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photo by emifaulk

The information I offer here is for informational purposes only and should not take the place of medical advice from your doctor or midwife. These are all well-known ways to encourage contractions to start.

eat spicy food to get those contractions started

Why it works: anything that gets your digestive system humming can also stimulate the uterus since they’re right next to each other. The spicier the better–mexican, thai, chinese. There’s even a famous Eggplant Parmigiana available at Scalini’s Italian Restaurant in Georgia that is “guaranteed” to bring forth a baby within 48 hours or mom-to-be will get a gift certificate for another meal.  Over 300 moms have had babies after eating the parmigiana.  You can make it at home following the  recipe posted at their website.  I’ve made it a couple times and it is super yummy, yet quite time consuming to make.

walk to encourage labor contractions to start

Why walking works:  Braxton hicks contractions usually start when you’re walking. The more you have, the more prepared your cervix will be when labor starts.  Walk often. Walk fast. If it’s too hot or cold to walk outside, and you don’t have a gym membership, go to the mall or other indoor building where you can walk safely and comfortably.

make love to help labor start

Why sex works: The prostaglandins in semen help to soften the cervix, the vital first step in the cervix getting ready for labor, before the cervix even starts dilating. Oxytocin, one of the hormones that is involved in labor, is released during a woman’s orgasm.

nipple stimulation to start contractions

Why it works: the same reason as above; oxytocin is released. You can either use a breastpump or have your partner do it.  This can be tedious; it must be done for hours to induce labor. However, doing it for just a few minutes can be beneficial if combined with other techniques. Alternately, you can get in a deep tub of water and let the water stimulate your nipples.

acupressure points

If you can’t get to a professional massage therapist, you can find the points at home. . You’ll know you have the point right when you find a tender spot that hurts. Apply pressure for about a minute at a time. Apply as much pressure as is comfortable. It might sting a little.

• The first one is about 3-4 fingers above the inside of your ankle bone.
• The next point is on the webbing of your hand in between your thumb and index finger.
• Another accupressure point is on the roof of your mouth. You can either suck on your thumb or a lollipop.

induction massage

Go to your favorite massage therapist or find one who specializes in pregnancy and induction massage. It will feel good. Your therapist will help you to relax as well as stimulate the uterine points. It’s best to think about going into labor during the massage. If your body is ready for labor, an induction massage might just work for you.

Read things to consider before doing a labor induction at the hospital.

coming soon: inducing labor with herbs, homeopathics, castor oil, and primrose

Waiting for Baby by Harriet Ziefert and illustrated by Emily Bolam. I love the center of this book because the pages are flaps, so you can see what Max did each day, all in a row. As you turn each flap, the pages get bigger. This is a great design for a book. My favorite is what Max did on Wednesday. He banged on his drum and marched around and chanted:

Rum, tum, tum ba-by come! Rum, tum tum ba-by come! Rum-a-tee, Rum-a-tee, Rum-a-tee-tum!

We have read this over and over at the end of my pregnancies and my kids have marched around just like Max and shouted at my tummy for baby to come out.

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Baby, Come Out! by Fran Manushkin and illustrated by Ronald Himler. This is a sweet book with delightful drawings that tells the story of how baby doesn’t want to come out because she likes it just where she is, all safe and warm in her Mama. Each family member has his or own way of trying to coax baby to be born. Finally, baby comes out when her daddy gives everyone a kiss. She wants a kiss too. I especially like the drawings in this because it shows baby in Mama’s tummy. I think it helps young children visualize that there really is a baby in there!

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In just Just Like a Baby
, by Rebecca Bond, Father makes a cradle and then the other family members all add something to the cradle–Grandfather painted it, Grandmother sewed a quilt, brother made a mobile. Finally, mother pushed the cradle to the window and felt it was ready for baby:

There next to the windows, Mother rocked the cradle gently back and forth
She ran her fingers over the smooth, sanded wood…
She turned down the warm quilt
She watched the mobile slowly turn…
And she felt the baby move inside her.

