Your top tip

**little_O** · January 2nd, 2014, 02:08 PM

What is your best tip for labour? It can be anything from mind set, dealing with pain, preparation etc.

Help me get in the birthing zone

**~TT40~** · January 2nd, 2014, 02:13 PM

Remember to breath.
It sounds stupid and simple. But seriously, when it gets too much and you clamp up women hold their breath. You need to just take a few really big deep slow breaths. Will help at least get you to the next moment.

**MrsFabuloso** · January 2nd, 2014, 02:15 PM

Trust your body and let it do its thing and know it will be over in a fairly short time (ie, the pain won't last forever).

Know the pain will bring you your baby and imagine that you're snuggling him/her at the end.

Move. It really helps a) take your mind off contractions and b) your baby move into position. I had one labour on my back strapped to monitors and it was so much more torturous and painful than my two births which I walked, showered, bounced and rocked through.

**Teeki** · January 2nd, 2014, 02:28 PM

Focus on how good you feel between contractions. Remember the contraction won't last forever, breathe through, and focus on how good you feel once it's done. Also think about each one opening your cervix and moving your baby down, each contraction is beneficial, it's all helping you meet your baby.

**Santosha** · January 2nd, 2014, 04:30 PM

Keep coming back to the present. Thoughts about how long there is to go, what others are thinking or doing, what you expect or want can all throw you. It is what it is and will unfold as it will. Just get through the next contraction.

I found that it helped to count during contractions - I found that each of mine were going for about "12" so I knew when I got to 7 I was over half-way through!

**CoNNiE_Melb** · January 2nd, 2014, 05:34 PM

Keep coming back to the present. Thoughts about how long there is to go, what others are thinking or doing, what you expect or want can all throw you. It is what it is and will unfold as it will. Just get through the next contraction.

This!

**TeniBear** · January 2nd, 2014, 04:50 PM

If you want to make noise - MAKE IT. Even if you feel silly to begin with, you might find just the sound of your own voice becomes a focus point.

Actually, "don't feel silly" is a pretty good tip too

There are a lot of things your "logical brain" might try to hold you back on, just try to ignore that. Do what FEELS right.

**onthefly** · January 2nd, 2014, 04:59 PM

Welcome it and let it come - remind yourself that every contraction brings your baby closer.

**CoNNiE_Melb** · January 2nd, 2014, 05:32 PM

Try not to be scared... I found my 2nd labour so much easier/better because I wasn't panicking through it. Just trust that you can do it, and remind yourself that it's short term pain for very long term gain.

When pushing... I found that getting angry with it all and thinking 'get outtttt' with each push really helped make every contraction/push count.

Don't think ahead, concentrate on each contraction as it comes.

**PumpkinZulu** · January 2nd, 2014, 05:46 PM

Surrender. Don't fight. Feel the pain, the fear, the joy and the power, feel it all and embrace it all, second to second. Don't think ahead. Just breathe and surrender.

**peanutter** · January 2nd, 2014, 05:48 PM

I was thinking almost the opposite of dear Santosha!

I had a moment of absolute clarity during DS1's birth ... it had been going for a loooooooong time by this stage, and I was in a lot of pain. But I had a moment of stillness in amongst it all, and I thought: "This is my body. And this will be over tomorrow."

So no matter whether it's hurting and you're exhausted, at the end of the day, that is your body. And the next day, you will be clinging onto your body, not pain or a gas breather or the bed head ... because every contraction you have is one which is soon over, never to return.

You're not giving up, you're accepting it for what it is, and getting on with it.

You can do anything for one day.

You will be fine.

**JLeigh29** · January 2nd, 2014, 10:15 PM

Rest in early labour - you'll need the energy later

Breathe - having someone there to remind you helps too. DH said his for me at every contraction and I remember thinking, 'Yes! Good idea! Why didn't I think of that?' Every time, as if he'd just suggested it for the first time! Really helped with the pain.

And, I could've done with a bit more knowledge about pushing/bearing down - I don't think I was very effective. Bub still came within an hour, but I honestly don't feel like I knew what I was doing.

Ok, so that was three, but they are for the three different stages of labour!

**Frangipani Lou** · January 3rd, 2014, 06:54 AM

Surrender and trust your body. It was built to grow and birth your baby. Ina May's Guide to Childbirth helped me with really believing this.

**Ladylove** · January 3rd, 2014, 07:09 AM

There were two very simple things that I had on my birthing list of 'reminders' for hubby to tell me to do but whenever he did tell me I ignored him. I think NOT doing them hindered my labour and contributed to panic and a spontaneous request for an epidural which I hated as it prolonged labour and disconnected me from my body too much.

Anyway! Breathing, long deep focussed breathes counting to five/10 whatever and also, sipping on more water. I was so dehydrated by the end I had no energy or focus.

**AndiE** · January 3rd, 2014, 08:32 PM

Relax your lower body. Every time you feel a contraction coming on, don't tense up - consciously try to keep it all loose and relaxed. And as the others have said, breathing nice and slowly helps too.