1) EARLY LABOUR
๐ช๐ก๐๐ญโ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ?โฃ In early labour, your cervix is dilating from 0-3cm. Did you know, itโs actually possible to dilate to 3cm without having any contractions at all?! Itโs likely that your cervix is still quite long at this point but it will start to get shorter and shorter as labour progresses. (๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด โ๐ฆ๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ตโ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฏ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐น ๐ช๐ด ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ข๐ด ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ข๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ช๐ญ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ!) โฃ โฃ
๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ :โฃ For most people, youโll feel a tightening or crampy feeling in your lower abdomen every 6-20 min. That feeling will linger for 15-30 seconds or so but not quite reach a minute long. Unfortunately, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ญ & ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐. Look for patterns that stay consistent for 1-2 hours before getting too excited!โฃ โฃ ๐ช๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ early labour ๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐? โฃ In early labour, it is very likely you will be aware that your contractions are happening but also able to distract yourself through them. Thatโs right, you could (and should) carry on with your normal day-to-day activities during this stage. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐: the labouring person will be able to both walk & talk through these contractions. I always suggest finding a balance between ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐. โฃ
๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ญ๐จ๐๐ข๐ง: โฃ In order for labour to progress, we need oxytocin to flow naturally throughout our body. That means we need to feel good, safe, supported, happy & loved. Try spending time in your babyโs nursery or eat some delicious food with your partner. Oxytocin also flows when we move our bodies, have sex (nipple stimulation would also give the same affect) and feel relaxed! I always suggest finding a healthy balance between ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ (head outside for a nice walk), ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ญ (take a nap or watch some Netflix) and ๐ง๐ฎ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง (eat food that is packed full of energy!) โฃ
๐๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ:โฃ โฃ Two of my favourite movements for early labour are the pelvic tilt & curb walking. Both of these exercises will help baby move further into the birth canal and engage on the cervix! Donโt forget that ๐ฆ๐ข๐ณ๐ญ๐บ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐จ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ญ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ข๐ฏ ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ณ๐ต ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ต๐ฐ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐บ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ด before progressing to ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ.
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐: โฃ โฃ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ตโ๐ด ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ณ๐ท๐ช๐น ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ? โฃ In active labour your cervix is dilating from 4-6 cm. It is likely that your cervix has started to โeffaceโ at this point. For some people, when you are 100% effaced, dilation tends to speed up. Try not to focus so much on how far dilated you are, your body is doing AMAZING things that take time & patience. โฃ โฃ ๐๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ณ๐ข๐ค๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ต๐ช๐ฎ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ:โฃโฃ Your contractions are somewhere between 2-5 mins apart. (Quite the jump right?) They are also quite a bit longer, reaching a full 60 seconds from start to finish. Some people experience contractions that seem to be right on top of each other but not lasting 1 min long. This is normal, but tells us that youโre not quite in active labour yet. Follow the 5-1-1 rule before you head to your birth place! โฃ โฃ โจ๐-๐-๐โจโฃ = ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ - ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง ๐ฅ๐จ๐ง๐ - ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฆ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ (๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐!) โฃ โฃ ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ฆ๐ด active labour l๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ช๐ฌ๐ฆ? โฃ โฃ As a support person, youโll notice that these contractions ๐ญ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฌ different. Before, the labouring person could walk & talk through the contractions, but now they canโt. You may see them bracing themselves on an object or person as they work through the wave. You may also notice them intentionally breathing & swaying to help manage the intensity. Oddly enough, when the contraction ends, they may act like nothing was happening. Conversations continue & walking starts back up again! โฃ โฃ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐: ๐ฆ๐๐ญ๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฆ๐จ๐จ๐. Be focused and present during contractions & carry on conversations when they end.
๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ! โฃ โฃ The most effective positions in active labour will create ๐ฅ๐ช๐ข๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ, ๐ถ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ ๐ด๐ฑ๐ข๐ค๐ฆ ๐ช๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ญ๐ท๐ช๐ด. The movement that I generally recommend is an ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ง๐ ๐. โฃ โฃ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐: place a stool or chair beside your left leg (think 10 oโclock) โฃ โฃ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐: place your left leg on the stool and slowly rock towards that foot โฃ โฃ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐: when the contraction ends, lower your foot and rest. Stay on this side for 3 contractions or 10 mins โฃ โฃ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐: repeat on the other side โฃ โฃ
This movement will help create space in the ๐ฏ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต part of your pelvis, allowing your baby to move further into the birth canal and complete the dilation process. Be prepared for intense contractions by having a great support team around you!
TRANSITIONAL LABOUR: โฃ Transitional labour is the final & most intense stage of labour. During this stage you will require all of your support, pulling out all the stops to help you work through those contractions. It is also the shortest stage of labour with contractions coming every 2-3 mins and lasting at least 1 min long.โฃ โฃ ๐ช๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐ญ๐จ?โฃ Is this stage, your cervix is dilating from 7-10cm. Itโs very likely the effacement or thinning of the cervix is complete or well on its way. We know that for some people, once the cervix is 100% effaced, changes to cervical dilation can happen quickly. โฃ โฃ ๐ช๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ข๐ง๐ ?โฃ Although contractions are 2-3 mins apart, it may feel like that arenโt completely going away. For partners: you may need to take a more directive approach to your coaching and supporting. Things like, โtake a long, slow breath for your baby,โ would be helpful. As well as, โlet that one go, drop your shoulders.โ Eye contact, touching their hands and using a relaxing but firm voice will help in facilitating that. As the birthing person, it is likely that you have found a good rhythm, at this point. Most people will find themselves in a tub, shower or swaying back and forth to help work through these contractions. It isnโt uncommon for people to lay down however, just listen to your body! In an ideal world, staying upright in transitional labour will help bring baby further down into the birth canal and finish the dilation process. โฃ โฃ ๐ช๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ?โฃ You probably wonโt be communicating verbally at this point. I encourage partners to be more intuitive during this stage and avoid asking too many questions. Little interruptions can really throw off a personโs focus and rhythm in transitional labour which we of course do not want to do. Your partner should expect: closed eyes, undirected movement such as swaying and low sounds or moans.
The 3rd & final stage of labour is โtransitional labour.โ (Be sure to check out my previous posts to learn more about it). ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ต๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ต! โฃ โฃMovements for transitional labour!
โฃ โจ ๐ด๐ญ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ฑ๐ข๐ณ๐ต๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ: (imagine your middle school dance except your hands are on the bottom). โฃ โฃThis one is amazing for oxytocin flow ๐ โฃ โฃ
โจ ๐ต๐ถ๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ธ๐ฆ๐ณ: submerging your belly in warm water actually has the ability to block pain receptors! This is a great place to be for the last & most intense portion of your labour โฃ โฃ โจ ๐ฃ๐ช๐ณ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ: Itโs likely you might be feeling very tired at this point. Using a birth ball will allow you to remain upright while still resting between contractions. (Depending on how low your baby is, this position might feel uncomfortable for you and thatโs okay, switch it up)!
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