Labour and birth
By the end of your pregnancy, your uterus will be the largest network of muscles in your body. Like any muscle that works hard, such as when you run, it hurts when works hard.
During labour, your cervix needs to go from closed to fully dilated. This can take hours or days and your labour will have its own unique pace and, as your contractions intensify, you will experience some pain because your uterus is working hard.
But it is also important to remember that in between your contractions you won’t experience any sensations, discomfort and pain. So for every contraction, you will experience several minutes rest.
Early labour
This can be the exciting phase when it’s all beginning and the contractions may be up to 30-40 seconds long.
What to do: Try not to rush into birthmode – save that focus until your contractions are really demanding your attention, instead carry on as normal so you are distracted. Rest and relax as you need to and get to know your body as it changes and contracts and labour unfolds.
Birth Partner: Be with her if she needs you, otherwise give her some space. Make her some food and keep her distracted as her labour unfolds.
* If you think it is time to head for the hospital, take a photo of her, if she can smile she might not be ready to go yet. *
Established labour
This is the more serious stage, when the contractions are doing a lot of work and your body is working hard.
The contractions are about 45-60seconds long and may be about 3-5mins apart.
What to do: Feel free to move, rock, sway, to do what your body needs to do to work with your contractions. You may need to rest and sit in between your contractions.
Your needs may constantly change, so go with it, listen to your body
Birth Partner: Match her mood – try not to be too chatty and jokey if she is quiet and focused, be near and ready to be with her when she needs you for physical and emotional support. If you feel overwhelmed, focus on your breathing to stay calm and take a break for a few minutes.
Transition
Self doubt and a mixture of emotions can creep in now, as your cervix heads towards being fully dilated. The contractions could now be 60-90seconds long, with a break of a minute or two in-between.
Labour can now feel intense and overpowering and your body could well show all the signs of how hard it is working as you may be hot, shaky and feeling nauseous.
What to do: Go with it, relax, stay calm and allow your contractions to do what they need to do. Rather than fear your contractions, welcome them - your contractions are part of you, they are working within you to bring you your baby.
Birth Partner: Use words of encouragement, and lots of them, to help her stay focused and to believe in her ability to work with her contractions. Remind her that she will be meeting her baby soon.
Stay calm, to help her relax, and remind her to let go of her tension as she breathes through her contractions.
Pushing phase
This might feel a little confusing at first as your contractions will now feel like the urge to push. The contractions will now help your baby to move down through the pelvis and the birth canal, to enable him to be born. You will need to get used to the different sensations as your body stretches and moves to accommodate your baby.
Your contractions could be 60 seconds long, with a few minutes in-between.
What to do: Keep working with your body, use your breathing to stay calm, get reassurance from your midwife if you feel that you need it, give yourself time to get used to these new sensations.
Listen to your body and remember to breathe through your contractions – try not to hold your breath during pushing the way you see it on the tv.
Birth Partner: Continue to respond to her needs – whether it’s for space, a cuddle or helping her get into a comfortable position. Encourage her to breathe through her contractions and to let go of any tension in her shoulders, jaw and hands.
On the move
Staying upright and moving around in labour can be so instinctive and essential to managing your contractions, staying comfortable and staying in control.
It can be useful to start thinking about labour positions in pregnancy. There’s nothing complicated about it – just get off the sofa and become familiar with different positions, so watch a bit of telly using a birth ball. Women in labour will often choose what they think is expected of them and are less likely to assume positions they are not familiar with, especially because the media images are of women lying down on a bed.
Preparation during pregnancy can help to change this behaviour and provide an opportunity to try different positions for labour.
Upright positions can help lessen the pain of the contractions and there's no complicated or frightening about it, it just standing, walking, leaning, kneeling and sitting upright.
(Ref: MIDIRS. 2008. Positions in labour and delivery. MIDIRS Informed Choice - for professionals 5)
If you would like more information about preparing for the birth of your baby and moving about in labour to ease your contractions, you can contact Janine from Birth Basics: Janine@birthbasics.co.uk
Birth plan/preferences
What are you preferences for labour?
Would you prefer to stay active? Would you like help with different positions? Help and encouragement to use your relaxed breathing? Who are your birth partners? Would you like to be kept informed of how labour is progressing? Do you want a long cuddle with your baby when he is born?
These preferences are personal to you but the key elements could include:
Birth support – working as a team with your midwife
Positions - staying active but comfortable and rested
Pain relief
Third stage – do you have any preference about how the delivery of your placenta is managed?
Meeting your baby – how do you want to find out about the sex of your baby, do you want to have a cuddle straight away, do you want to dress your baby yourself?
Use your birth preferences as a way of communicating basic information to your midwife because you may not feel like talking or communicating effectively when you get to hospital. And it’s certainly not going to do any harm!