Childbirth

What to do in Early Labor

When labor first begins, there is no need to rush off to the hospital unless otherwise directed by your physician. Many times, early labor can last for a couple of days or at least 8 to 10 hours.

During this time you should conserve your energy, you will need it later when labor becomes harder and of course for delivery. If at all possible, take a nap. You can eat but it is best to stay away from dairy products or meats. Enjoy eating a salad, fruits or yogurt. Drink plenty of fluids such as herbal tea, water, or juice staying away from any drinks with caffeine.

Enjoy a nice warm relaxing bath while listening to your favorite music. You can even do some chores around the house if you are up to it. With each contraction, you can rock back and forth, side to side or rotate in slow circles. This will help your cervix dilate and also help your baby move into the birth canal. Try to focus on other things besides being in labor. If you begin to concentrate on labor this early, you will feel like you have been in labor for days, which will wear you out much faster and make labor and delivery harder.

You can take a short walk around the block, stopping when a contraction starts and doing the above the exercise. Walking has been known to shorten labor and aid the contractions in dilating the cervix.

Some women have found that during contractions or during contractions to squat aid in widening, the pelvis, which will, encourages the baby to descend into the birth canal faster aiding in faster delivery. However, not every woman finds this comfortable and may need a bit of help from their coach to squat down and back up again. You can squat between your coach's legs while they are in a sitting position and lay your back up against them for support. This gives you the added support you need while aiding in helping the baby to move down in the correct position for birth.

If you are up to it, some women have enjoyed making love, which can also stimulate contractions. However, if your water has broken or the doctor has advised against sex for another medical reason then you should try this method to speed up labor.

Many women find this is the best time to spend some quality time with the family before heading off to the hospital such as playing a game of monopoly, reading a story to the other children at home, or just cuddling up with the father to be. Remember, this is the last time you will have with your spouse before you both become parents.