Using Guided Imagery during Labor and DeliveryWhen creating a birth plan, many women are skeptical about the use of pain medications such as epidurals and spinal blocks because of the thought that traces of these drugs may reach and affect the baby. As a result, they explore other options which are more natural and risk-free. One of these is guided imagery, which is slowly gaining popularity among pregnant women nearing labor. Guided imagery is simply put, similar to hypnosis because it stimulates the brain to reveal images that induce deep relaxation and better pain control in people undergoing it. However, unlike hypnosis, a woman creates these images on her own. With practice, she can use this while in labor, with a coach beside her. The process begins with relaxation. Despite the pain that labor brings, she must be able to find some calm within. This can be done by asking someone to dim the lights in the room, lessen the noise, or limit physical contact. The woman in labor needs to be in loose fitting and clothes, and she must be in a comfortable position. This may be lying on the side, or semi-sitting on the bed, with back resting on a few pillows. She may play some soothing music in the background to really set the mood. Once she is comfortable, the woman can now focus on her breathing. The proper breathing for a guided imagery is slow and deep, straight from the diaphragm instead of the chest. She inhales deeply, holds, and releases slowly, as if she were blowing all her pain and stresses away. This is done repeatedly with eyes closed. This can become more difficult to do especially if the woman is in active and painful labor. The final step is visualization. Once she has her breathing in sync, and her eyes still closed, she listens to someone in the background talking to her (or she may play a CD). The other person calmly instructs her on what to imagine, such as telling her that her cervix is blooming and opening up like a flower, and the baby is to be revealed. She can also be told to imagine relaxing waves of the ocean, or perhaps a visualization of her baby floating around peacefully in her womb. This is a wonderful way to help a laboring woman manage her pain and relax herself as her body gets ready for birthing. Read more of our articles on labor and delivery
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