All about your labour

Labour pains? Water births? If you haven’t got a clue about labour then don’t worry; our midwife passes on her advice and tips

You can have a home birth if you prefer

Get wet. Being submerged in water provides excellent pain relief.
Feel the pulse. A TENS machine transmits gentle electrical pulses through your skin via self-adhesive pads, to help your body release natural painkilling endorphins.
Try hypnotherapy. Learn relaxation, breathing and visualisation techniques to reduce fear, tension and pain.
Take a deep breath. It’s difficult to tense up when you breathe out, so focus on a long outward breath with your contractions.
Use massage. This can be relaxing and help your body to release the hormone oxytocin, which keeps the contractions coming.

Try pregnancy yoga to learn about birth posture and get relaxation tips.
Get your partner to massage your back and shoulders so you can let him know what you like and what you don’t.
Pelvic floor exercises will give you an awareness of the muscles you’ll be using to control the birth of your baby.
Practice breathing techniques doing something uncomfortable. Try it while clutching ice wrapped in a towel.
Increase your stamina for labour by keeping fit – even a short daily walk will help.

Consider a homebirth. You may feel more in control in a familiar, relaxed environment.
Use a birthing pool, as the warm water will help you to relax.
One-to-one support can reduce the likelihood of a c-section, so think about asking your mum to be there.
Keep moving or stay upright during labour and tell your birth partner in advance to encourage you to be active.
Attend antenatal classes so you’re well informed and can make your own choices in labour.

Keep off the bed. Standing or kneeling while in labour encourages your baby to move down the birth canal and puts more pressure on your cervix, encouraging it to open.
Avoid an epidural if possible. An epidural can slow down labour.
Move it mama. Don’t just sit back and wait for your baby to appear – keeping mobile in labour can encourage him to move through the pelvis.
Boost energy. Keep energised by snacking on carb-rich snacks and drinking juice.
Pace yourself. If you get too tired, labour can start to slow down.

Pace yourself. Don’t leap out of bed at 3am as soon as mild contractions begin. While you can still sleep, do.
Eat. Your body needs energy to work effectively, so make time to eat, even if all you have is a slice of toast with some jam on it.
Drink. Get in a couple of bottles of high-energy drinks for when you’re tired or you’ve lost your appetite.
Bath. Warm water allows you and your muscles to relax. It also helps you to rest between contractions during labour, so consider using a birthing pool.
Relax. Try to learn some visualisation or breathing exercises so you’re not burning nervous energy.

Sweeties. Whatever you fancy – the aim’s to keep your mouth moist.
Hairband. The thick cotton kind you wear to put on make-up or when exercising. Great for absorbing sweat.
Playlists. Compiling your fave tunes beforehand on your MP3 player will make for easy listening during labour.
Magazines. To take your mind off things if labour’s slow.
Socks. Believe it or not, your feet can get cold during labour.
MP3 player with headphones. Helps to distract you from the contractions and other noises around you.
Small fleecy blanket. Some women labour on all fours with a blanket providing a tent over them.
Sports drinks. High in energy, they help to prevent exhaustion.
A mirror. No, no, not for reapplying lipstick, but to let you to see your baby’s head emerge as you give birth.

Heavy bleeding that gets lighter after a few days. It can last up to six weeks.
Afterpains happen as your uterus contracts: expect period-type pains, particularly if you’ve had a baby before.
Engorged breasts develop as your milk comes in around three days after the birth, and settle down 48 hours later.
Feet and ankles can swell in the days following the birth.
Baby blues – you may feel tearful around day three, but in most cases this will pass within a couple of days.

Antenatal classes. A great place to chat to mums with similar due dates.
Exercise. Even just walking will help build up your stamina for labour.
Raspberry leaf tea. Taken from 35 weeks, it can help tone the uterus and soften the cervix in preparation for labour.
Relaxation techniques. Start learning what works for you now.
Pelvic floor muscles. Pulling in eight to 10 times, three times a day, will teach you how to use these muscles and make it easier to push your baby out.

By understanding that it’s all about helping you to cope with pain, not trying to find a cure or solution to it.
By encouraging you to use long breaths out during contractions.
By reminding you to keep your face relaxed as frowning causes everything else to tense up.
By offering frequent drinks and snacks to keep energy levels up, as you’ll probably forget to ask for them.
By being your ‘voice’ when you need somebody to stand up for you.

It’s one of the most effective forms of pain relief during labour.
You can easily move into different positions as the buoyancy from the water takes your weight.
Your pelvic floor muscles are more relaxed when immersed in water. The warm water also eases backache.
Women who have water births are less likely to need an epidural and may have a shorter first stage of labour.
You can still get out and use gas and air if you need something stronger!