When talking about vaginal birth, all mums want it to be a quick experience with minimal pain. Some mums are lucky to undergo quick labour, but for new mums, giving birth the first time is surely a nerve-wracking experience. It doesn’t help that you encounter plenty of stories about prolonged labour and how painful they are. But it doesn’t have to be like this. Here are some tips on how to give birth easily!
Woman have the shortest labour ever
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An Australian mother, Mary Gorgens, gave birth to her fifth child in just 120 seconds. That is just two minutes! This might just be the shortest labour and delivery ever recorded! How does this happen?
How to give birth easily: 9 secret tips to speed up your delivery
Mums, you can also experience a swift labour. Here are 9 secret tips on how to give birth easily which you can practice.
1. Stay fit and healthy
Image: iStock
Tekoa King is a certified midwife and professor of obstetrics and gynaecology from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). According to her, pregnant women who are healthy and fit tend to have shorter deliveries.
“Fitness increases endurance. If your body tends to be better able to tolerate labour, you tend not to need medical intervention, “says Tekoa.
Try to walk regularly, swim, or do pregnancy exercises. But of course, don’t forget to consult your midwife or obstetrician first, because every mum is different.
2. Attend a birthing class
Getting used to childbirth classes will help reduce your anxiety, mums. Try to find a suitable class near you and ask your hubby to tag along, too.
Choose small class with less than 10 participants and certified instructors who suit your goals.
3. Determine who will be your support system
Your husband will definitely be by your side before delivery all the way till you tend to your baby’s needs later on. But perhaps you may need additional help.
According to the results of a study in the Journal of Perinatal Education, pregnant women supported by doulas (a trained professional who accompanies pregnant women until childbirth) were much less likely to need a Caesarean section and epidurals.
Pregnant women accompanied by doulas also experienced a shorter labour than those that don’t. However, it isn’t compulsory for mums to engage in the services of a doula.
Other forms of support can also include choosing a trusted obstetrician, a good hospital, or someone who can help you and your hubby to care for the baby later.
4. Focus your attention on something else
For mums who are giving birth for the first time, the whole delivery process can take about 12-14 hours. So when the contractions do start, try to remain calm.
If you are worried, try to count the number of contractions and take a deep breath every time you feel pain. Focus your attention on other activities, such as traveling, bathing, or baking cakes.
Whatever works to relax you will speed up the delivery process, mums.
5. Choose a light snack
Eat a light snack before entering labour so you’ll have enough energy to push, mums! | Image: iStock
Having light snacks during the early stages of labour while you’re at home will provide you with enough energy for childbirth, mums. Avoid fatty food and food that is difficult to digest because a stomach that is too full will make you vomit or even poop when contractions begin to intensify.
Muscle contractions and rapid breathing during delivery will make you lose a lot of fluid, mums. Drinking a lot of water before labour will help speed things up.
6. Take a warm shower
Pain from the contractions will tense and stiffen up the muscles throughout your body, which eventually becomes very uncomfortable. Doctor Marcie Richardson, an obstetrician at Harvard Vanguard Medical Associates, says that a warm shower can reduce the discomfort.
To feel as though you were being massaged, direct the showerhead towards your back and waist.
7. Ask your hubby to massage you
In a study published under the Journal Expert Reviews of Gynecology and Obstretics, pregnant women who were massaged before labour experienced less pain and anxiety during childbirth compared to those who were not massaged.
Let your hubby know which parts of your body need to be massaged (like the shoulder or neck) when the initial contractions come. Then, apply strong pressure to the lower back during intense contractions.
Mums, don’t forget to also tell your hubby when you don’t want to be massaged at all.
8. Don’t lie down
Image: iStock
Staying upright when you begin to feel contractions could allow gravity to benefit labour later on. That’s because your baby’s head will press against the cervix, making a slight opening.
Try various positions such as standing, kneeling, or squatting, which can reduce discomfort and help speed up labour.
9. Keep breathing normally
Breathing normally won’t only make you focus during contractions, but relax you too, mums. Before labour, have a relaxation strategy in mind. For instance, you can start by taking deep breaths, imagining your favourite place, or listening to music.
Mums, we hope that this article on how to give birth easily has helped you. If you had a speedy delivery, share with us your story in the comments section below!
This article about how to give birth easily was translated by Kevin Wijaya Oey and republished with the permission of the theAsianparent Indonesia
References: NCBI (1, 2)
Also read:
7 tips for an easier labour
My quick labour story: I nearly gave birth in a taxi!
How to induce labour naturally
