When I had my last baby I’d been a labor and delivery nurse for 8 years. Today I want to share what I did that helped speed up the process, and you can replicate most of these things VERY easily yourself!
Before we get started — let me introduce myself — I’m Hilary. Many of you might know me as The Pregnancy Nurse®. I’ve been a nurse since 1997 and I have 20 years of labor and delivery experience. I love helping moms have better births, and I hope this article does just that for you!
While we’re here — did you know birth prep could actually be really easy? It can be fast too! It doesn’t have to take hours and hours (looking at you marathon Saturday torture class). Learn more here!
Ok, onto the faster labor tips:
Squats
I worked out that entire pregnancy.
Now, I want to caution you that “working out” looks different in those last few weeks than it does when a person isn’t pregnant.
The squats weren’t as low, the tempo wasn’t as high and I got breathless over much smaller things, but I did the videos and I really think it helped.
I also did a class that did a deep squat at the end where we practiced relaxing our pelvic floor at the same time. I this this is vital to getting prepared to have that baby.
We spend far too much time in chairs, we don’t use our hips in a squatting way, and we rarely do lateral movement — so working out is a key.
Also, did you know that people who exercised during their pregnancy were less likely to have birth trauma (there is a study that shows this). The benefits of using your body are endless.
It’s never too late to start, although I will caution that if you’re having pains, especially in your pelvis it’s never a bad idea to touch base with a physical therapist to see if there a moves you should avoid, or perhaps modify to not make anything worse. I sometimes worry I made my SPD worse.
Changed Position
I ended-up getting induced with my last baby — when I was 12 days overdue.
I wasn’t a fan of it, and I cried a REALLY long time about it (learn more about my induction story here) — but it was best for my body and my baby for a variety of reasons.
This meant that from the beginning of labor, til’ the end I needed to be on a monitor. This was well before the fancy wireless monitors that are out there now (which may or may not work for you) — meaning I needed to be in or around the bed for much of it. BTW, I think having to stay on the monitor is one of the reasons a lot of people find inductions more painful.
I am a HUGE fan of using the length of those wires as much as you can — in here I show you lots of ways to still move even if you’re on wired monitors — so don’t let that stop you! I also have movement tips for your partner, and movement cards that can help give you ideas in there.
It didn’t stop me from changing position every 30 minutes or so. It honestly doesn’t need to be anything crazy — it can be switching from pillows to a peanut ball, or turning sides, or swaying at the bedside (before you get the epidural).
I am NOT talking about squatting or lunging during labor (although I think that’s great — I just didn’t have the energy for it after being that overdue and crying for days before my induction). I’m just talking about simple position changes.
I also continued that even after I had my epidural. My husband and nurse would help me move, I’d ask for pillows in spots that made me comfortable and then we’d do it all over again in 30 minutes.
This just gives baby lots of ways to rotate and move their way down into the birth canal.
Far too many patients just want to lay in one position, and nurses aren’t going to move you on their own all the time — honestly, they shouldn’t have to — it’s too hard on their bodies.
When you have an epidural I think it is SO important that YOU try to move as much as possible. Use your legs as much as you can, use your arms to pull you up and adjust yourself as much as possible. Those movements are important too (and yes, many patients just lay there and ask us to turn them — but your effort counts too). OH, and you can tailor that epidural to what you NEED also << check out that post for more info on it.
Want more epidural tips? — be sure to check out these posts:
- How Long Does It Take for the Labor Epidural Anesthesia to Wear Off?
- What Does Having an Epidural Feel Like?
- How Long Does an Epidural Last?
- 4 Tips if You’re Afraid of The Epidural
- Does an Epidural Hurt?
Cervix Very Ready
When I went in for my induction my cervix was 5-6 cm already.
Yes, I was walking around, 12 days overdue with a cervix very open.
But, I wasn’t having productive contractions.
While there isn’t a WHOLE lot that we can do about our cervix — there are 4 things you can do that can help to soften your cervix in that last month. I have a whole post about it.
