How to Grow a Baby and Push It Out by Clemmie Hooper

Author:Clemmie Hooper
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473528710
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

STAGES OF LABOUR

LABOUR IS EXACTLY LIKE A MARATHON, THE HARDEST MARATHON YOU’LL EVER RUN

I think it’s really important to know and understand the stages of labour, what will happen and when key things will happen. This will help you to know when to go into hospital/phone for a taxi/call the community midwives (if you’re planning a home birth). But like anything, biology doesn’t always follow the rules and if this isn’t your first baby, times and lengths of labour may differ. Remember that we are all made up differently and don’t perform in exactly the same way.

First stage or early/latent phase

This is usually the longest stage of labour so it’s probably the stage that you should understand the most. However it’s usually the stage that the majority of first-time mums overlook. I always like to tell women that labour is like running a marathon (I’ve never run a marathon myself but I have gone through three, well, four labours if you count both of the twins). You never start a marathon using up all your resources and energy; you start slowly, pacing yourself as best you can. Labour is no different.

So let’s start with a carrot, because your cervix is like a small carrot. It’s not orange but it’s long and firm, and by the time you’re in established or active labour (5cm dilated) it’s completely changed shape. It’s moved forward, shortened, opened, dilated and softened. Imagine your cervix is now like the opening of a sock. So that’s quite a bit of change it’s got to make and this is why it can take several days of early labour to do so. During the first stage of labour you may experience:

• Backache, period-type pains.

• A vaginal bloody show (the mucus plug that sits in the neck/opening of the cervix).

• Short irregular contractions.

• Your waters might break (but these can break at any stage of labour, even as the baby is being born).

• Diarrhoea, nausea or you may even actually vomit.

A contraction can feel like a stronger version of a period pain, but everyone feels them differently.

It felt like griping pains, like when you have a bad stomach bug. It came and went and built in intensity and my tummy went really hard, like a big rock!

Louise, mum of one

Women often get really excited when they think they’re going into labour, and why not? Of course it’s exciting – but remember the marathon analogy: take it slowly. If your contractions are short and far apart you are not going to push a baby out any time soon.

Watch your UFO

When thinking of the best positions for labour, remember UFO: U for Upright, F for Forward and O for Open. Any position where you are upright, forward and open is great. When upright you obviously have gravity on your side, and by leaning forward you’re encouraging the baby into the optimum position for birth, as the weight of the back of the baby’s head will be round to the front of you as opposed to resting against your back.

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