[Blog] Best Childbirth Experience with Lamaze Practices ft. Mekha Shaji
Welcome to an Empowered Birth Experience
Are you expecting a baby? Do you want to take charge of your birth experience?
Then this is the perfect blog for you! Today, we dive deep into Lamaze birthing techniques with Mekha Shaji, a certified Lamaze instructor and birth doula, who joined The Modern Indian Parent Podcast to share practical and empowering strategies for labor and delivery.
The best way to prepare for childbirth is by understanding your options and learning how to make informed decisions.
If you’re eager to hear all the insights firsthand, watch the full podcast episode here:
36. How to Have the Best Childbirth with Lamaze Practices ft. Mekha Shaji
What is Lamaze?
When most people hear "Lamaze," they think of a structured breathing technique, thanks to pop culture references. However, Lamaze is not just about breathing; it’s a complete childbirth philosophy grounded in six core pillars that support a natural and positive birth experience.
The goal of Lamaze is to empower mothers with knowledge and confidence, helping them trust their body’s natural ability to give birth. It emphasizes movement, minimal medical intervention, and emotional support.
In this blog, we will break down the six pillars of Lamaze and explore how they contribute to an empowered birthing experience.
Pillar 1: Let Labor Begin Naturally
One of the fundamental Lamaze principles is to let labor start on its own whenever possible. Many hospitals schedule inductions for convenience or medical reasons, but unless absolutely necessary, this can lead to longer, more painful labor.
Mekha explains why induction should be avoided unless absolutely necessary:
“Babies know when to arrive. Your body knows when to birth. Labor is a process that should be allowed to start naturally so that your cervix and baby are truly ready.”
The Risks of Induction:
Longer labor – Induced contractions can be more intense and more frequent, making labor harder to manage.
Increased pain – Women who are induced often request epidurals sooner, which can slow labor progress.
Higher C-section rates – If induction fails to progress, it often leads to an emergency C-section.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Ask your doctor about the necessity of induction and discuss alternative ways to encourage natural labor, such as movement, relaxation techniques, and staying hydrated.
Pillar 2: Move Freely During Labor
The traditional image of a laboring woman lying on a hospital bed is far from ideal. Lamaze encourages movement, position changes, and walking, which help the baby descend and promote effective contractions.
Mekha explains:
“The uterus is a big chunk of muscle. If this muscle has to work effectively, it needs good blood circulation. The more you move, the better it functions. Lying flat on your back is one of the worst things you can do for labor progress.”
Why Movement is Essential for Labor:
✅ Encourages baby’s descent – Upright positions allow gravity to assist labor.
✅ Improves blood flow – Keeps the uterus oxygenated so contractions are more effective.
✅ Reduces pain – Moving into different positions helps manage labor pain naturally.
Positions to Try During Labor:
Walking – Encourages natural contractions.
Squatting – Opens the pelvis for easier descent.
Leaning on a birthing ball – Relieves back pain.
Hands and knees – Helps rotate the baby into an optimal position.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Discuss with your hospital or birthing center about movement-friendly labor options. Ask if they provide birth balls, squatting bars, or space for walking.
Pillar 3: Support from Loved Ones
Labor is not meant to be endured alone. Having a partner, family member, or doula provides emotional and physical comfort during this life-changing event.
Why Continuous Support Matters:
Women who have continuous support during labor are less likely to need pain relief, interventions, or a C-section.
A supportive birth partner can help with breathing, massages, and encouragement.
Emotional reassurance reduces stress hormones and promotes a calmer, more relaxed labor.
Mekha shares:
“In labor, a woman needs someone to ground her. A birth partner can remind her to breathe, move, and trust the process.”
Who Can Be Your Support Person?
Your partner – Their presence alone can be comforting.
A family member – Your mom, sister, or friend who makes you feel safe.
A doula – A trained professional who provides emotional and physical support throughout labor.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Choose a birthing partner who will support and advocate for you. If possible, hire a doula—their presence has been shown to reduce labor time and lower the chances of medical interventions.
Pillar 4: Avoid Unnecessary Medical Interventions
Mekha strongly emphasizes “buy one, get one free” when it comes to medical interventions—once you accept one intervention, it often leads to another.
For example:
✅ Induction → Stronger contractions → Epidural → Slow dilation → C-section recommendation
This cycle can be prevented by understanding your rights and options. While medical interventions can be life-saving, they should be used only when medically necessary, not as a routine practice.
Why Avoid Unnecessary Interventions?
Induced labor is more painful and may require stronger pain relief.
Epidurals can slow labor, leading to more interventions.
C-sections are major surgeries with longer recovery times.
Mekha warns:
“Hospitals follow protocols that prioritize efficiency over individual needs. Women should ask questions, understand their options, and advocate for themselves to ensure they have a birth experience they feel good about.”
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Educate yourself about common labor interventions and ask your doctor about their necessity. If you don’t feel comfortable with an intervention, discuss alternatives.
Pillar 5: Avoid Birthing on Your Back
The lithotomy position—where a woman lies on her back with her legs in stirrups—is the most commonly used birthing position in hospitals. However, according to Mekha, this is not the most effective way to give birth.
“Gravity is your best friend during birth. When you lie on your back, you’re forcing the baby to push against gravity instead of working with it.”
Why is Birthing on Your Back a Problem?
