10 tips for an easier labour, as a first-time mum
chapters:
true or false?
10 tips
when to start
how-to keep my calm in late pregnancy
I am currently 30 weeks pregnant, and stepping into the third trimester of my first-time, unplanned pregnancy at age 25.
THAT STATEMENT in itself is a ball of transition, fears, and adjusting, ALL-in-one.
I talk all about it here on the Blog with you gorgeous girlies.
I KEEP IT REAL with you all, share the experiences I am going through AS I am going through them, so I can spill on all that is flowing through me from this pregnancy; emotionally, mentally, physically and beyond.
One thing that is starting to play on my mind is the fear of labour…
But this post is all about WHAT I am planning TO DO about it, to take control of my narrative as much as I womanly can.
10 tips to HELP make labour easier.
Let’s get into it.
true or false?
First thing’s first, is it even POSSIBLE to make something as painful and unpredictable as labour, made “easier”?
And what would “easier” even mean?
Well, I have never been through labour, as a first-time mum.
However, TO ME, an “easier” labour would be :
one where it would be a lot SHORTER than what it could be,
and hopefully not AS painful, because my body would be better equipped to handle it (from these 10 tips).
Now, is it a fact or is it just a theory?
Or is it not even true at all?
There DEFINITELY are FACTORS that can increase the likelihood of making your labour experience an EASIER ONE.
So, is it false?
NO.
Is it true?
Partly - these tips have the POTENTIAL, but labour can never be predicted for the numerous factors that are in-play.
Regardless, the FACT that there ARE things we can do to TRY and help our labour experience be easier, even if by an hour shorter, or by a tiny bit less painful, then I would be willing to try it!
There is no straight-forward remedy to make labour fast and easy, that is 100% science-backed, but there is a lot of research and a lot of associations that can’t go by unmissed, and can be very easy for us girlies to incorporate into our daily lives.
If it doesn’t hurt or even take a lot of effort to incorporate these tips, then why not try?
At least, we can reduce some of the fear we feel, in KNOWING we did all that we thought we could to make labour a safe and as smooth as we can try to make it.
10 tips
I don’t know about you, but I am NOT a gym girlie, and am NOT an active girl.
So, the idea of being told to be active or try do some “light pregnancy workouts” does not sound appealing, and actually makes me feel like I might not have a slight chance at an easier labour.
But thankfully, that IS NOT what I am here to tell you.
If you feel to workout, and it is SAFE for you to do so, then go for it!
But these 10 tips are for the girlies who are just like me (at least for now, because I am so ready to become a postpartum pilates queen; once I am ready for it).
Let’s get into it!
My 10 Tips on preparing my body and mind (just as important!) for birth, and having an easier labour!
Eating 6 dates each day, everyday
Eating a bowl of pineapple
Drinking 1 cup of raspberry leaf tea
Doing a few minutes of stretches that target the pelvic floor and perineum (the muscles required to stretch during labour for baby to come out)
Being mindful of my breathing; to prepare breathwork for labour (when stressed, I inhale for 3-4 seconds, and exhale for 7-8 seconds)
Holding ice cubes everyday for 60-90 seconds at a time, to practice pain tolerance and mental endurance
Going on long and slow walks; aiming for 45 minutes, but will depend on my energy-capacity that day
Journaling my emotions and thoughts daily, so I can dump that load and have myself flushed of anything that weighs me besides my body and baby
Focusing on iron-rich foods daily and not forgetting to take my iron supplement tablets: taking more time to make meals that have higher contents of iron in every meal (red meats, oily fish, spinach, vitamin C-rich fruits) - so I can equip my body with a good supply to increase my energy for labour, but also have a filled supply, for when I lose blood during the labour-process.
Prioritise rest and relaxation as much as possible - the body will only open for labour when it feels it is SAFE to do so, so practicing relaxation EVEN WHEN pregnancy anxiety kicks-in, will help once those labour contractions start. Rest will be key in gearing my body-up to energise for labour, and hopefully not push for as long.
THIS is my personal capsule of tips for an easier labour, and I will NOT add anything else to it, unless I think it takes priority to the above.
WHY?
If we give ourselves too much, we just simply won’t do it!
And, honestly, too many things to give ourselves to-do, in the third trimester, is very unrealistic and will only increase our levels of stress, which is not helpful for anyone or for anything.
Keeping it straight-forward to ONLY 10 tips, and keeping it consolidated to ONLY these specific tips, will mean you are also not feeling the need to constantly look or research for more, to do more.
You have everything you need to try and make labour as easy as possible for you.
These tips target help us cover all bases where possible:
PHYSICALLY: softening our cervix, stretching our muscles to increase the flexibility required to push-out a baby, and allowing the opportunity for our bodies to fuel with the right nutrients, and restfully recharge for our bodies to be able to go through the physically-demanding experience of childbirth
MENTALLY: tapping into our fears, thoughts, deconstructing what we are thinking, and how we are thinking about labour/ late pregnancy, building-up our mental resilience, being strategic with where we use our energy so we can be more logical about how we tackle contractions and how we react, such as breathwork
EMOTIONALLY: ensuring that our emotions are being validated, supported, and acknowledged. We will feel FLOODED with emotion, specially during third trimester, so we want to show love to ourselves and not just brush-off the very-NATURAL and necessary emotions for us to feel, over such a drastic life experience, as is pregnancy and childbirth
There are PLENTIFUL other strategies, home remedies, tips, ways, shared online for pregnant women to prepare for an easier labour, however, the above are the top tips I personally feel can have the potential to make the most difference in A HOLISTIC way (covering all parts of us and our life), in preparing us towards labour.
