If you had one tip for labour/birth...

[suzi2]

...what would it be?

Mine would be to 'go with it' and just let it all happen.

Take the drugs

(and this from someone who tried for a home birth)

Avoid the drugs.
(From someone who's had four.)

Avoid the drugs from someone who had a water birth - 'no drugs and no damage'. No pain at all during crowning or infact the whole 'end' bit.

Infact - I think remembering that things plateau rather than get continuously worse will be helful for me next time!

I kept worrying about what was going to happen pain wise rather than what actually was happening.

Does one tip per post count??

Have confidence in your body. Avoid pethidine (implicated in my DS1 nearly dying at birth). Stay at home as long as possible.

Yes runninglate and the worry leads to more pain. It's easy to say, but if you can eliminate fear and worry you're doing yourself a very big favour.

avoid pethidine
try and stay calm
have confidence in your body
get a good birth partnes

Remember all the down sides of each method of pain relief (the drug ones) and that way you will only have it if you are really and truly utterly desperate!

For me it was:

Gas and air - feeling sick (I LOATHE feeling sick)

Pethidine - might hate the druggy feeling and then i'll be stuck with it for 3-4 hours + it can affect LOs breathing

Epidural - injection in to spinal cord - that was enough for me!

Quite right Spidermama!!

(sorry - couldn't resist another quick post!)

Have a good birth partner.

Also - newborns can sleep for hours after the birth (they are tired too). If I had known this I would have put a big sign on the door saying 'Just given birth - do not disturb!' and tried to sleep as well.

the BEST position for giving birth is without a doubt, standing up... with ds the midwife was heard shouting the words "standing delivery!" down the corridor, then she and another midwife dashed back into the room and caught him. was so quick and easy, went for the same position with dd2. two pushes and out she came. i LOOOOOOVE giving birth!!!

If you have a very long labour it might be worth having 2 birthing partners to give them a chance to catch some air and rest. That's what I did, it gave my DH some rest ready for parenthood, and my mum was there, which Iwas so glad about, because when I was feeling rough I wanted my mum!!!!!

Pethidine saved my sanity - I wanted a water birht, but when the time came, I coundn't stand being in warm water!

me too suzi2, I had no birth plan, but I do wish I'd thought to say I wanted to find out the sex myself.
With all 3 I was told before they were put in my arms, and I regret that just a bit.

relax!!!

Tensing up will only make it more painful, there's no point worrying about the pain as if it gets too much then there are plenty of pain reief options available.

Echo the "go with the flow" attitudes, try to relax, in my case Gas and air helped no end and with Ds2 was actually looking forward to getting the G&A during early labour at home...wonderful stuff! If you have gas and air, make sure you take lip balm as it dries your lips.
A great birthing partner to support you and mop your brow was great too, Dh came into his own and was fab, bringing me ice cold drinks and holding my hand.

My top tip would be this:

When you tense up becasue you feel the baby is coming out of your bum not your nunny, relax, it's ok, it can feel like that but it's not, it's coming out of the right entrance, honest. Relax and breathe and try your best to keep your whole body relaxed, no tensing if you can help it and just bloody go for it.

Oh and when that head appears whatever you do don't push again, pant like a mad woman through your mouth and wait for nature to do her bit now, no more effort from you is required!

Sorry found it impossible to only give 1 tip!

Don't tense up with the pain, it makes it worse. Avoid tensing your shoulders - if you can keep them relaxed it helps you breathe.

Hope that makes sense, I'm sat at my desk at work trying to hunch and relax my shoulders to see if I can explain it any better!

I always breathe really slowly and avoid getting the pain relief for as long as possible, so as to not to peak too soon. My midwife at the birth of dd2 said she could tell i was the 'concentrate and get it over with type' of girl. when my contractions were coming one on top of the other i was thinking 'bring it on!' i just love it!

Can I just repeat mine again: Make lots of fuss!!! Being polite or brave never got anyone any help - the noisiest labourer gets the elusive midwife.

lol. i am far too considerate though. i have heard some women scream like they are being murdered - terrifying! labour's not that bad, although ds's arrival was met with some colourful language!

Remember to Breathe!

don't expect it to be like your birth plan

Stay calm - not going to lie it hurts but remember that it doesn't last long and it really is all worth it. Between contractions lay back and relax, breath and float on gas and air it's get. I only used gas and air and it was ok. No point screaming it doesn't help you just put the energy into pushing. When you feel the ring of fire push slowly it's the worse bit but listen as withing seconds you'll hear and be holding your new baby and then whilst you look into their eyes the pain goes and I don't either recall the afterbirth bit of any of my pg's.