# tips for labour ..



## EmmaBozner_x

Hi ladies :) 
If u could give me one tip for labour what would it be? xxxxx


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## fairyflowers

if you want an epidural, get one before its too late


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## Emma&Freya

Listen to the midwives xx


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## shinona

Breathe and move! Keep breathing through the contractions and move as much as you can. I was on my feet for as many contractions as possible this time, swaying my hips and it made a huge difference I think.


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## calliebaby

Use a heating pad for front labor. It helped tremendously.
Also, find a focal point.


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## alette

Get an epidural. :thumbup: It was fantastic!


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## Mrsmitch80

Have a way of getting through each contraction, for me I closed my eyes and imagined I was laying on my front on a hot beach. I took a deep breath in and with the breath out I imagined I was blowing grains of sand away. Sounds ridiculous and I didn't plan to do it but I got to 5cm with just breathing and added gas and air for the rest xx


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## justplainTIFF

Don't wait too long for any pain relief if you want it. I was in transition when mine was given and it only made me loopy between contractions.


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## katlin

Listen to your body! You know it better then any midwife. Try not to tense up it can actually delay dilation and slow progress


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## Erised

Listen to the midwife for advice, but do not take their every word as a given ... it's YOUR body and YOUR decision. Looking back I would have refused the move to hospital, refused the 'induction' to speed things along and definitely bloody refused them physically pushing her out. Just because they're the qualified ones doesn't mean they make your choices for you. 

Apart from that, I loved my tense machine and it kept me sane for the first 6 cm or so (which in my case was about a day and a half of labour).


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## NaturalMomma

If you're going for an unmedicated birth, listen to your body. When a contraction comes your body will let you know how to move, what position to get into and what feels right. Don't let other people tell you how painful labor is, because everyone's labor is different. If you do find labor to be painful (it should *not* be painful the entire time) remember that the pain that comes with a contraction is helping you, it is bringing you one step closer to your baby. Stay on your feet, move around, do squats and labor lunges, and BREATHE. :)


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## kecie

Scream during contractions if you need to! Helps so much lol :)


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## mare

Dont have epi, I have had one birth with and one without! I am def going without with this one.

:thumbup:


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## MeowPurr32

Make sure you have a support person who can handle whatever might happen during your labor (you getting sick, you screaming, bodily fluids, etc.) who will be there just for you, supporting you the entire time.

Ask them to take photos of as many things as possible. Bring extra camera batteries. You can always delete or edit photos later, but have someone take them, because you will probably treasure them: the baby just born, you holding the baby for the first time, the first time you try to breast-feed, the baby's first bath, etc.


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## MeowPurr32

mare said:


> Dont have epi, I have had one birth with and one without! I am def going without with this one.

Why do you suggest she go without one? :huh:


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## lizardbreath

Go in with an open mind


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## cupcakepie

Try not to panic...!!!!!

Just go with the flow and remember to breathe! Sounds crazy but literally I got through my labour by just taking each contraction as it came and breathing through it.. Like one of the girls already mentioned try visualising something in your head... Sounds daft but with mine I closed my eyes and imagined walking up a hill and by the time I got to the top I could relax and walk back down again! Somehow I managed to labour with no pain relief don't ask me how lol.. It wasnt planned at all. Infact I planned an epidural all thro my pregnancy as I'm no good with pain! So My tip would be go into it with an open mind you could surprise yourself with how you cope :thumbup::happydance: xx


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## MaddiesMummy

i had an epi and it wore off after 3 hours, Had 2 top ups but did not work, I won't have one with my 2nd labour. Of course epidurals are fab for some ladies, My advise to you is keep calm, breathe, and do what your body tells u x


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## blondey

Try not to go in with a really set/rigid plan. I never wrote a birth plan. I had a general gist of what I wanted but I was willing to be flexible if things didn't go to plan. That way you're not too disappointed if you don't get your ideal birth plan.

Go in with ann open mind. My aim was no drugs as I wanted to use the birthing unit and pool. I managed to get through it without any. But if I'd really needed any I would have took them!!

