5 Tips to labor at Home as long as possible

How your labor will go is a huge unknown, even if you have had a baby before.

If this is your first labor, you don't have that previous experience to help you understand you don't know what you don't know. Many of my in-person clients who hire me are first-time moms, but the below suggestions are great for whatever your situation would be, if you are low-risk.

What I stress to my in-person clients the MOST is that REST in early labor is SO important for the marathon of labor.

The perspective of having the whole labor in mind is so important when it comes to knowing what to do early on.

Listen to this - even when you are having contractions that interrupt your resting, it is SO MUCH easier to do it in early labor and at home, than when you are in active labor and your contractions are more intense and your body craves that rest even more.

So, here is what to do when you start to have some contractions at home:
1. Follow your circadian rhythm.

At night:

If you have contractions that start at the beginning of your bedtime routine, or in the middle of the night (as it often does), keep to your schedule.

This means, finish your bedtime routine, maybe add in a bath or shower to unwind and try to relax your body. Bring a heat pad to bed with you, so that you can try to unwind and lay down and rest as much as you can.

However, don't turn on all the lights, or wake up your body if you can help it.

During the day:

If contractions start during the day, keep to your schedule - go to your appointments and/or meet with a friend still.

Or, take the opportunity to slow down and schedule a date night with your spouse.

However, don't go for a 5 mile walk and wear yourself out, but keep upright and moving as normal if it's during the day.

2. Send a quick text.

Notify your support person or doula when you have signs of labor and/or more than 20 contractions and they are regular, BUT still try to refrain from focusing OR timing them, unless they are so intense that you can't ignore them.

I see it so often, when first time moms get into high-alert mode as soon as they have regular contractions. So then in the process of paying more attention to the contractions, of course they FEEL more of the intensity of the contractions than if they were ignoring them.

So, focus on DISTRACTING yourself from the contractions. Do something you love:
- watch a movie
- put on music and tidy your space
- call a friend and go for a short walk
- be around kids
- go shopping at Target

3. Drink lots of water and keep fueling your body.

Drinking water and being hydrated will lessen the pain of the contractions!

Plus, your body is doing HARD work - you have a strong muscle (your uterus) working frequently, so keep eating as normal!

Maybe take the opportunity during early labor to brew up some red raspberry leaf tea, add in some honey and freeze it into ice cube trays to use later on in labor. Or bake your favorite muffins!

OR make energy bites with brewers yeast for you to snack on postpartum. Here are my favorite energy bites!!

4. Change up what you are doing.

At night:

If it's at night and lying on your side is not working for you anymore during contractions, then try hands and knees on the bed for awhile or exaggerated side lying.

I also love the tip of kneeling on the bed and resting your upper body on a birth ball, peanut ball, stack of pillows, or if you have it - the CUB.

During the day:

If it's during the day, try my Upgraded Miles Circuit!

This includes positions that will relax your ligaments in order to give baby space needed to move into a more ideal position (and thus lead to stronger, more effective contractions)!

Alternate being upright and active with rest and naps as needed, especially if you didn't sleep well the night before!!

5. Know that the marker for being in active labor is NOT based on the time between contractions alone.

Sometimes, first time moms are relying on the 5-1-1 rule along for deciding on when to go to their place of birth, but they forget to think about the strength and intensity of the contractions too.

When contractions are taking your focus and you need to breath through them and they are happening in a consistent manner, you likely in early labor (you could also have prodromal labor, but that's another post).

When contractions are strong enough in intensity that you HAVE to stop whatever you are doing, often need to move to get through the wave, often vocalizing during the contraction (or at least at the peak), then you are starting to transition to active labor.

Active labor often happens for hours (especially for first time moms), so you don't have to go to the hospital or birth center then.

You can:
- get in the tub or shower to relax your body
- call your doula or support person so they can offer physical support that can help you get through contractions
- drink lots of water
- figure out how to breathe & relax your body for each wave

I would advise you to stay at home and figure out how to get through the intensity of active labor at home before transitioning to your place of birth. You can even labor at home in active labor for awhile if you are low risk and you have the support.

And, how long you stay at home depends on:
- your goals for birth (whether you utilize an epidural or now)
- how far away you are from your birth place
- whether or not you have certain fix factors to consider

You've got this!!

I would really love to chat, so send me a message if you have questions or just need someone to talk about birth with!