Comfortable Easy Child Birth Ideas

PeatInspired

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Hello!

I'm pregnant with my second baby and I'm hoping to get ideas for how to eat/supplement to promote an easy, quick, uncomplicated, comfortable child birth.

Last time I used a birthing hypnosis program that was VERY helpful. Over all it went very well and I had a big healthy baby naturally at a birthing center. It was a relatively comfortable experience, but I think there's room for improvement!

Ray Peat told me that a friend of his poured progest-e on her belly during labor and the baby just "popped" out! I wasn't sure how to time it properly, so I didn't try it last time. But I might this time!

He also said it was important to drink lots of fruit juice (which I did)!

Any other peaty thoughts? Thanks!
 

schultz

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I always encouraged my wife to take a huge amount of progest-e when contractions start, but she never did because she was afraid it would stop her labour. I think once labour has started it is unlikely to stop so it's unfortunate she never tried! I would be very interested in hearing your experience with it if you try it. I think it has to be a large amount to create an effect (like half a bottle lol).
 
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PeatInspired

PeatInspired

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I always encouraged my wife to take a huge amount of progest-e when contractions start, but she never did because she was afraid it would stop her labour. I think once labour has started it is unlikely to stop so it's unfortunate she never tried! I would be very interested in hearing your experience with it if you try it. I think it has to be a large amount to create an effect (like half a bottle lol).

Thanks! Yes, that was my concern about timing as well... I thought about using it around when the "pushing" started, but by then I was mentally somewhere else and didn't think of much besides the task at hand.

I could have my husband ready to dose me though! Maybe I'll just ask RP if he thinks it will slow things down if I take it early. I'll keep you posted.
 

InChristAlone

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My first I didn't really have any technique other than just leaning in to the pain instead of running away and tensing up. The cervix opens when the woman is accepting of the process and tightens back up when she is resisting. I felt most comfortable with a homebirth so I chose that. And it was a pretty easy experience. My second I wasn't able to have a midwife attend a homebirth so I went to a birth center and I didn't feel as comfortable so it was more painful, but still went along nicely and more quick as my body knew what to do.

Not sure I would have tried the progest-e as too relaxed could indeed stall labor. The ejection reflex might not happen for everyone. If you do try it let us know! Good luck!
 
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PeatInspired

PeatInspired

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Yes, relaxation really was the best tool I had during my first birth!

I also I wanted to correct myself, Ray Peat DID NOT specifically mention using progesterone during LABOR but during pregnancy:

"A friend, whose doctor gave her progesterone during her second pregnancy, said the baby 'just popped out.' Katharina Dalton wrote about her experience using progesterone during pregnancy. When it’s used along with good nutrition and good thyroid function, I think it prevents childbirth pain."
Sooo I'll definitely keep using it during pregnancy! But not sure about labor...
 

schultz

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Thanks! Yes, that was my concern about timing as well... I thought about using it around when the "pushing" started, but by then I was mentally somewhere else and didn't think of much besides the task at hand.

I could have my husband ready to dose me though! Maybe I'll just ask RP if he thinks it will slow things down if I take it early. I'll keep you posted.

Oh yes, keep me posted! Any info would be appreciated and especially if you try it I would love to hear your account of things
 

BearWithMe

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Avoiding doctors and hospitals, if possible, really seems to be the most important thing for comfortable and easy childbirth, from what I heard from experienced mothers.
 

mrchibbs

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Yes, relaxation really was the best tool I had during my first birth!

I also I wanted to correct myself, Ray Peat DID NOT specifically mention using progesterone during LABOR but during pregnancy:

"A friend, whose doctor gave her progesterone during her second pregnancy, said the baby 'just popped out.' Katharina Dalton wrote about her experience using progesterone during pregnancy. When it’s used along with good nutrition and good thyroid function, I think it prevents childbirth pain."
Sooo I'll definitely keep using it during pregnancy! But not sure about labor...

I think that's the key factor. If you use extra progesterone throughout pregnancy, and do all the things to optimize your own production, it builds up in the tissues and by the time you go into labor you should have much higher levels of progesterone than a typical women (which will be very good for your baby too), and this probably acts as a like a pain-killer drug.
 

catan

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Yes this. Had my third baby at home and was by far the most comfortable and easy despite the most pain at the end.

Labor time usually cuts in half which each child but the pain intensifies. I would be interested in hearing if progesterone helps with that!

Avoiding doctors and hospitals, if possible, really seems to be the most important thing for comfortable and easy childbirth, from what I heard from experienced mothers.
 
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PeatInspired

PeatInspired

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I also recently read that good levels of vitamin D are associated with easier child birth!
 

mrchibbs

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I also recently read that good levels of vitamin D are associated with easier child birth!

