If you’re about to give birth to your babe you’ve probably been thinking of labor a lot. We all do and if it’s your first time you may be downright scared of childbirth.
We’ve all heard plenty of scary birth stories and you’ve been educated on childbirth enough to know that it is, unfortunately, a pretty painful experience.
But did you know that some things can make labor pain much worse? This is not a subject often discussed but these are things every new mama should know so they can avoid them like the plague!
If you plan to have an epidural you’ll still have to go through some labor pain until you become dilated enough to actually have the anesthesia so read on to find out how to minimize the pain.
- Must Read: 5 Things That Happen During An Epidural That No One Tells You AboutÂ
- And What nobody tells you about the first few weeks postpartum
And if you’re a tough-as-nails mama who’s going to go all natural you’ll definitely want to do anything you can to make things easier. You may be a warrior but you don’t want it any worse than it has to be!
So Let’s get to it, Here are the things that can make labor more painful and there’s some information on how to reduce labor pain as well.
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7 Ways You’re Making Your Labor Pain Much Worse And How To Avoid Them
Lying On Your Back
When you are in labor and you lay on your back you are fighting the whole process. Sure it’s comfortable but your uterus contracts forward and when you lay on your back, or even in a reclined position, you’re working against gravity in every way.
Your baby’s blood supply is cut off somewhat too so it’s just no good.
You need to be in an upright position or on your side in an inclined position. This will push things down and give your babe lots of oxygen and blood.
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- How To Really Take The Fear Out Of Childbirth
- How To Get Your Flat Tummy Back After Your Babe is Born Quickly
- What Nobody tells you about the first few weeks postpartum ** A Must Read
Being Scared Of Childbirth
I know it’s scary. But being scared of childbirth will make you tense and this will cause the pain to be SO much worse.
The best way to avoid being scared out of your mind is to be educated. You need to take a birthing class so you know exactly what to expect.
If you’re too exhausted to hustle your way to an on-site course at the hospital then take an online course. Here’s a childbirth course created by a medical professional and the first parts of it are completely free. Just take it in your own home on your computer. It will help tremendously in easing your fears and this particular course has rave reviews from mamas everywhere.
There’s a lot to learn about birth, and knowing what will happen and how to cope will make all the difference in the world. You can check out the course here.Â
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Pitocin
Pitocin is what they give you when they are inducing your labor and it does make the pain so much worse.
Sometimes you need an induction and you have no choice. If this is the case an epidural is ideal for easing your pain.
The reason Pitocin makes labor so much more painful is because it gives you really strong contractions super quickly.
When they give you Pitocin you’re just sitting there with no pain and then they hook up that IV and right away you are having full-blown contractions. Your uterus starts squeezing as hard as humanly possible.
It’s really intense and I know from experience. My first labor was induced and I had no idea this would happen. It was a big surprise. I was excited and nervous and then all of a sudden I’m screaming into a pillow. This was not fun AT ALL.
My next two labors came naturally though and they had a lovely, slow progression with very little pain at the beginning.
So if you can avoid Pitocin, it’s a good idea. If you have to be induced ask the doctor if they can start you out with just a little then move it up so it doesn’t hit you like a freight train.
Stressful Surroundings
It’s important that your surroundings are calm, with low lighting and there’s a professional and understanding staff that you feel like you can trust.
You’ll want to feel safe and like you’re in good hands. This will have a huge impact on how you feel during your hardest moments.
Creating a birthing plan so that staff and loved ones know what you expect is a great way to get everyone on the same page. You should definitely have one and here’s a completely free one you can print right now. It’s lovely and it covers everything.
Posterior Baby
A baby that’s in a posterior fetal presentation will give you what’s known as ” back labor “.
When a baby is in this position it means that the back of the baby’s head is up against your back. This is not the ideal position for a baby to be in and it makes things generally more difficult.
Most of the time there’s not much you can do about this except pray your babe finds her way to the best position for both of you.
Your Breathing Matters
Learning how to breathe through your labor pain is crucial to keeping things under control. Again this goes back to educating yourself and taking a really good birthing class.
I cannot stress the need for this enough. It will have a huge positive impact on your childbirth experience, it’s an absolute necessity. You can check out the one I mentioned before right here.
DehydrationÂ
Being dehydrated is never good, especially during pregnancy. You and your babe need water to transport nutrients and keep those cells functioning properly.
But when you’re dehydrated during childbirth your uterus will not contract efficiently. Occasionally this can even stop labor and that’s no good at all.
To keep things running smoothly and not coming to a halt, drink plenty of water before childbirth and during labor. Let’s not make things any harder than they have to be.
Having a baby is hard work. By taking the things we’ve talked about into consideration, hopefully, you’ll be able to ease that load just a little and every little bit counts!
I wish you so much luck and joy Mama to Be!!
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