Listen to the midwives. They usually know what they're talking about. Out of my 6 hour labour, I was pushing for an 1hr and a half of it. When the shift changed over my new midwife ordered me out of the pool, to do a wee and then on the bed. Madam was born 5 minutes later!


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## mare

MeowPurr32 said:


> mare said:
> 
> 
> Dont have epi, I have had one birth with and one without! I am def going without with this one.
> 
> Why do you suggest she go without one? :huh:Click to expand...

I ended up with assisted 12 hour delivery and found it so hard to push with epi I also had to stay in hospital wear a catheter and had awful back pains for weeks.

I had only gas and air with baby number 2 and found pushing very easy as my body told me what to dol as it was not shut of from the natural pared to push. I recovered very fast and was home within hours of giving birth.


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## mare

mare said:


> MeowPurr32 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> mare said:
> 
> 
> Dont have epi, I have had one birth with and one without! I am def going without with this one.
> 
> Why do you suggest she go without one? :huh:Click to expand...
> 
> I ended up with assisted 12 hour delivery and found it so hard to push with epi I also had to stay in hospital wear a catheter and had awful back pains for weeks.
> 
> I had only gas and air with baby number 2 and found pushing very easy as my body told me what to dol as it was not shut of from the natural pared to push. I recovered very fast and was home within hours of giving birth.Click to expand...

Please excuse the spellings my phone thinks it can spell better than me lol :)


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## hardworknmama

If your hospital won't allow you to eat/drink after you have been admitted be sure to eat on the way there. I was starving during both my labors, I should have made DH stop at Jack in the Box for the bacon cheeseburger. :dohh:


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## DukesAngel

Go in with an open mind and don't be set to a certain idea about labor. Labor and delivery is not likely to stick to a "plan" so just let happen what happens. And don't be upset by anything that doesn't go to "plan" you still had a cute kiddo out of the deal no matter what happens!!!


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## x__amour

The number one tip that I always give anyone is to go into labor with an open mind. You can be very surprised how your mind can change or how quickly things can go downhill!


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## Taylorr

Labour is different for each individual.....do what feels right x


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## fuffyburra

Ask the benefits and risks of pain relief before you decide on it. I had everything going and NOTHING worked (not even two epidurals with multiple top-ups), then found out later that it all slowed my labour down :( not good!


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## Millies.Mummy

Different things help different people in labour. 

What helped me was my active labour classes.

I was religiously sticking my bum out and rocking my hips through every contraction (supposed to open your pelvis more and help baby wriggle down). 

I also used an app to time them on my phone. This gave me something else to focus on through the pain. 

Above all I kept CALM! 

My labour was 3.5 hours so it definitely helped me :thumbup:


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## tinkerbelle93

Don't attempt to talk too soon after inhaling the gas and air, your voice comes out reallyy deep and slow! 

I wish someone had told me this, I was shouting and it sounded like darth vader :( 


Also, don't leave it too late to go into hospital for fear that you'll be sent away. I did and my waters broke at home, my contractions were suddenly in full-swing and I had a 20 min car journey in pain, rather than being in the hospital where pain relief is on-hand. xx


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## tinkerbelle93

And don't rely on your contractions getting regular.. mine never did! 

And also, be prepared to 'leave your dignity at the door' as many people will say.. although I prefer to think of labour as when you can do all these things and it's not undignified because it's just part of labour and everyone else does it. It's common to scream, shout, swear, vomit, poo etc. but you have to remember that the midwifes see this on a daily basis, and it really is nothing to them at all. 

Also I had a pact with my OH that he wasn't to mention anything from the labour that I wouldn't want him to.. like whether or not I had a poo :haha: Sounds silly but ignorance can be bliss and I'm so much happier not knowing about it! xx


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## magicmama

I always read Ina May Gaskin's book Spiritual Midwifery in the weeks before labor. It has great birth stories and always makes me feel empowered and secure that my body was made to have babies.