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On Mother’s Lap, by Ann Herbert Scott and illustrated by Glo Coalson. Mom reads Michael a story who brings more and more things on his mother’s lap as they sit together in the rocking chair. Eventually, his baby sister wakes up, and when Mom goes to get the baby, Michael is upset because he doesn’t think there’s enough room. But of course there is always more room on mother’s lap.

I love reading this book with the kids, rocking back and forth, back and forth–just like in the book.

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We Like to Nurse, by Chia Martin and illustrated by Shukyo Rainey is a book that is especially good for toddlers and preschoolers because of the brightly painted pictures and simple text. Each page shows a different animal nursing its young. The last page with a mother nursing her baby, reads, “We like to nurse.”

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The Biggest Bed in the World, by Lyndsey Camp, and illustrated by Jonathon Langley. This is such a fun book. When there’s a baby in his bed, dad says, “How am I supposed to sleep like this?” The family keeps on growing with the addition of twins and triplets until Dad finally has to make the biggest bed in the world. He even has to knock down walls so the bed will fit in the house. When the kids all move to their own beds, Dad thinks his bed is too empty, and still he wonders, “How am I supposed to sleep like this?” I love the way nursing is drawn in this story.

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Welcome With Love, by Jenni Overend and illustrated by Julie Vivas. I love this book! This is the perfect book to help prepare children who might be attending the birth because it shows the mom in several different labor positions with her husband. The midwife and other children are in the illustrations as well. This is a little different than other children’s book because it actually shows the birth. Don’t worry. There’s no blood and gore and raunchy shots, but it beautifully depicts what homebirth is all about. Mom gives birth standing up, leaning on her husband. You see baby’s head coming out from her. Next, the mom is kneeling, scooping her baby up to her with the cord still attached. My favorite drawing is the scene after the birth from overhead which shows the dad holding the placenta in the bowl; he had just cut the cord. Baby is tucked in bed beside mom, surrounded by the three other children. My favorite quote:

A little boy, Mum says, crying and smiling at the same time. She holds him close against her breast. Dad tucks the blanket around them. He’s crying too.

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The Berenstain Bears’ New Baby, by Stan and Jan Berenstain. Cute little book. Brother bear has outgrown his bed so he and Dad go out into the woods to build a new one. When they get home, there’s a new baby sister in brother’s old bed.

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Dancing Waters, by Tara Tulley and illustrated by KC Clark “tenderly tells the story of a family who chooses a doula and waterbirth in a hospital setting” Also available by the same author and illustrator is Stars of the Sky where a mother tells her twins about their homebirth.

Dale, a childbirth educator, says,

It looks like it’s a feast for the eyes as well as the heart and soul.

I have not seen these books for myself, but they look delightful. You can find them here.

If you know of another book that might fit my list, please let me know by leaving a comment.

Go to my list of recommended pregnancy books.

]]> http://birthingwithguinever.com/2009/12/09/top-9-books-for-childrenwhen-baby-is-on-the-way/feed/ 2 http://birthingwithguinever.com/2009/12/09/top-9-books-for-childrenwhen-baby-is-on-the-way/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BirthingWithGuinever/~3/erpMRLFPd9Q/ http://birthingwithguinever.com/2009/12/07/use-this-ovulation-calculator/#comments Tue, 08 Dec 2009 00:29:07 +0000 guinever http://birthingwithguinever.com/?p=498 Simply answer the questions to find out when you will most likely ovulate  to help you either conceive or avoid pregnancy.

Some pregnant women are afraid of the potential pain of labor, afraid of the unknown.  An important thing to remember about these sensations  is that labor is a normal, natural process. This makes it different from any other pain you may experience.   Remember that contractions last anywhere from 15-90 seconds depending on how far along your labor has progressed. Then you have several minutes in between each of your contractions so it’s not like you’re in constant pain for the duration of your labor and birth.

