Some women find it difficult to push in the 2nd stage of their labour, or their contractions may not be strong enough, prolonging the 2nd stage phase. An option may be to try one (or all) of 3 acupressure points to help in the 2nd stage of labour.
These can include:
Hand points (LI 4) The hand point is aimed at 'letting go' (both physically and emotionally), and is believed to help the woman work with her pushing contractions. The partner or support person may locate the hand point by asking the woman to bring her index finger and thumb together, to form a crease. The point is on the topside of the hand, at the end of the crease, on the high point of the muscle.
Image 4-15 shows the exact position of the hand point.
Image 4-16 shows pressure being applied to the hand point to help with the birthing phase.
Neck point (GB 21). Some women will use the neck points to help them deal with their pushing phase, and labour pain, during the 2nd stage of labour. The neck points can be found when the woman drops her head slightly forward, and the partner, support person or caregiver runs their fingers down the back of the woman's neck, until a prominent bone is felt at the base of the neck (the 7th cervical bone). An imaginary curved line runs from the bony prominence of her neck, to the top of her shoulder joint. The points lie midway along this curved line, at the highest point of the shoulder muscle. The neck points should only be used in labour.
The person will usually apply a firm, downward pressure with their thumbs, knuckles or elbows. For people who prefer to use their thumbs, the pressure needs to come from down through their arms, to avoid having sore, tired thumbs. The person will normally apply the acupressure to both shoulders together, starting at the beginning of each contraction and gradually building the pressure up with the contraction. The pressure is usually released, once the contraction has subsided.