Step-by-Step Relaxation

Your wife can be shown the principles of relaxation and she can be taught the consciousness of her muscles' state of tension in prenatal classes under the supervision of experienced teachers. Being a human animal, however, she needs to practice these principles at home daily in order to perfect them. This you can help her do. A suggested time is just before retiring for the night, as a prelude to sleep. This serves a double purpose: It establishes her self-confidence in her physical relaxation ability, and it is an aid to peaceful slumber.

We have found the following step-by-step pattern of deliberate awareness of "letting go" muscle tension in definite body areas, one after the other, to be most effective. Starting from the top down, relax the forehead, eyelids, face muscles, jaw, neck, shoulders, arm muscles, chest, be accompanied with a gentle, light touch of the various areas, stroking be accompanied with a gentle, light touch of the various areas, stroking lightly with the fingertips. The husband-coach should give verbal suggestions of relaxation in a diminishing volume of voice, ending with nearly a whisper. Test your wife's ability by gently lifting and dropping her hand, gently shaking her foot or ankle, gently rolling her head from side to side to make her aware of any residual neck tension. Her position during this practice at home should be her individual sleep position on her side, which you arrived at by observing her during deep sleep.

Do not have her try to maintain this deep conscious relaxation for long intervals. This is practically impossible over long periods, and, besides, the uterine muscle hardly ever contracts for more than one minute. Interrupt your practice at home with stretch sessions and low back rubs.

Good for getting through labor.