Massage and acupressure can continue to be used in the 2nd stage of the labour, if your partner wants this, or you can start to use them even if you have not needed them up until this point. What may have been working in the 1st stage may not necessarily be what she wants during the 2nd stage. Try different stroking or stronger massage pressure. Some women like your hand or knuckles applied to their lower back at the sacrum, as the baby descends and her coccyx is being pushed back. Others will yell at you not to touch them because this area feels very tender. If this is the case then try massaging shoulders, hands or feet or stroking their brow. Again let her guide you.
Look for any tension in her muscles and remember the
'body check', reminding her to relax her jaw, shoulders, hands and other muscles. It is important for her to conserve her energy as pushing is hard work.
If the baby is in a posterior position (the baby's back bone is facing her spine) or the baby is slow to descend, try the double hip squeeze during a couple of contractions. You stand or kneel (depending on what position she is in) behind her. As the contraction begins place your hands firmly on both hip bones (iliac crests) and press them firmly in towards her waist. This can help her pelvis to flare out slightly, allowing the baby room to move around and down into an anterior position.
Image 5-42 shows how the pelvic hip squeeze is performed.
There are certain acupressure points that can be used to help during the 2nd stage of labour. You may wish to read about these in
acupressure points.
Helping her into positions
As she moves into the 2nd stage of the labour she will either experience a resting phase or progress straight into active pushing. If she does experience a resting phase and she is not fast asleep, suggest she goes to the toilet if she has not emptied her bladder in the last 2-3 hours. You may need to help her to do this.