By the time labor in pregnancy comes, I hope you have prepared for this event. Pregnancy brings on a lot of new changes in your body. Whether or not it took you a long time to conceive, you are no doubt excited about finally being pregnant and looking forward to the day that your baby will be placed into your loving arms.
But that day can bring on certain fears of the unknown especially if you’ve never experienced birth before. But relax, there are things you can do to prepare for that day whether you are planning a home birth, a hospital birth, wanting it naturally, allowing an epidural or even planning a cesarean.
Educate yourself. The best advice I can give for preparation of the delivery day is that you educate yourself through the wealth of information available to you out there on childbirth.
Read all you can on the process of labor and birth. Ignorance is not the blissful way of approaching such an important milestone in your life. Knowledge of what your body will be going through on that day will greatly help to alleviate the stress and fear of childbirth.
There are countless books, magazines, true-life TV shows and websites that are chocked full of information.
Take a childbirth class. This is a great way to have the opportunity to ask questions and to learn what you are to go through. It’s also beneficial because you will choose a childbirth class that will narrow it down to the type of birth you wish to experience. I am very thankful for the two different childbirth classes I took with my first two children since it helped me to know what to expect and to not fear the unknown.
Exercise. This will benefit your body in more than one way. Find an exercise that is approved by your healthcare provider. Exercising during pregnancy not only prepares your body for labor and delivery, it will give you a leg up in losing that pregnancy weight after the baby arrives. Exercise will greatly help labor and birth to be easier and possibly quicker.
Do the perineum massage. This will help to possibly avoid an episiotomy. About six weeks before your due date, take some (vegetable, olive or vitamin E) oil or some type of lubrication on two (clean) thumbs (with trimmed nails) put pressure toward your rectum, at the perineum, to about the first knuckle of your finger until it burns for about two minutes.
Then gently massage and stretch the area for about one to five minutes. You will build up to this as it strengthens and conditions the perineum for birth. Finally, gently massage the tissues between your thumb and forefinger back and forth for one minute. Do this every night. You can even have your partner do this to add some spice!