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## hardworknmama

tinkerbelle93 said:


> And don't rely on your contractions getting regular.. mine never did!
> 
> And also, be prepared to 'leave your dignity at the door' as many people will say.. although I prefer to think of labour as when you can do all these things and it's not undignified because it's just part of labour and everyone else does it. It's common to scream, shout, swear, vomit, poo etc. but you have to remember that the midwifes see this on a daily basis, and it really is nothing to them at all.
> 
> *Also I had a pact with my OH that he wasn't to mention anything from the labour that I wouldn't want him to.. like whether or not I had a poo  Sounds silly but ignorance can be bliss and I'm so much happier not knowing about it*! xx

My DH was nice enough not to say anything about me poo-ing during labor either until earlier this year when I had food poisoning. He had made a comment that I was much more nonchalant about poo-ing myself now that I've done it twice before in front of people. :haha:


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## tinkerbelle93

hardworknmama said:


> tinkerbelle93 said:
> 
> 
> And don't rely on your contractions getting regular.. mine never did!
> 
> And also, be prepared to 'leave your dignity at the door' as many people will say.. although I prefer to think of labour as when you can do all these things and it's not undignified because it's just part of labour and everyone else does it. It's common to scream, shout, swear, vomit, poo etc. but you have to remember that the midwifes see this on a daily basis, and it really is nothing to them at all.
> 
> *Also I had a pact with my OH that he wasn't to mention anything from the labour that I wouldn't want him to.. like whether or not I had a poo  Sounds silly but ignorance can be bliss and I'm so much happier not knowing about it*! xx
> 
> My DH was nice enough not to say anything about me poo-ing during labor either until earlier this year when I had food poisoning. He had made a comment that I was much more nonchalant about poo-ing myself now that I've done it twice before in front of people. :haha:Click to expand...

Haha my OH is too never, ever mention it, even in like ten years lol! Although I probably won't care by then.. 

It's strange I never, ever knew you pooed yourself during labour until I got pregnant. It's just one of those things people don't talk about. 

Oooh and another tip to the OP.. read up a lottttt on labour and birth. I felt a lot more in control by knowing all about the different stages and what's happening with the body in each one. And also about every different scenario.. so when the midwife said she was doing an episiotomy and cutting my bits, I knew what was happening and didn't freak out as I had prepared myself for different things. xx


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## Sussy

Take snacks for energy and lucozade - OH literally fed me chocolate and lucozade through a straw to give me some much needed energy for pushing - strangely the choc and drink was for him as he is a diabetic but needed it myself!


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## Terangela

Push past the pain, not just to the count of ten. If you push until your past the pain there should be a break with less to no pain. If you stop before then your contraction will still hurt and almost take your breath away. 

Breath and tell yourself to relax. If you can relax labor progresses faster and you can tolerate the pain more when you don't tense up.

Don't feel disappointed if things don't go according to your plan. Main goal is healthy baby and mama. So what ever gets you to that goal is success!


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## darkstar

The day after I gave birth I passed large clots, one the size of a side plate, and panicked, I had no idea it was normal. The midwife just checked it over after i hit the emergency button in the bathroom.. I thought I was dying. Nobody told me about that.


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## Victoriaaa

Focus! 

Angry breathe the contractions away when they seem unbearable.

Push your shoulders back into the bed (midwife told me to do this and it really worked).

Listen to your body (hospital sent me home as didnt think i was in active labour as i was having back to back labour pains), got the urge to push in bed and went in and had him 7 minutes later.


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## hawalkden

I say breath and move too through contractions :).


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## LostAndAlone

i would say epidural lol but also make sure its nice and quiet in the room and tell your oh to shut up if he is annoying you as it can make you really angry which causes you to stress out and makes everything even more painfull lol. Mine kept telling me to PUSSSSHHHH and i actually stopped pushing to tell him to shut the hell up lmao! I found during the labour that peace and quiet made everything more relaxed and i got through it easier! Funny how he never told me to pussshhh with my 2nd child lol !! He must have remembered lol!


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