Labouring at Home
Labouring at Home & At Hospital Without a Partner
If you’ve had a healthy well pregnancy without any complications and are full-term then staying home as long as possible in labor makes sense. Start filling your labor toolkit now so you feel more comfortable and confident at home for longer especially if this is a first baby.
Revise the signs of labour so you know what to expect – post on the GentleBirth mum’s group on Facebook with questions or for support.
Consider hiring a Birth Doula (a trained professional labor companion) to provide you and your partner with hands on support at home until you decide to go to hospital and provide virtual support through text and Face time in hospital.
Homebirth is also a safe option for healthy mums and babies.
When labor starts rest as much as you can
When labor starts rest as much as you can – that means trying to ignore the sensations of labor and sleeping if it’s at night. Adrenaline in early labor works against your birth hormones and wastes precious energy. Think long game – conserving energy is essential.
Use the app to keep adrenaline down and stay focused. When you are no longer comfortable in bed or lying on the couch sit on the ball or move around the house, eat and drink as you need to.
Slow gentle yoga poses can help you stay active without using up too much energy.
Reduce the stress response
Choose a few funny shows on Netflix to watch – comedy releases pain-relieving hormones – or watch your wedding video to boost oxytocin the hormone associated with labor progress.
In the coming weeks before your due date practice, slow focused breathing. This is a simple way to reduce the stress response.
TENS Machines are available to rent from many pharmacies and can be very helpful.
Shorter & less painful labours
Warm water immersion is associated with shorter and less painful labors so plan on using the bath a LOT (you could also get a laboring pool to have at home so you can move easier than the bath).
Keep the water around body temperature and stay hydrated in the bath.
A shower is another effective comfort measure for labor.
A heat pack on your lower back can be really soothing too
Firm massage on the lower back and hips by your partner also your partner can learn simple acupressure techniques that can help reduce pain too.
Do you have some essential oils that you like?
Music influences pain perception so prepare a playlist of music that has special meaning for you.
When to Go to Hospital?
Most first-time mums go in too early so talk to your midwife/consultant about their recommendations most consider the 5-1-1 Rule to be effective.
Stay home until your contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute for at least 1 hour.
If you live very lose to your maternity until 4-1-1 or 5-1-2 is reasonable too.
Please talk to your care provider about what’s right for you.
In the Car
These suggestions will help make a potentially uncomfortable car ride to your maternity unit a lot more tolerable.
On the way to the hospital keep your headphones on with your app playing especially the Labour Companion Mp3 in the GentleBirth app if your partner has to leave you at the door.
This Mp3 was will be so important for any woman birthing without a partner or those who need more focused support if your midwife is busy.
Keep your TENS machine on – you might find a heat pack useful too.
Have some cold water in the car and some peppermint gum if you feel nauseous.
At the Hospital
We are so fortunate to have amazing midwives in our hospitals who will help you have the best birth possible.
Stay focused on meeting your baby and the amazing feeling of being reunited with your partner.
Give a copy of your written birth preferences to your midwife (have a few copies in your bag).
In the event, your partner can’t stay with you keep your Labour Companion and other app favorites playing to keep you in the zone.
Talk to your midwife about your plans for pain management. If you don’t have an epidural continue to use your TENS machine as long as you find it helpful.
Use the bath/shower is available in your unit.
Ask about using a birth ball to continue mobilizing.
Your mindset matters - an affirmation like ‘I can do anything for a minute’ can help you get through each contraction.
Remember that for most mums the hardest part of the contraction is the peak of the contraction and that usually only lasts 10-15 seconds.
Then you start to feel it getting less and less painful – between contractions most mums feel no pain so this is a good time to rest.
