The Labor Tool In Your Kitchen
Touch and pressure are wonderful tools for laboring women. They provide distribution of lactic acid built up in the muscle and tissue, promote a release of oxytocin, which creates a feeling of safety and stronger contractions, and helps to calm muscles. Even a trained masseuse will tell you that sometimes, the hands just don’t cut it!
One of our favorite massage tools for labor?
A rolling pin.
This versatile kitchen tool can provide some amazing, rolling pressure for backache, especially in a long labor where the sacrum and lower back are taking the brunt of the support. You will want to bring this tool with you, since it’s not readily available in your labor room, but you’ll be glad you did! Simply providing some weight against the pin as you roll it up and down the lower back with the laboring person in a forward leaning or hands and knees position can be a game changer in discomfort.
Some of our other favorite types of rolling tools include a foam roller - which is helpful for partner and the birthing person, and are a bit softer, as well as utilizing hot and cold with other round objects.
A soda can can provide cool relief, while one of the old-fashioned plastic rolling pins that can be filled with either hot or cold water are great options as well.
Between contractions, simply roll these over the lower back and experience relief from tension!