❌ Reduces the size of the birth canal – This position narrows the pelvic opening, making birth harder.
❌ Increases pain – When lying down, pressure is concentrated on the tailbone, intensifying pain.
❌ Slows labor – Without gravity’s help, contractions can be less effective, leading to longer pushing stages.
❌ Higher risk of tearing – Since the baby has to travel upward instead of downward, perineal tearing is more common.
What Positions Work Better?
✅ Squatting – Opens the pelvis wider and lets gravity assist.
✅ Hands & Knees – Helps ease back pain and gives baby room to move.
✅ Side-Lying – A good alternative if you need to rest.
✅ Upright Positions (Standing, Kneeling, or Using a Birthing Bar) – Encourages baby’s descent and reduces pain.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Talk to your doctor about alternative birthing positions and request options like a birthing stool or squatting bar. You have the right to choose the most effective and comfortable position for your body.
You can see a variety of effective and safe birth positions [sensitive content] in this video and discuss them with your doctor:
Pillar 6: Keep Mom & Baby Together
The first hour after birth—often called the Golden Hour—is crucial for bonding and breastfeeding. However, in many hospitals, newborns are immediately taken away for cleaning, weighing, or medical checks, disrupting this critical period.
Why the Golden Hour Matters
✅ Regulates Baby’s Temperature & Breathing – Skin-to-skin contact stabilizes the baby’s body temperature and breathing.
✅ Promotes Breastfeeding – Newborns have a natural instinct to crawl toward the breast and latch within the first hour.
✅ Boosts Mother’s Recovery – Holding the baby releases oxytocin, which helps expel the placenta and reduces bleeding.
✅ Reduces Baby’s Stress – Babies placed skin-to-skin cry less and feel calmer.
The Problem: Many hospitals separate mother and baby right after birth. Instead of immediate skin-to-skin contact, babies are taken for routine procedures.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Request that your baby be placed directly on your chest after birth. Weighing, measuring, and other checks can wait unless there is a medical emergency.
What is the Breast Crawl?
The breast crawl is a natural reflex where a newborn, when placed skin-to-skin on the mother’s chest, will slowly make their way toward the breast and attempt to latch on their own.
Mekha explains:
“The two strongest reflexes in a newborn are smell and hearing. When placed on the mother’s chest, they recognize her heartbeat and the scent of breast milk. Within minutes, they begin the breast crawl—a powerful instinct that helps establish breastfeeding.”
Why is the Breast Crawl Important?
✅ Encourages a Strong Latch – Babies who initiate breastfeeding on their own tend to have better latch and feeding habits.
✅ Reduces Feeding Issues – Babies who do the breast crawl are less likely to experience latch problems later.
✅ Promotes Mother-Baby Bonding – The skin-to-skin contact enhances oxytocin release, strengthening the emotional bond.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Speak to your doctor beforehand about ensuring undisturbed skin-to-skin time so your baby can naturally initiate breastfeeding.
Watch this beautiful video showing how to initiate a breast crawl in the golden hour:
Golden Hour for C-Section Births
Mothers who deliver via C-section often miss out on immediate skin-to-skin contact. But C-section moms can still have a golden hour with the right planning.
“If a baby is placed on the mother’s chest even during a C-section, they will instinctively try to latch. This small act can make all the difference for breastfeeding success.”
How to Ensure Skin-to-Skin After a C-Section:
Advocate for Immediate Skin-to-Skin Contact – If the mother is stable, the baby can be placed on her chest while the surgery is being completed.
Have the Partner or Doula Help – If the mother is too drowsy or unable to hold the baby, the partner can provide skin-to-skin until she is ready.
Avoid Unnecessary Nursery Time – Ensure that your baby stays with you instead of being taken to a nursery unnecessarily.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Discuss Golden Hour options with your doctor and hospital staff before your delivery date. A birth plan can help ensure your preferences are respected.
Final Thoughts: Trusting Your Body
Perhaps the most important takeaway from Lamaze is this:
Your body was made for this. Trust it.
Mekha emphasizes that birth should not be feared but rather embraced as a natural, powerful process.
“Pregnancy is a state of health, not a state of illness. Yet, the moment a woman enters the hospital, she is treated like a patient. You are not sick. You are birthing.”
How to Cultivate Trust in Your Body:
✅ Educate Yourself – Knowledge is power. Take childbirth classes, read evidence-based books, and ask questions.
✅ Choose the Right Care Team – Find a doctor or midwife who respects your choices and values natural birth.
✅ Practice Mindfulness & Breathing – Techniques like meditation, guided breathing, and visualization can help you stay calm and connected to your body.
✅ Have a Birth Plan – Discuss your birth preferences in advance so that your team understands your vision for labor and delivery.
🔹 Tip for Expecting Mothers: Your birth story is yours to write. Make sure it is one you feel empowered by, not traumatized by.
Your Empowered Birth Starts Here!
We hope this blog has given you the knowledge and confidence to approach birth with clarity and strength. Whether you’re planning a hospital birth, a home birth, or a C-section, the Lamaze techniques can help you create a positive and empowering experience.
For more real-life birth insights, watch the full podcast episode here:
36. How to Have the Best Childbirth with Lamaze Practices ft. Mekha Shaji
If you found this helpful, share it with an expecting friend! Wishing you a beautiful, confident, and empowered birth!