The best thing to do is just to take one contraction at a time.

what do braxton hicks contractions feel like?

• just a little downward pressure
• a little twinge near my belly button
• menstrual cramps
• indigestion
• don’t really feel them at all
• don’t hurt, just a little tightening

what do early labor contractions feel like?

• all of the above for braxton hicks
• a little pain that starts at my belly button then wraps around my hips
• all I feel it is in my back, an annoying back ache that comes and goes
• it hurts, but not too bad
• sometimes takes my breath away

what do active labor contractions feel like?

• pretty intense
• a pulling at my cervix
• intense inward pressure
• can feel it all up front
• radiates down my hips
• my back just kills
• a pressure wave and I’m just letting my body open up
• like I’m working really hard
• my breathing gets really fast and I have to concentrate to keep it under control

what do transition contractions feel like?

• overwhelming
• very intense
• hurts a lot
• can feel the contractions in my legs and I start shaking
• like someone is twisting my cervix
• the contraction starts in my front then gets stronger and more intense and stays like that for a long time before fading away

what do pushing or 2nd stage contractions feel like?

• the same as before but now I have to bear down
• like I need to poop
• can’t stop pushing
• burning right before the baby is born

what do 3rd and 4th stage contractions feel like?

• really bad menstrual cramps
• same as active labor contractions
• wait a minute, didn’t I just have the baby? why am I still contracting like this?

what did your contractions feel like?

Pre-labor

The first stage of labor is the part of labor where contractions  open the cervix allowing your baby to be born. This opening is called dilating or dilation of the cervix. A further explanation of first stage is below.

The second stage of labor is when you feel the urge to push during contractions. When you push, you’re bring  bringing the baby down and out so he can be born. The pushing stage can last anywhere from just a couple contractions to over an hour and even more.  You might wonder how long it’s ok to push.

The third stage of labor is the time after the baby is born until the placenta releases from your uterus and with a final push, it is expelled.  The placenta usually is born within a half hour after birth, sometimes only a few minutes, but taking an hour or more is still normal as long as you aren’t bleeding too much.

The fourth stage of labor is the first couple hours after the placenta is delivered where mom and baby are getting acquainted and the uterus continues to contract so it can shrink. Breastfeeding or just interacting with your baby causes contractions to continue, which is necessary for this involution of the uterus.  Your nurse will rub your uterus and might show you how to do it.  This will hurt, but is necessary to prevent unnecessary bleeding.

first stage of labor is divided into 3 parts

early first stage

Your contractions can be between 30-60 seconds long and can vary from 5 minutes to 20 minutes apart and jump around a little bit til a contraction pattern can be established.  It is generally the part of your labor from 0-4 centimeters dilated. You can read more about how long it takes the cervix to get to 5 cm dilated or what does 2 cm dilated mean?

During early labor, the contractions might make you pause and stop what you’re doing, but they’re not very intense. It’s best to just ignore your labor as long as possible and try not to watch the clock.  You are usually very chatty and running around doing last minute things before baby arrives  in between contractions. It’s best to just go about your usual routine which could be staying in bed if labor starts in the middle of the night while your sleeping. As labor progresses, the contractions become longer and stronger and you phase into active labor.  You can read more about early labor in this birth story.

active labor

During active labor, you’re no longer chatty. You are quiet in between contractions, getting ready for the next wave. You might start to vocalize or moan during the contractions.  You might go lie down and get comfortable for awhile.  Getting in the tub during this part of labor will help you relax and help labor to progress.

Active labor is the part of labor where medically speaking, you are from 5-8 centimeters dilated. Contractions are at least a minute long and usually fall into a consistent pattern of 3-5 minutes apart, but even this can vary and it’s normal to skip a contraction once in awhile.

