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Labor Tips

Labor is due to begin at any time. But you can't help wondering what will happen? How will you cope? Here are some labor tips to help you through this life-changing experience.

EARLY LABOR

Sometimes labor begins with a bang. Maybe your water breaks or maybe you wake up to strong contractions.Sometimes labor begins with a whisper. A small tightening may catch you unawares as you're doing some task like washing dishes or walking through the grocery store. While the latter is a little harder to determine at first if you are really in labor, you'll soon figure it out for yourself. Early labor can be long or brief. There really is no way to tell how it will play out beforehand.

The nice things about a gentle beginning is you can wrap up any tasks that are still undone before the baby gets there. If you don't have anything left to take care of, you can go about your daily routine for as long as you can bear it. If you're too excited to do that, do something special like make a birthday cake for the baby, prepare a special meal for after the birth or fold baby clothes. During my second labor, we spent the early time at a local farm getting corn. We went home, shucked the ears and prepared them for the freezer. Later we went and picked plums. Throughout all this I continued contracting gently. Active labor didn't begin until after dinner.

If you have a labor that begins with a bang, you know this is it. Your contractions will be strong and frequent. You can do things to make yourself comfortable like rock or bounce on a birth ball, dance with your partner, or soak in a nice bath.

The good thing about a bath is if you are confused about whether labor is the real thing or not, a bath will usually give you the answer. If it isn't really labor, a bath will usually cause contractions to slow down and eventually stop. If you are in labor, the contractions will continue to get longer, stronger and closer together no matter what.

Keep drinking and eating in early labor to provide energy to your body. There is also a theory that if you drink a lot of hot, red raspberry leaf infusion (stronger than tea) in early labor, your labor will be more efficient and of shorter duration.

ACTIVE LABOR

The contractions are demanding your attention at this point. Try to follow what your body is telling you to do. Do you feel like swaying? Rolling on a birth ball? Leaning against a wall? Taking a walk? Do what feels best.

By doing this, the pain from the contractions will be kept at a lesser level than if you're stuck in bed on your back.

This is a good time to fill the pool if you are planning a waterbirth. Water can help you cope with the pain of contractions. It may sound crazy, but it's true. What happens is the feel of the water on your skin sends messages to your brain. Your brain only processes so much at one time, and the messages from your skin travel faster than the messages from deep inside the body. Soooo... your brain picks up the message about how good the water feels over and over again before it gets to the deeper message about the contraction. Sounds good, huh?

My favorite things to do are walking around, leaning on the wall (or hubby!) and rocking on my birth ball. As each begins to let more pain through, I try another. When nothing gives me relief, I know I'm at transition (usually about 8 to 10 cm dilated).

Remember to keep drinking during labor... water, juice, red raspberry leaf tea, Recharge... they're all good. Take a sip after each contraction to stay hydrated. Dehydration will make your contractions less effective.

Empty your bladder frequently too... if you have a full bladder, not only do your contractions hurt more, but the baby may have a harder time getting by it on his way out.

There are some tricks you can have on hand if you need them. If you have back labor, a pair of tennis balls in a sock can really help your birth ally apply counterpressure to your back and hips. Rice socks can be heated in the microwave or frozen in the freezer to apply hot or cold to sore points. Any of the wooden or plastic massage tools may come in handy. Hand and foot massages are a great way for a birth ally to help send competing messages to your brain... and it may help you relax, too!

TRANSITION

Now you're almost home. This is when most women start saying they can't do it anymore. There is a reason for this. Not only are you dealing with contractions, but now the baby begins to move down noticeably. These sensations feel new and strange since they're combined, and they can be very intense.

I've had several negative thoughts going on at this point in labor, although I never voiced them aloud. Thoughts like "If I were in the hospital right now, I'd have an epidural..." or "I'm just too old for this!" have crossed my mind during this challenging part of labor. This is not unusual, and if you feel this way, you are not alone.

It is not surprising if all the comfort measures you tried before do not work any longer. You may not want to be touched. (It never fails... every time I hit transition someone wants to rub my back and I growl "Don't touch me!" Where were they about an hour earlier?)

This is the time to grin and bear it. The contractions are closer together, longer and may have double peaks to them. You may have sweat dripping, or be suddenly thirsty during your brief breaks. Some women actually take tiny little naps between these contractions if they are tired from a long labor.

THE BIRTH

Okay, you've hit ten centimeters. Time to push, right? Maybe. Some women get a welcome break at this point to allow them to rest while their uterus catches up. The baby may have passed her head through the cervix, and it may take a little while for the uterus to contract enough to once again be touching the baby's feet. If you get this respite, enjoy it! Drink something, eat something, maybe take a little nap. When your uterus is ready, contractions will begin once again.

On the other hand, if you're like me, you don't get a break. My labors just keep plowing on ahead.

There is some evidence to suggest that contrary to popular opinion, pushing before you reach ten centimeters may actually help you dilate faster. The usual protocol is to prevent moms from pushing until dilation is complete, for fear of a swollen cervical lip. But I have heard anecdotally of a few cases where women began pushing gently when their bodies prompted them to, even though they still had a bit of dilation to go. They all dilated much more quickly than they had in previous labors, and the baby moved down quickly and easily. These moms were in upright positions, so baby's head was snugly applied to the cervix.

Contractions that don't include dilation feel different. You'll notice your breaks between contractions are a little longer. Once the baby's head reaches a certain part in the pelvis, you'll feel the urge to push. This bearing down will happen spontaneously. If this feels right to you, go with it. If you feel a burning or stinging, stop pushing and breathe through the contraction instead. Your uterus will continue pushing for you, but much more gently than if you were actively pushing with it. Some women never really push... they let the baby come out slowly and gently on his own.

It's okay to reach down and support the head as it emerges, too. Please don't feel self conscious... this is your baby! The ring of fire occurs for most women as the baby's head crowns. Breathe through these contractions, allowing your skin to stretch slowly. This will help prevent large tears from happening. Once the head is out, you'll feel some relief. The shoulders are next... first one will emerge, then the other. The body will just slip out after that, and you will be filled with a wonderful lack of pain.

You'll be focused on your baby, who will look at you with the wisdom of the ages in her eyes. After soaking in her new surroundings, she'll begin making movements to find the breast to nurse.

Medical Disclaimer

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