Day 2 of Training of Trainers

Today we picked up where we left off with a review of the emotional and psychological processes of birth before diving into "The Three R's"- Rhythm, Ritual, and Relaxation.  We discussed each of these concepts, and the group through of examples they had seen in their patients.  We watched Penny Simkin's Relaxation, Rhythm, Ritual: The 3 Rs of Childbirth, looking for examples from the film and discussing how we can support spontaneous rituals, or suggest new ones to women struggling to cope with labor.  We then moved on to practicing physical comfort measures.  Each group of two received a card with a position and a description, which they presented their position to the group to practice.  We also learned positions for pushing and discussed when all of these measures are appropriate.  From there we talked about verbal comfort measures including words of encouragement and active listening.  We ended our time together with the "take charge routine," and an overall review.  It was a lot of information, but everyone ended the day with high spirits.