I know everyone’s looking for a way to go into labor right NOW — which would be magical (I was definitely looking for that at 12 days overdue). But there are some proven ways to soften your cervix that can decrease the amount of time you’re in labor, or chance of having a cesarean section.
The things I’ve found that are helpful are:
- Dates – when eating 6/day about 4 weeks before your due date, has been proven to make your cervix more favorable as you head into your due date.
- Pumping – this produces oxytocin in your body and has been shown to soften your cervix when done a few times/week in your last month of pregnancy
- Sex – while everyone seems to think this will “put” you into labor, studies don’t show that. They DO show that when done frequently in the last month, it may help….
- Primrose Oil – This also shows a softening of the cervix.
None of those things should be done prior to 37 weeks of pregnancy, and you should ALWAYS talk with your provider about your plans before doing them. They may not give you the “go” but they should know (and the studies on those have proven to be safe in the general population — although there may be some specific people that they are NOT right for).
This is also a great time to talk about your birth plan with them. If you don’t have one — I’ve got that covered too!
Let them Break My Water
Man, oh, man I was reticent to let them do this. Just a good ol’ labor nurse trying to control every thing, I guess. BUT once I consented to them breaking my water (because they should ALWAYS ask in advance, although they often don’t) — it all went very quickly.
I have a whole post on if you should let your provider break your water that talks about the studies. I’m not a fan of breaking water before you’re in “active” labor (which is usually when you’re about 4-6 cm) — but once you are, it sometimes is the thing holding you back.
So, what you need to know about this:
- Having your provider break your water early isn’t always a smart idea (but if nothing else is working it can be worth a try — studies show)
- Breaking it later on can make those last few centimeters progress faster (definitely did for me)
- Your provider should ALWAYS give informed consent before breaking your water — but some aren’t great at this.
I actually encourage people to ask their provider if they plan to break your water when they’re doing an exam — just to make sure you’re not caught off guard and unable to have that discussion. Or, you could just say “just FYI I don’t want my water broken unless we have a good discussion about it.” That just heads off any issues. Remember, YOU are in charge. Have a hard time feeling like that? I have a provider communication video in here that gives you the words to say.
Want more information on your water breaking? — be sure to check out these posts:
- Splash! Everything To Know About Your Water Breaking
- Should You Get the Labor Epidural Before They Break Your Water?
- What Makes your Water Break During Pregnancy?
- Signs Your Water Is Going To Break
- How to Tell if Your Water is Leaking Slowly?
Prepared
I knew what was going to happen during labor.
I wouldn’t say I was looking forward to it — but I was ready and prepared to go through it.
The thing is, I maybe knew too much? I’m sure you can imagine that a seasoned labor nurse having a baby is a very different experience than someone else having a baby.
However, I wasn’t caught off-guard by anything that was going on. I 100% knew I was in the driver’s seat (possibly to a fault — as shown by not wanting them to break my water).
I do believe you can over-prepare for your delivery — maybe to a place of anxiety… which isn’t helpful.
BUT I think more often people put their head in the sand and ignore it.
I have seen having some basic knowledge of these things be very helpful:
- How to labor at home as long as you can (safely)
- The stages of labor (because this natural process can feel very unnatural)
- What being in the hospital looks like (that admission process can even throw you off)
- Common interventions for baby, including c-sections and inductions
- Tips for taking care of both yourself & baby after birth (far too many people gloss over this part)
Do that — and you’re just going to have a better birth. Studies prove it (and also show a decreased need for cesareans or inductions). BUT, most people just read a few articles, follow a few people on social media and think it’s enough.
Studies do NOT prove that’s effective, and possibly can even be worse because you can’t be sure that who you’re following is really telling the truth. Or, they gloss over the important bits.
Which is why I recommend everyone take a birth class by an expert that goes over what you really need to know. I recommend this one. It makes it really easy — and in just a few hours you’ll be prepped!
Not sure we’re a good fit check out my free class — It’s your first step towards being your own birth boss.
I also have a video of similar tips in case you’re interested:
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