxious, scared, or even mad during the labor process their emotional response interferes with their bodies automatic responses that allow labor to progress. This can result in a slower labor progression, increased perception of pain, higher muscle tone and tension particularly in the pelvic floor, diaphragm and jaw, as well as a higher risk of elevated blood pressure and difficulty controlling breathing rate. These responses can lead to more nervous system dysregulation. 
So things can quickly and easily spiral out of the birthing person's control resulting in a birthing experience that is not what was originally envisioned. 

How to keep your nervous system regulated during labor? 
Simply understanding this spiral of events can go a long way! Knowledge is power when it comes to birth. The more you understand what is happening the better you can stay in a regulated nervous system state. 
Here are my top recommendations for learning strategies that help keep your nervous system regulated during labor:

1. Take a childbirth education class. Whether it’s at your local hospital or through a private provider of childbirth education, it is priceless! Locally I would recommend: Maluhia Mama Hypnobirthing by Nadine Gilmore https://maluhiamamahypnobirthing.com  

2. Take a prenatal yoga class that focuses on body awareness, breath and helps you feel good about the power of your body to birth your child. I loved the prenatal classes at Open Space Yoga- due to COVID-19 they are not open but they have an online class for prenatal yoga with teacher Yuko Kowal on their website: https://www.yogaopenspace.com/yoga-hawaii

3. Dive into meditation. Here is my blog post about meditation and learning to meditate during pregnancy: http://www.windwardmaternalwellness.com/blog/i-wish-i-had-done-this-when-i-was-pregnant#/

4. Identify what sensations comfort you best in times of stress and pain. I suggest identifying 2-3 senses that feel the most soothing to you- seeing, hearing, smelling, touching, tasting, movement, and pressure. Your senses are the way your body receives internal and external information and sends it to your nervous system. Knowing the ones that are best for calming you down gives you a direct link to some excellent comfort measure for labor. These comfort measures assist you and your nervous system to stay better regulated while your body does the work. 

• If you are comforted by sight, you feel calm looking at a tree blowing in the wind or a picture of nature. Find something visually calming to you and put it in your hospital bag. 
• If you are comforted by hearing, you feel calm when you listen to a certain type of music or hear a certain affirmation. Make sure that playlist and/or affirmations will be available during labor. I would recommend you download the “Insight Timer” App and begin exploring. It has thousands of calming music and meditation tracks. 
• If you are comforted by smell, identify what ones… lavender, vanilla, ylang ylang, mom’s chocolate chips cookies? Put a few essential oils in your hospital bag or ask mom to bake cookies when you go into labor. 
• If you are comforted by touch, try to identify what kind of touch. Maybe it is fiddling with rosary beads or snuggling in a favorite blanket or someone gently rubbing your back. Tell your support person and/or place that special item in your hospital bag. 
• If you are comforted by tastes… eat or drink that before heading to the hospital. If it’s mints or something suckable even better, slip some in your bag. 
• If you are comforted by movement, talk to your support person about what you like to do. Is it walking, swaying, stretching? Laboring at home as long is you can is the best way to ensure movement as some medical interventions limit or prevent you from moving (think epidural). This is something to discuss with your care provider and/or birth doula. They can help advocate for allowing movement and make a plan for maximizing movement during labor. 
• If you are comforted by pressure, think about where and how much. Tell your support person and practice finding that just right pressure. Some people like a certain tool to apply pressure, that’s great too!

As your due date approaches you will be able to stay in a more regulated nervous system state if you have put in the time for self discovery and learning that comes with really engaging in any of the above recommendations. Everyone’s path to get there will look different, but we are all capable of getting there. 

I wish you the best on your path to an empowered, confident, calm, and beautiful birth!