Best giving birth tip?

[NewMum26]

So I'm 39 Weeks first time mum and been thinking ALOT about having to give birth soon 😱
Just wondered what your top tips for anyone giving birth for the first time were? 😊

Keep planning to a minimal. 1st birth all I wrote was "water birth" which I got. Second time I wrote the same and it didn't happen because I had dc at home unexpectedly.

I had an induction due to cholistasis. Worried and terrified were the words that described me. Didn't have a start of labour, I just went into full labour. Got an epidural and it was great, didn't take all the pain away but it I was more relaxed. Second child I was in labour 20 min! With no pain relief. But you forget.

Relax and detach your mind as much as you can.

Remember- pain relief, c- section, forceps, induction - none of these are a sign of success or failure. The end game is to get the baby out as safely as possible with as little damage to you. Every thing else is just detail.

Each contraction is another one you won't have to go through again.

This one I've been criticised for saying on MN in the past as I think most people think it's crap, but a friend told me that it's your own body making the pain, so it won't give you more than you can handle. I kept this is mind a lot during labour and found it helped. As a disclaimer I should add that I've had very fast & very easy labours so it's been quite easy for me to believe that particular one. I'd maybe feel very differently a few hours in!

Go into hospital when you think you should - if I'd waited until my contractions were regular I'd have had my first baby at home / on the way to hospital. The worst thing that will happen is that you'll be sent back home for a bit. Good luck!

Trust your instincts and speak up for yourself. Don't assume that what you're feeling or what you feel you need doesn't matter; it does! So make yourself heard.

Pack Lucozade sport in your hospital bag. Kept me going through the 'pushing' stage (sorry can't remember what the proper name for it is).Also, first labours aren't necessarily long!

Get your breathing right. Good luck!

Oh Lucozade orange and all of the drugs available!

I'm another huge advocate of take the drugs. I had two great births, on my back with epidurals and no further interventions and just minor tears that have healed good as new.

But also I believe that everyone and every birth is different. The best advice that you've already had on this thread is not to have any one set idea of how you want it to be. Discuss your preferences with your DP/midwife in advance, but be prepared to go with the flow and take advice as needed. All that matters at the end of the day is a healthy mother and baby, no matter how that happens.

Oh and 100% agree with lucozade in your bag. Really helped me.

Eat while you can.

Buy or rent a tens machine to use at home

Keep moving!

If you get a patient controlled epidural, remember to press the button hard enough to actually release the anaesthetic. I spent an unnecessary half hour sobbing in pain before the midwife noticed that I hadn't actually had any, despite us both thinking that I had pressed the button.

I was sure I'd be after pain relief, because I'm of the opinion, it's there, why not use it, although was open to the possibility that I'd be one of the lucky ones to have a birth where it "twinges a bit" (I wasn't). So my birth plan had the words, "I have no desire to achieve a pain relief free birth and am open to everything". It meant I kept getting offered all sorts so all I had to say was, "yes please".

Tens machine is amazing, but make sure the pads are stuck on properly. I was only willing to take it off when the anaesthetist was in the room and ready to start.

Epidural, epidural, epidural

Lucazade sport and breakfast bars were great for afterwards.

Take your own pillow

Have some gas and air. Didn't work for the pain, and made me feel sick after five minutes, but boy, those five minutes were fun!

Good luck!!!

A TENS machine really helped me with my contractions before I went in.

Another advocate for 'take the drugs if you need them' and keep asking, as someone said earlier, the anaesthetist might not be available, I couldn't have an epidural as they both got dragged into emergency surgery.

I took a small handheld fan in with me as the ward where we stayed overnight after DS was born was incredibly warm. Was a lifesaver.

You CAN do it.
The pain is only temporary.
It's totally worth it in the end.
Good luck!

Squatting widens your pelvic outlet, so if you manage it, do it: really speeds up the final agonising minutes.

The pain isn't scary: it's just pain. Not fun, but it doesn't mean things are going wrong.

Try and stay at home and sleep. I stayed awake though my 32 hours of contractions for some stupid reason n barely had the energy to push. They were giving me oj with sugar in it as I was so weak.

Keep your chin on your chest when you push so you don't end up with bloodshot eyes from broken capillaries, I think the major stuff has been covered

Don't have any expectations or plans and that you'll be in very good hands
It's the first few weeks at home that are the hard bit!! X

Buy or rent a tens machine to use at home
...and check it works

Expect the unexpected. Go with it.

Tens machine, rectangular breathing (short in breath, long out breath), staying upright and mobile. Drink plenty and haribo helped when I was flagging.

Go with the flow and be prepared for every eventuality as it early goes as planned.

Trust your instincts if you need to go to hospital go in. I never had contractions closer than 10 minutes and would have ended up with first baby being born at home if I didn't lie about how close my contractions were and go in!

Rhythmic bouncing on a Pilates ball and walking pacing during contractions.

A bath slowed my contractions down and I had three before I went to hospital and my contractions timing app shows it clearly! I love baths normally but I wanted it over and done with so kept getting out, then changing my mind and thinking to myself that it is my miracle cure for everything else so why not labour? I didn't find it eased the pain but I did have candles and it dark which was relaxing in between contractions.

Timing app was good too I found both as a distraction, something for DP to do and as a measure of progress to spur you on.

A few drinks in your bag, I stupidly forgot to repack after I drank the lucizade drinks during labour at home so was stuck with water, which wouldn't have been too bad had my post labour cup of tea not been so disappointing.

Being upright and forward is the best way to open your pelvis to full capacity!

Gravity is your friend - your baby's head needs to press on your cervix to help the oxytocin flow and progress the labour!

Know that if you don't like your midwife you can ask for another one and if you are unhappy with your care then you need to ask for the supervisor of midwives.

Be prepared that pain relief works differently on different people eg gas and air just made me dehydrated. The only thing that helped with pain was the epidural but I didn't get it until many hours into pushing.