This part of labor is where you have to concentrate on your contractions to get through them. This is where all your relaxation techniques that you’ve been working on come into play.  It’s where you’ll probably ask for the epidural if you don’t want to go natural if you haven’t already asked for pain meds.

transition

Transition is the part of your labor in between active labor and the pushing stage. It’s where your cervix finishes opening up and you become completely dilated so the baby can be born.  For most women, transition is the shortest and most intense part of labor, but not always.

Transition is the part of labor where you have the longest, strongest contractions that are the closest together. Women usually describe transition as overwhelming. Contractions can be 90 seconds long and only 2 minutes apart, meaning you only have about 30 seconds in between them to prepare for the next contraction. This is what can make it the hardest part–there isn’t a lot of time to focus and regroup after one contraction ends before the next one begins.

Emotionally, transition is a time of self-doubt and you need verbal encouragement from your husband, nurse, doula or other support person. This is the time where women planning a drug-free free birth wonder why they ever wanted to do that, but these thoughts pass and soon you start pushing.

I hope this has answered your questions about the stages of labor. Feel free to ask a question if something is not clear or browse the website for more pregnancy and birth articles.

Hello. I was induced on my due date with my first baby. I was only at 1 cm, had no contractions, nor had my water broken. After I was induced, I was in labor for about 19 hrs. My baby’s heart rate kept dropping because the contractions were putting too much stress, so I ended up with a c-section. I had only reached 2 1/2 cm of dilation at that point. I do NOT want another c-section. MY husband and I want to try for baby number 2. I want to know what my chances are of not dilating fast enough before the baby goes into distress again. Am i doomed with bad luck in not being able to dilate? Please help me understand this!

I’m so sorry that this happened and that you feel that your body failed you.  (((hugs)))  You are a victim of the  current obstetrical system that is quick to induce when it’s not necessary and when women are not ready for labor.  Your next pregnancy is not doomed and you  will dilate and you can have a vaginal birth. Make sure to choose a birth team who will “allow a trial of labor” and  attend vaginal births after cesarean–VBAC– or better yet, plan a homebirth!

Unfortunately, situations like this happen everyday in labor halls. You were induced on your due date. The due date is not a magical day when the baby needs to be born by.  The average length of first pregnancies is over 41 weeks if allowed to wait for labor to start on its own.Your body simply wasn’t ready for labor and the induction didn’t work.  You were probably diagnosed with failure to progress. It’s as simple as that.  Not every baby can handle the stress of a lengthy pitocin induction and will go into distress, necessitating a cesarean.

For next time, you can figure out if an induction is likely to be successful by finding out your bishop score or you can always  just say no to induction. One of the things you can do to avoid a repeat cesearan is to prepare for a natural birth.

To answer the question, am I doomed to failure the next time if I didn’t dilate with my first pregnancy, the answer is no. A resounding no. Each pregnancy and labor are different.

When I took my training to become a childbirth instructor,  several of the women had  wraps like the one pictured to the left.  I ordered one and used it for my next baby. I loved it and still do.  Pictured here is a baby carry scarf from carry me close. These 14 foot long Guatemalan scarves are hand woven cotton, and are truly beautiful.

Made from similar fabric but utilizing rings is the maya wrap. There are many styles and fabrics to choose from. Their website includes instructions and a video. Plus maya sells slings for your little girls to use with their dolls.

When I had my fourth baby, a friend gave me a moby wrap which I loved even more because it was longer and made of a stretchier material plus they’re also a little longer so you can wrap it once more than is shown here for extra security. I love my moby! Check here for instructions on the many different ways to wear your baby with a moby. Also on the website is a demonstration video.

I love this step-by-step front wrap tutorial in pictures done by a homeschooling blogging mother of many!

If you’d rather not tie the carrier yourself, but prefer one with structure that you just buckle onto yourself and then slide baby into, the Ergo is an excellent choice that is ergonomically designed so you won’t get an aching back.

Ideally, the best thing to do is to go to a store and try on some baby carriers to see which ones you like best or you can browse the carriers available in the slideshow below.