Early Labor Mistakes
There are some things women do during early labor that decrease their chances of achieving a natural childbirth. Although , they can seem like the normal and expected response to being in labor, they can have a big impact on the way labor progresses. Understanding what these mistakes are, and how to avoid them, can help you experience a natural childbirth.
Paying Attention Too Soon
One of the hardest lessons for first time mothers to learn is that you should really try to ignore your contractions until they demand your attention. It seems one of the most common mistakes women make is to pay attention to labor too soon.
When you begin counting the hours of labor and timing contractions in early labor, or even pre-labor, you set yourself up for a very boring and long process. It is normal for your body to have mild and painless contractions for hours or days before labor actually begins. Timing the contractions and counting the hours will not make the process happen any faster.
A good rule of thumb is to not time contractions unless you have some reason to think that there has been progress in the labor. You might notice the contractions are much stronger, or the mother is having to work to relax through the contractions. Even so, it is only recommended to time about five contractions, average them out and then not time them again until you see some other indicator of progress.
Another common mistake is to try comfort techniques before they are needed. If your contractions are mild enough to ignore them, do so. Sooner or later, your labor will get to the point that you cannot ignore the contractions any more. At that point, begin to use the comfort measures and labor techniques you have learned.
Trying to force your labor by using comfort techniques and timing contractions can hurt you because you will find the time passes very slowly, and you will waste both mental and physical energy when you could have easily ignored the contractions.
Not Sleeping
Light or mild contractions that start when you would normally be sleeping can be one of the worst starts to a labor. When this happens, many women are too excited or too nervous to sleep, and so begin their labor with a lack of sleep.
Being tired reduces a body's ability to handle stress, including the stress of labor. Fatigue can also cause increased discomfort during labor, and a common reason given for using medication during labor. If you are serious about trying to labor without medication, you need to be serious about getting adequate rest in the days and weeks leading up to your labor.
But even being told that sleep is important does not seem to calm the anxious souls of first time moms. In that case, it can be helpful to keep repeating to yourself, "I will not sleep through the birth of my baby." If you can sleep during early labor, and it is a normal time to sleep, you should sleep.
Not Eating
Most hospitals have a policy that restricts eating during labor. This rule has nothing to do with the normal process of labor or the safety of eating during labor. It is a rule because of the possible complications of some medications used for surgery in case the mother needs a cesarean. Even so, many women believe they should not eat once labor begins.
The body is designed to naturally decrease the appetite as labor progresses. When the body is hungry it is because the blood sugar levels are low and need to be raised. Not eating during labor will reduce your energy, increase your fatigue, and decrease your ability to deal with the stress of labor. Hunger is a sign you are most likely still in early labor, and should eat something.
Stopping Regular Activity
There is a myth in our culture that once labor starts, you have to stop everything and lie down. This is a hyper-extreme version of paying attention to labor too soon, and will set the mother up for a terribly long and boring labor. It may cause her to become overly fatigued mentally and emotionally.
As long as physically possible, you should continue normal activities during labor. For some women, this will be well into active labor with stops for the peak of contractions. It is not unsafe to go about your regular daily routine in labor. When it is time to pay attention, your body will alert you.
Going to the Hospital Too Soon
Many first time mothers get mixed messages from friends and family members about how to react when labor begins. This confusion can lead to another common mistake in early labor, going to the hospital too soon.
Much worse than just stopping normal activity or timing every contraction, going to the hospital too early removes every possible normal distraction available to pass the time while labor builds. The mother in the hospital finds her activities restricted, food cut off, and may even feel she needs to remain in bed. This works to prevent her movement, which makes it more difficult for the baby to navigate the pelvis and may even cause labor to be longer than average.
Many hospitals will send a woman home if she is not yet 4 centimeters dilated. However, it is common for women to request to stay because of the emotional energy they expanded in coming to the hospital. To be sent home without a baby feels like failure and being let down. So many women will accept medications to speed labor rather than go home if they get to the hospital too soon.
What would you like next?Learn comfort techniques for labor. Find out how what you eat can impact how you give birth. Learn ways to stay comfortable during pregnancy. Read sample birth plans. Get emotionally prepared to give birth. |
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