All of us long for a short, easy labor. Right? I mean who wants a 40 hour labor?
Well the good news is that while much of our birth story is out of our control, there are still things we can do to help shorten our labors so we can be holding our bundle of joy sooner rather than later!
Want to save these tips for your birth? I created a Free PDF you can download
Here are just 5 of them:
1. Help baby get in a great position
One of the biggest things that contributes to a long labor is a baby who’s not in an ideal position. Sometimes this is totally out of our control and we just have to trust Jesus to turn the baby, but there are also things you can do throughout the weeks leading up to your due date to encourage baby to stay in a great position:
- Follow the exercises on the Spinning Babies Website
- Lots of forward leaning and hands and knees instead of reclining back. As much as you want to recline on the couch towards the end of your pregnancy, that can encourage baby to turn posterior. So as much as possible, try to sit leaning forward instead of back.
- Regular chiropractor visits (someone trained in Webster technique) who will help keep baby in a good position
- Acupuncture can also help turn a posterior or breech baby
Hopefully taking these steps will help baby be in a great position when you go into labor, but even if baby turns posterior at the start of labor, inversions, hands & knees, and rebozo sifting can all help turn baby and shorten your labor! (You can find all of those on Spinning Babies)
2. Refuse to worry about anything that day
This might sound easier said than done, but it’s really important for your labor. Cuz here’s the deal – when you worry, it releases stress hormones in your body that block Oxytocin and slow your labor down. Oxytocin is needed for labor to progress, but worrying stops the release of it.
So one of the best things you can do for your labor is to determine ahead of time not to worry about anything that day! Surrender all the details into Jesus’ hands and decide ahead of time to trust Him fully with each circumstance that comes up throughout your labor.
This is one of the BEST decisions you can make for your labor!
And the truth is, He is so trustworthy! We really can trust Him with each circumstance. He is so good, such an amazing protector, and the best labor coach and doctor ever in the world. You are in good hands and there’s no need to worry.
3. Turn your thinking brain off and get in your birth zone
One of the things necessary for labor to progress well is to make the transition from using your neocortex (your thinking brain) to your primitive brain.
So often labor stalls because a mom is stuck in her thinking brain. Whether she’s trying to attend to her in-laws’ needs during contractions, or thinking about all the things still on her to-do list, or trying to think through a decision the nurse wants her to make, all of these things can keep her from making the transition to her primitive brain.
Now you don’t need to make this switch right away. It’s great to ignore labor as long as possible and continue to go about your day, staying in your thinking brain. But once you can’t ignore it anymore and it starts to take all your focus as you progress in active labor, it’s good to allow yourself to start to make the switch.
How do you do that? Well, here’s a few things that can help:
- Dim the lights (bright lights stimulate the neocortex part of your brain)
- Ask people to stop talking to you (talking also stimulates the thinking part of your brain). They can still give you encouragement here and there, but no more shooting the breeze and chatting or asking you questions.
- Go somewhere quiet and private where you can allow yourself to relax, get in your birth zone and not think about other people. This could be the shower, a bath, sitting on the toilet, etc.
- Switch from music with words to instrumental music. Sometimes even the words in music can stimulate the thinking part of your brain.
4. Sleep, Drink, & Eat
Sometimes labors stall because the mom is exhausted, dehydrated, and depleted. Labor is like running a marathon – it takes a lot of energy! And if you start to get too exhausted, it will naturally stall until you’re able to get up the strength and energy you need to finish well. So…
- Make sure to get lots of sleep leading up to your due date! Make bed-time and naps a priority so that you don’t get caught off guard and go into labor on a morning that you only got 5 hours of sleep the night before.
- Sleep through labor as long as possible if it’s in the middle of the night. Try to contain your excitement and remember that getting as much sleep as possible is one of the most important things you can do to have a smooth and shortened labor in the morning. And if it’s stalling in the middle of the day, try to take a nap and at least get a little rest in.
- Drink all throughout the labor! Drinks with electrolytes like coconut water and labor-aid are especially great for keeping you hydrated. I have some great labor-aid recipes in my Heavenly Birth Kit if you want to make an awesome drink for labor!
- Eat throughout labor as well. Especially protein to keep your strength and energy up! Things like applesauce and honey sticks are another great way to give you some quick energy if you’re needing it at certain moments.
5. Ask God to speed it up!
God is SO involved in our births and I definitely encourage you to ask Him to shorten your labor! I can’t tell you how many birth stories I’ve heard and witnessed where He supernaturally shortened a labor.
I’ve seen Him supernaturally dilate a women stuck at 3cm to 10cm in 30 minutes. Or a mom dilate from 5cm to 10cm in five minutes. Nothing is impossible for Him! And He loves to show up at our births and bless us!
So definitely include Him in your labor and expect Him to show up in fun and surprising ways as He helps shorten it for you!
And finally, one way to make it feel shorter: Ignore it for as long as possible!
A 15-hour labor can feel pretty short if you go about your normal day for the first half of it. So definitely, ignore it for as long as you can!
Go on a walk, take your kids to school, hang out with a friend, do some baking, take a nap, etc. There’s no need to start timing contractions until you realize that they are definitely getting stronger and closer together. But even then, time a few of them and then go about your day.
There’s no need to stop your normal routine until the contractions get so intense and close together that you need to stop everything else to just focus on them and rest between them.
And the great thing is that at this point in active labor, you start to get in this wonderful birth zone where you loose any sense of time. Once you’re in this zone with God, your body, and your baby, time often seem to fly and 4 hours can feel like 1. It’s pretty amazing how God designed it to work!
My last labor was 12 hours, but honestly it felt like 3 or 4. I went about my normal day for the first 6 hours and then the last 6 hours of active labor flew by as I entered that beautiful birth zone with God.
God’s amazing. You’re amazing. And how he designed your body to labor is amazing!
Here’s to a beautiful, shortened labor for you,
Kierra
P.S. Don’t forget to download these pdf version of these tips you can print out for your birth!
P.S.S. I cover lots more ways to shorten your labor in my online Kingdom Childbirth Class, as well as ways to partner with God through each stage of labor so that you can enjoy the GIFT that He intended childbirth to be! Come join me there to be fully empowered for a beautiful birth with God!
Photo Credit: Flickr Joshua Rappeneker