TIPS FOR EASIER LABOUR AND DELIVERY

Pregnancy is fun. But let’s not kid ourselves, giving birth is painful. Very painful. But in as much as a little can be done concerning the pain, a lot can be done to make the pain more manageable, and actually give you a labour experience easily to go through,and give you a different story of being in a maternity ward than you’ve heard before. Here are some things you could do to make sure you have an easier and comfortable labour and delivery:

1. Find a Comfortable/Condusive environment

Before birth, ensure you have chosen a suitable environment that you are comfortable with for example a quiet place with a lot of space, where you can move around. You can also have plans to have proper equipments like hot water bath and a squatting bar and maybe the bed if your choice. All this is done to make you feel comfortable, because once you are comfortable, the rest of the process will be easy. Have an environment that will embrace you and feel you during your moment. The environment in which you decide to give birth in greatly impacts how your labour will be, because if you are in an uncomfortable environment, you won’t have the required Peace of mind that is needed to give birth, and this can actually bring about unnecessary complications that we actually don’t want to have. So be very specific and strict with the environment you choose to labour in.

2. Carefully Choose Your Support System

As a woman who is soon to go into labour, you’d want to have a very good and supportive team with you during that moment. Make sure you carefully Choose a team of doctors, nurses, friends, family members, that will be extremely supportive and very patient with you during the process. The process itself is not easy, and you wouldn’t like to have people making it more difficult. This is very vital because it directly connects with your mental state,and having a supportive team will definitely reduce stress and make labour easier.

3. Do some research about labour and giving birth

Information is very important before undertaking anything. Everybody has to learn about a certain place before they go there or read the reviews of a movie before watching it. Similarly, you should do an extensive research and get some knowledge about what goes on in the labour room, and some of the things to expect that aren’t really usually talked about. This will open your mind to any eventualities and prepare you psychologically for any amiss events that might happen. So read journals, textbooks, fliers, articles from the internet, or also have a serious talk with your gynaecologist. The more things you know, the fewer the chances of you being caught surprised.

4. Eat well

This is usually the most overlooked aspect of labour and delivery. People tend to underestimate the power of a healthy person during labour and delivery. Truth be said, labour and delivery is very tiresome, and a small percentage of people are usually very tired before the end of the process. Now, we want to avoid that by making sure that you eat very well before this process, to keep your energy levels high during the process, so that it is not depleted beforehand. So add some extra carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, fluids and fibre and roughage to your diet. This will also greatly reduce your chances of having a constipation during delivery.

Studies have shown that eating dates helps fasten the contractions. This is because dates have a chemical compound that is similar to oxytocin hormone, which is responsible for initiating contractions. Having 60 to 80 grams of dates per day is recommended.

5. Do exercises And Keep Fit

This is also one of the most overlooked aspects of pregnancy. A lot of women tend to take pregnancy as a ticket to stop working out and keep fit. But they end up paying their dues in labour. The Truth is that every doctor will emphasize the importance of keeping fit during pregnancy because it not only reduces your chances of having a High Blood Pressure and premature birth, but it also makes labour and delivery way easier, by fastening the dilation process. So just keep moving around, sit on your squat ball, do whatever exercise you feel comfortable with. But be careful to not overdo it, because in as much as you are supposed to keep fit, that is usually your most delicate time of your body, so just take it easy, and you’ll also in turn have it easy in the delivery room.

6. Express your worries

Giving birth, if it’s a new thing to you will definitely carry along some fears. It is good for you to know that fears are normal and totally okay. But how you deal with them is what matters. Do not be afraid to tell your team of doctors of the fears you might have. They may actually help you through them a great deal. Worries such as having a C-section, or whether or not your baby will be stuck, period of labour and how to handle the pain, the possibility of having an epidural, Whether or not you’ll need an episiotomy, whether you are going to poop on the table or not. Expressing these fears can really easen your labour experience.

7. Have a birth plan

Everything has been said about the importance of a birth plan. A birth plan is instructions laid out to your team of caregivers of what you want to be done to your baby during and after birth. It is important to plan beforehand because, every birth experience is uniquely different and it is important to know of all the provided options during labour especially of you have a high risk pregnancy. But generally the importance of a birth plan cannot be overlooked. A birth plan consists of what you want to happen during and after labor; how you want the baby to be taken care of and by whom, whether you want pain medicine, or lights dimmed. In short, a birthpl8is anything that will make you comfortable during labour.