Vitamin D helps with literally everything lol
 

Tansia

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Yes, relaxation really was the best tool I had during my first birth!

I also I wanted to correct myself, Ray Peat DID NOT specifically mention using progesterone during LABOR but during pregnancy:

"A friend, whose doctor gave her progesterone during her second pregnancy, said the baby 'just popped out.' Katharina Dalton wrote about her experience using progesterone during pregnancy. When it’s used along with good nutrition and good thyroid function, I think it prevents childbirth pain."
Sooo I'll definitely keep using it during pregnancy! But not sure about labor...

Do you know how to dose progest-e during pregnancy? I couldn't find any info on this.
 
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PeatInspired

PeatInspired

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I have no idea! I've been putting a little one inch line on the inside of my mouth (just inside my lip) every morning and then drawing a big circle on my belly and then rubbing it in with oil before bed!

If anyone knows more about amount, I'd love to hear!
 

Beastmode

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I have no idea! I've been putting a little one inch line on the inside of my mouth (just inside my lip) every morning and then drawing a big circle on my belly and then rubbing it in with oil before bed!

If anyone knows more about amount, I'd love to hear!

You're making hundreds of milligrams as the pregnancy goes on. If it's something like progest-e, really high quality, the more the merrier. My wife's levels were lower than the average woman so she took over a 100 mg (33+ drops) spread throughout the day.

Not sure how much is getting absorbed through the belly (skin) as I imagine you would need a carrier (i.e- vitamin e, olive oil) to help deliver it through the skin. There isn't enough vitamin e in the progest-e to do that according to dialogues with Peat. Lot's fruit juices seem to help utilize the progest-e (orally) in our experience.

We were going through a bottle of progest-e a week at times.
 

Tansia

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I have no idea! I've been putting a little one inch line on the inside of my mouth (just inside my lip) every morning and then drawing a big circle on my belly and then rubbing it in with oil before bed!

If anyone knows more about amount, I'd love to hear!
Thanks for sharing!
 

Tansia

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You're making hundreds of milligrams as the pregnancy goes on. If it's something like progest-e, really high quality, the more the merrier. My wife's levels were lower than the average woman so she took over a 100 mg (33+ drops) spread throughout the day.

Not sure how much is getting absorbed through the belly (skin) as I imagine you would need a carrier (i.e- vitamin e, olive oil) to help deliver it through the skin. There isn't enough vitamin e in the progest-e to do that according to dialogues with Peat. Lot's fruit juices seem to help utilize the progest-e (orally) in our experience.

We were going through a bottle of progest-e a week at times.
Thanks for your next input :) Arter 3 months placenta takes after progesterone production so first 3 months seem to be the most critical. Wonder if in the last month of pregnancy adding extra progesterone may affect prolactin and problems with lactacion?
 

Beastmode

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Thanks for your next input :) Arter 3 months placenta takes after progesterone production so first 3 months seem to be the most critical. Wonder if in the last month of pregnancy adding extra progesterone may affect prolactin and problems with lactacion?

I'm familiar with the transition of the placenta taking over. Hence, why it's the most critical to keep progesterone levels up during that transition.

Adding extra progest-e is relative to what "extra" is depending on where your system is at, etc.

My wife used it up until the day of delivery and she breastfed for 2.5 years. I would avoid aspirin during later stages (closer to birth) as that's something that can prevent necessary clotting during delivery, etc.
 

mrchibbs

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Here is a quote from Nutrition for Women which I thought was interesting:

"There is a medical myth about large-headed babies being hard to deliver. When the pelvis is seriously deformed, there is a problem, but the fact is that very large babies are delivered with great ease when the mother is in good health, because the factors which support growth of the baby also promote elasticity of the mother's tissues. Progesterone is such a factor — almost a "chemical obstetrician." - Ray Peat (Nutrition for Women, p.8-9)
 

Tansia

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I'm familiar with the transition of the placenta taking over. Hence, why it's the most critical to keep progesterone levels up during that transition.

Adding extra progest-e is relative to what "extra" is depending on where your system is at, etc.

My wife used it up until the day of delivery and she breastfed for 2.5 years. I would avoid aspirin during later stages (closer to birth) as that's something that can prevent necessary clotting during delivery, etc.
During first 3 months it's easy to loose pregnancy if progesterone levels are not sufficient, that's why I said it's a critical time and supplementation progest-e may really help with keeping pregnancy. I wasn't sure what's optimal later in pregnancy, but your experience did help me to understand it better. Thank you
 

bornamachine

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Don't lay on your back to push it out, wrong position.
 

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