All of these 10 tips are the tips I will PERSONALLY do!
when to start
Currently, I am at 30 weeks pregnant, and I wasn’t too sure when to start.
This is very personal, and a unique decision to when YOU feel you are ready or want to start.
However, personally, I am planning to start from now, at 30 weeks pregnant (still about 2.5 months to go, or so).
I am NOT planning to DO IT ALL AT ONCE, but to start incorporating some of the tips from NOW.
Starting with the easiest to incorporate, I would go for eating dates, breathwork practice, pelvic floor/perineum stretching for a few minutes each day, and focusing on making iron-rich meals.
Then as I go further into my third trimester, I will slowly build-up to incorporating all 10 tips.
Specially, once I start maternity leave, and am no longer working, it will be EASIER to do certain tips like slow, long walks and prioritising more rest/relaxation.
Also, I have a separate blog post on when to start preparing for baby, if you haven’t already and are curious too!
when to start preparing for baby? 👶
Of course, see what works best for you!
This is just me sharing HOW I am going about this, to share and connect with any girlies who might not know when to start or how-to make it simpler to do these things, in their own pregnancies.
I think anytime in the third trimester is a GOOD TIME to start preparing our bodies and minds, but there are some women who start only at the very end at around 38 weeks, and some start way sooner in the second trimester! IT REALLY DEPENDS!
What’s important is that you act in alignment with your OWN SELF, you take care of yourself (now more than ever!), and you only do these tips when and IF you feel you have the capacity or will to do so.
YOU are in control.
Own it unapologetically.
how to keep my calm
We have all the tips, all the bases covered, and the timelines I am personally using; to establish a certain plan to prepare for an easier labour as a first-time mum.
Nonetheless, no matter HOW MUCH these tips can help us physically, mentally, and emotionally, it can be hard to keep our calm over something we KNOW will make us feel pain.
I’m pretty sure, as humans, we are WIRED from our survival instinct, to feel this way to protect ourselves.
So, how do we combat this feeling that always feels so close-by?
No matter how much I might journal, deep-breathe or go for a slow walk, keeping my calm is becoming something I have to constantly provide maintenance for.
And, even though, these tips HELP with the ongoing maintenance, and having a “plan” can help establish assurance that I am doing as much as womanly possible, to have a smooth and easier labour, it can feel challenging to actually feel calm.
WELL.
This is the chapter where I tell you to love yourself like you never have before…
This time of your life is challenging.
If your experience has been ANYTHING like mine, then:
you have never felt as intensely as you do now
You are experiencing MANY first times, without baby being born yet.
It’s a lot to digest, a lot to process, a lot to handle, whilst living your day-to-day life, and trying to be your happy, fulfilled self.
SHOWING YOURSELF LOVE looks different to each everyone, but this can look like:
taking it slow, and sleeping-in rather than filling-up your every free second of the weekend with social plans
cooking yourself a yummy meal and watching your favourite movie
calling a loved one
taking a hot shower and tucking yourself into some fresh bed sheets
going to a local café and buying a gorgeous pastry
baking a low-effort sponge cake and dunking a plop of luxurious ice cream and jam on the side (cheat-code for a vitcorian sponge cake, WITHOUT actually making one!)
putting on a face and hair mask, and wearing a satin robe whilst watching your favourite comfort creator on Youtube
buying yourself beautiful spring flowers from the local flower shop to make you smile every morning, when you see it
As you can see, I focused mostly on home OR local things we can do, as well as all being more on the lower-end of energy required since it can be exhausting for us girlies to even THINK to do anything.
However, loving yourself DOES NOT have to be extravagant to count…
Loving yourself is necessary NOW, more than ever.
In other ways, loving yourself can mean MOTHERING yourself.
You may be becoming a mother soon, but don’t forget, we are not JUST mums around here.
We are everything PLUS being a mum.
Taking care of ourselves needs to be a priority, and filling our cup, where possible, and as much as possible!
As long as we are always placing energy into self-love, self-care, and self-compassion, all the tips become a BONUS to helping us keep our calm during one of the wildest journeys in a woman’s life; pregnancy and new motherhood.
♡
And that’s it from me on this one!
I hope you have found this post BOTH practical, and comforting, in how us girlies can cater to our needs, as the demands of pregnancy feel more intense as we approach the final bits of our pregnancy!
Labour can be made slightly easier, even if mentally, in how we COPE.
IN LEARNING how we can best support ourselves before AND during childbirth, we strengthen and empower ourselves for pregnancy, labour and life.
Trust in yourself, and what your body was made for.
You got this girlie!
And as always, remember…
Own your Womanhood. Own your Time.
♡
I’ll be logging updates throughout this whole journey as a mother-to-be, working to be an entrepreneur, but to also still preserve the girlhood within, to try and be her best self, and live her happiest life, so keep-up with me through the blog!
I release a new blog post every Friday at 1pm! (UK-time)
Let me know if you’re in a similar headspace (pregnant or not), being in our 20s is confusing, and taking control of our story is the only way we can take ownership of our happiness and live out our dream life.
I document my unwanted pregnancy journey at 25, taking control of my narrative, figuring out being a girl in my 20s, chasing my dream life, and conquering my boss babe dream of becoming a self-employed, entrepreneur / Blogger!