8. Practice Systematic Breathing

Now you’ve reached the labour room, you need not deplete your energy quickly than need to. You need to Breath rhythmically when having contractions which helps make you feel comfortable and release tension. A close family member or your partner, if he’s in the room, can help you stick to your Systematic Breathing by keeping eye contact with you. A research has shown that systematic breathing really distracts the brain from sending pain signals, and makes it concentrate on the more positive things. This is one of the best ways to relieve labour pain. Systematic Breathing also helps ensure that the baby gets enough oxygen, and this keeps the baby in a good position, when it is time for it to take it’s first breath.

9. Get pain relief from warm shower or compressors

Ideally, any kind of pain sure to contractions can be eased with a hot water bath. During your contractions, you can help relieve your pain by taking a hot shower, and allowing the water to directly hit your back or abdomen. This process can also help speed up labor and fasten your meeting up with the child. You can also relieve pain by moving around. Squat, lean, walk. Do whatever you can to keep moving. This helps distract you from the pain of contractions. But some positions can be comfortable than others.

10. Create sceneries in your head/Visualize

Power of the mind plays an essential part during labour. During contractions you can focus your mind on something or someone that makes you happy. This will make your senses be less unaware of the pain, and focus on the happy scenerio in your head.

It is important to keep in mind that every delivery is different and unique. These methods are meant to make you have a very comfortable, easy labour and delivery.

11. Take Prenatal Classes

Prenatal Classes are helpful when it comes to educating you about labour and delivery. Recently, childbirth classes have become very popular especially for new moms and dads. They provide a friendly environment and an opportunity for the instructors to address your questions, and mentally prepare You for the pros and cons of pregnancy. These classes also teach you about the stages of pregnancy. The kind of information acquired in these classes help eliminate any kind of fear in the new parents, deepens the connection between the moms and dads, and makes the dad be involved in the pregnancy.

12. Prepare Your Baby For Birth

At around 24 weeks of pregnancy, start to position your baby into the right position for birth. This is very helpful and can be effective especially if you have a birthing ball. During this period, avoid lying on your back. Also if possible, attend classes. Also, don’t keep put during pregnancy. Moving around helps keep the baby timid and the mother energised and fit for birth. Doing exercises also comes in handy at this point. Our usual lifestyle positions makes it sometimes difficult for the baby to perfectly position themselves for birth. However, a new theory shows that it is because gravity allows the heaviest part of the baby to go and lie in the mother’s back, which makes the mother have severe back pains.

13. Do a perineal massage

THe perineum is the part of the body that stretches to allow the mother to push the baby out. Perineal massage helps Prepare the muscles and tissues and keep them supple in preparation for natural expansion during delivery. This also helps shape the birth canal. Recent study has shown that perineal massage helps increase chances of having a vaginal delivery. The massage should take three to four minutes at a time.

14. Keep moving/ mobile

Try and incorporate walks during your pregnancy. Staying mobile and active isone of the most natural ways of preparing your body for birth. It helps give the body endurance needed during labour, and also strength after giving birth. Also when moving, avoid wearing high heeled shoes. If possible, always have falt shoe in. This will help with gravity of the body and the symmetry of the body, since now it’s not just one body, but two bodies you are carrying. A two inch heel won’t hurt, but don’t wear heels for long periods of time. This will also help.in reducing the swelling in the legs and unnecessary back pains. Also practice squats and reduce sitting. Sitting reduces the flexibility of the body since it is positioned in one place in a long time, especially for expectant mothers. Squatting will increase pelvic strength and durability, and elasticity, and wi greatly come in handy during labour.

15. Be upright during labour

Studies have shown that being upright during labour is actually more advantageous than lying down. Tnis is Because the aspect of gravity comes in and can actually help the delivery process faster.

The above tips are supposed to help you have an easy labour and delivery. It is not an easy process, but we are looking to have you experience an easier labor.

TIPS FOR EASIER LABOUR AND DELIVERY.