To learn all these new skills, you probably signed up for and looked forward to group classes. Virtual childbirth classes can cover everything from relaxation techniques breathing, distraction and the stages of labor and delivery to different labor positions and how to make a birth plan. This long-established class series helps expectant mothers with breathing and pain management techniques, labor positions and the different ways a birth partner can help during labor and delivery. Lamaze offers tips for a drug-free birth as well as information about pain medication in their hour online courses , some of which are free. The Bradley Method. This course covers prenatal nutrition, exercise, deep breathing and relaxation tips, plus it teaches your partner how to become your birth coach. Alexander instruction teaches women how to sit and squat for labor and avoid the natural reaction to tense the body during contractions. Listen to a podcast, join a Facebook group or learn virtually with an Alexander teacher who uses Zoom or Skype.
So You’re Having a Baby During a Pandemic
Online prenatal exercise classes
Providing VR headsets and virtually taking a pregnant woman during her labour to a soothing scenic location may help her calm down and shift her attention away from pain while giving birth, doctors say. Women delivering babies across the UK and US have been experimenting with virtual-reality headsets, where they are taken to a walk through a crowd of penguins on the beach with soothing background sounds, to help them get through labour with breathing and relaxation. The technology still in the trial phase may prove to be an alternative to pharmacological pain management and anaesthetics and in particular, could be helpful to women who had traumatic birth experiences in the past. Martucci, a mother from the US, told CNN that she was earlier sceptical about the experiment, but was ultimately convinced by her husband to put on the headset. The next moment, she experienced a beach scene with a soothing voice guiding her focus and breathing, which helped her pass off a few hours without much pain. She pushed her baby daughter out soon after her doctor took the headsets off. Terming the experience "surreal", Martucci said she never forgot that she was in labour, but the VR visuals helped her shift attention away from the pain. Jonathan Kurss, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital in California, said he expected the VR technology to become extensively popular for pain relief, particularly for labour, in the future. According to a University of Michigan study, 27 women using VR headsets during unmedicated contractions found the technology effective for helping with pain and anxiety during labour. The app called "Labor Bliss" transports headset wearers to a wilderness landscape with rocks, trees, fireflies, and a campfire, with voice guidance.
More Coronavirus News for Pregnant Women
Yes, that basically means everyone meets up over their computers or smartphones. While it may be logistically different, the intent is the same: to celebrate you and babe. Virtual belly rubs it is! Although more pregnant women will be hosting online baby showers due to the coronavirus outbreak, the concept isn't new. Many moms-to-be already have virtual baby showers in order to connect with family and friends around the country or world who can't make it to their scheduled event. Here, a step-by-step guide to planning your perfect virtual baby shower. Some loved ones may not be tech-savvy, so it's smart to test the service ahead of time to work out any potential problems. We recommend using Zoom for your virtual shower video chat, since the platform offers fun options to customize your background. Just keep in mind that Zoom calls are capped at 40 minutes unless you have a paid subscription. Don't fret, though: If you prefer to stick with the free option, you'll still have plenty of time to fit a virtual baby shower video chat in that timeframe.
But you still get to have the wedding that you more or less envisioned, just at a different time of year or a later time. There are some events that even during a pandemic are complicated to postpone. But in that navigating, a question that we often skip over can arise, which is why do we do it in this way in the first place? This week, we turn to baby showers. I can tell from watching any gathering, whether a frat party or a soccer game or a court proceeding, what the underlying assumptions of that community are about what role everyone is playing.
