What Is The Alexander Technique Of Birthing?

Birthing methods are quite a rage nowadays. There are so many different birthing techniques out there that you are bound to get confused as to which one will be suitable for you. However, the essence of all these birthing techniques ultimately is the well being of the mother and the baby.

Though most of the birthing methods focus on building up the confidence of the mother to prepare herself for a normal delivery, there is one birthing technique out there, which enhances the comfort of the mother during and after pregnancy - the Alexander technique of birthing.

Read on to know about the Alexander technique of birthing, that has slowly caught on with the millennia.

What Is The Alexander Technique Of Birthing?

The Alexander method of birthing involves in getting the mind and body ready for the birthing process and beyond. It teaches the expectant mothers about the right postures and positions for birth which help reduce their pain by decreasing the muscle tensions. They are taught to let go of their old habits and also correct automatic reflexes of their body, which may just add to their pain.

The Alexander technique to birthing involves a lot of exercises that help women understand the changes that their bodies undergo during each phase of their pregnancy. It helps them cope up with each of these changes by making simple changes in their daily routine. This way, the women learn to embrace the pain rather than move away from it and this will eventually make their labour much easier.

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What Is The Philosophy Behind The Alexander Method Of Birthing?

The Alexander technique of birthing was introduced by Frederick Matthias Alexander. He believed that the right posture can help alleviate all kinds of pain. This went on to become the foundation of the Alexander technique of birthing.

The philosophy behind the Alexander technique for birthing is simple. When we experience pain, or muscles tense up, it increases our pain. By learning to control the actions of our involuntary muscles, we can easily overcome the tensions in our muscles and relieve ourselves of the pain.

The Alexander technique of childbirth focuses on inhibition and direction. These two principles often go hand in hand. Inhibition restricts the true movements of our muscles due to our sub-conscience sense of reacting to pain in a certain way.

Therefore, in the Alexander technique of birthing classes, we are taught to let go of our habitual actions and let the natural movements of the muscles take over. The direction is a way of reinforcing the natural movement of the muscles and letting them guide us away from pain.

What Are The Benefits Of Alexander Technique Of Birthing?

The Alexander technique of childbirth is extremely beneficial for women during their pregnancy and after it as well. Here are some of the amazing benefits of this technique that is making it a much-preferred method of childbirth among the expecting mothers.

1) The Alexander technique of child birth will help you learn about the correct postures of your body during pregnancy that will help you eliminate almost all of the pregnancy aches and pains and help you to improve your balance and co-ordination.

2) Most pregnant women experience severe lower back pain all throughout their pregnancies and probably after it as well. Certain exercises and postures taught during these birthing classes will help you elevate your back pain in an effortless manner.

3) It will also help your body and you to accommodate the physical changes that happen during pregnancy and learn to embrace them in a positive way.

4) Breathing techniques are also an important part of the classes. The Alexander technique of child birth helps co-ordinate breathing and strengthens the pelvic muscles to enable a natural delivery.

5) After pregnancy, the Alexander technique helps get mothers back in shape without putting too much stress on their recovering bodies.

6) New mothers experience a lot of pain during breastfeeding due to bad postures. The Alexander technique will help women get a good posture to reduce the stress on their spine and also help the baby latch on easily as well.

When Can You Start Taking Alexander Technique Of Birthing Classes?

The Alexander birthing classes are mostly taken privately. It comprises almost 30- 40 sessions of an hour each, which can be scheduled from the end of the second trimester.

Experts suggest that the best time to start with the Alexander technique of childbirth classes will be around the end of the second trimester. This will give you enough time to gather all the information you can and also give you enough time to practice the techniques taught. The classes will go on almost till your due date which will help you retain and put to use everything that you will learn.

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How Will This Method Impact Your Life After Pregnancy?

What makes the Alexander technique a bit different from the other birthing classes is that the posture and balance techniques taught during the classes will help you get relief from body aches and pains for the rest of your life.

The Alexander techniques are often taken by individuals who suffer from chronic back pain, neck pain and even Parkinson's disease. In fact, a recently published article suggests that the techniques taught during the Alexander classes help improve balance skills and also correct certain respiratory issues due to poor posture.

The different breathing exercises and techniques taught during your Alexander birthing classes will only be useful for you even after childbirth, but will also help improve your quality of life throughout your lifetime.