Glove Anesthesia – I Lose the Numbness in My Hand When I Move It

We hear a lot from moms first getting used to glove anesthesia that they lose, or lessen, the numbness in their hand when they start to move their hand to transfer the numbness.  Most overcome this issue with continued practice, but for some it is a persistent issue.  Here are some ideas to help you overcome this challenge:

• Create glove anesthesia and then instead of moving your hand to transfer the numbness, imagine the numbness moving from your hand up your arm and throughout your body.  Give yourself the suggestion that every part of your body will adjust the level of numbness to what is needed to ensure a comfortable birthing.  Some areas may not need any numbness at all and that is fine.
• Practice moving the glove anesthesia to other parts of your body by visualizing your hand moving to the areas that need the to be numbed without your hand actually moving.  Visualizing your reflection making these changes can be effective way to transfer numbness without physically moving your hand.  The Comfort Management track (track #2) on your Birthing Zone CD gives you practice creating glove anesthesia without you having to physically move your hand.

Note: Pain and discomfort management techniques should be used during birthing if the mother experiences these symptoms as part of the normal birthing process.  They should never be used to cover up a serious condition that requires medical attention.