Preparing for labour and delivery
Photo by Aditya Romansa on Unsplash
If you’re like me, things will start to get very real around week 36. Once you hit the point where labour can happen at any time, you may start to realize you have no clue about what’s coming next. Here are some tips on what I did to get ready for birth.
4 physical things you can do to prepare for birth
Again, check with your healthcare provider before changing your diet to make sure you’re in the clear. Here are a few things my midwife recommended to me:
Red raspberry leaf tea: There is a lot of word of mouth that this tea induces labour. In reality, that’s been debunked but what it can do is soften the cervix which will help you during labour. Like all things, the key is moderation. Most care providers recommend 1-3 cups a day max. Now one thing to note that while this tea is a standard go-to for pregnant moms in the late third trimester, there is no scientific proof it does much of anything. If you ask moms who have used it, though, you’ll find many who swear by the tea. To each their own. I started drinking this tea around week 35 after my midwife recommended it.
Nettle tea: Much like the raspberry, there isn’t a lot of scientific evidence about nettle tea. Some say it may stimulate uterine contractions others say it’s just a healthy drink during late pregnancy. Nettle tea is rich in nutrients including iron, calcium, and folic acid which can help boost energy levels. It can also strengthen blood vessels which may help avoid bleeding turning into hemorrhaging during labour. I started drinking the tea around week 35 when I start the raspberry leaf as well.
Perineal massage: The unhappy truth is between 40-80% of women will have some sort of tearing during birth. Just our luck, eh? The goal of doing perineal massage is to help stretch the perineal tissue in hopes that it won’t tear, or tear as badly, during delivery. Use a natural oil or lubricant to help you and aim to massage this area for 5-10 minutes a day starting from week 34. Here’s a video to help you learn what to do.
Evening primrose oil: Again, this is another one that is supposed to induce labour though there isn’t a lot of hard or fast evidence. The jury is also out on whether taking these pills orally does much of anything. Around week 37, you can insert 1 500 mg pill into your vagina at night to help soften the cervix. If you want to try taking the pills orally too, 1-2 500 mg is typically the recommended dose. Of course, you should always check with your midwife first before adding a new supplement into your regime.
I tried all of the above for my pregnancy and can say none of them induced labour. I did, however, have a very fast labour when it got going (my son was born 45 minutes after I got to the hospital) so take from that what you will. I can’t definitively say any of these strategies helped me but then again, I can’t say they didn’t either.
Also, one bonus recommendation I didn’t try is eating dates. Now there is scientific evidence showing dates can help decrease the length of labour. I just hated them too much to do it. If you want to go this route, start eating 3-5 dates (depending on size) a day from week 36 to the end of your pregnancy.
4 mental things you can do to prepare for birth
Much of getting ready for birth is a mental mind game. The trick is to stay calm in the weeks and days leading up to labour. Whatever you can do to sleep more and stay relaxed is a good thing. To that end, here are some things I tried:
Built to birth: If you’re looking for some birth affirmation meditation videos, I highly recommend Bridget Teyler’s Built to Birth series. I found it very helpful doing nightly meditations in preparation for labour. Here is a series of labour videos to check out.
Non-birth related mediation: I didn’t love most of the kumbaya birth videos out there on the internet. Not being a touchy-feely person, I often opted for regular guided meditations instead of the ones that told me I was one with all the mothers of the universe. If you’re also looking for ways to relax without being called a goddess every two minutes, here are some videos I found helpful:
40 minute guided meditation for deep relaxation
Earth Journey Meditation for Deep Relaxation
Deep breathing exercises: Honestly, the best thing I’d recommend doing is getting familiar with deep breathing. It’s the only thing that really helped when labour got going. There’s really nothing you can do but surrender and ride the waves of contractions and focusing on your breath can really help. Learn how to breath slowly and deeply and count your breaths during contractions.
Practice relaxing your jaw: One piece of advice I got was to relax your jaw. If your jaw is relaxed the rest of your body will follow. One mom also told me your odds of tearing drop when your jaw is relaxed when you push. Who knows if that’s true but hey, can’t hurt. Practice being aware of your jaw before bed and make a conscious effort to relax it so you get used to the feeling.
At the end of the day, nothing is going to prepare you for labour if you haven’t done it before. However, planning in advance can help you feel better about what’s going to happen and can help decrease the time you spend during labour itself. The best piece of advice I have is to stay calm. Anxiety and fear are the enemies of a smooth birth so do whatever you need to to keep them at bay.