Text_ProgressiveHeadShoulderRelaxation.pdf 70.5 KB

Progressive Head and Shoulders Relaxation

Starting your birth preparation journey with a guided relaxation exercise might seem unexpected at first. However, as you continue through this course, you'll discover the value of relaxation techniques and how they can support the physiological processes during childbirth.

This guided relaxation exercise is designed to assist you in focusing on specific muscle groups, allowing you to tense and then subsequently release them. This progressive relaxation technique helps you develop the ability to become more attuned to your muscles, to identify and release tension, and ultimately achieve a state of relaxation.

As you progress in the course, you'll encounter a range of relaxation techniques that are all geared towards fostering a deep sense of relaxation, which plays a beneficial role in facilitating a smoother birthing process. It's recommended to practice this relaxation exercise twice a week until you reach the "Head and Shoulders Relaxation" in chapter 3.

The facial muscles are in direct connection with other parts of your body and relaxing them during birth is very helpful. It helps relax the muscles in your whole body, especially the pelvic floor. This will allow an easier and faster opening of the cervix and an easier passage of the baby into the world. If you choose a c-section, relaxation can be very beneficial too. You will learn more about all this later in the course.

Your birth partner can read the relaxation for you so that you get used to relaxing to the sound of his/her voice. You can also record him/her reading the relaxation so that you can listen to it whenever you want. Alternatively, you can also listen to the attached recording.

Birth partner: Read with your normal voice, but slowly – very slowly. Have a breath-long break, whenever you see three dots … You can listen to the track “Long Calming Piano Background” by DS Productions on Youtube, a calm song of your choice or no music at all.

The first time you do this guided relaxation, make sure your mobile phone is turned off, the room is quiet and no bright light disturbs you. As you get more used to the relaxation these interruptions will no longer disturb you. 

Never listen to a recorded relaxation while driving the car!