Preparing for labour

[DontBeBlueBeARainbow]

I've just passed 30 weeks and it's occurred to me I should start getting myself ready. Not hospital bag ready, but other stuff, like perineal massage and listening to relaxing techniques.

What did you do and when did you start?

Good questions! Interested in the answers also :)

I didn't get my bag ready until about 36 weeks and did no other preparation at all so I'm sure you'll be fine either way

I'm pg with dc3, due in a few weeks. I've never done perineal massage or relaxing/breathing techniques.

I have however this time round started taking evening primrose oil orally and internally to try get my cervix nice and soft for sweeps. No proof it's going to work but I'm up for trying.

Another who did nothing other than pack a bag and give DP a quick list of preferences to communicate to midwives.

Labour was firmly placed in the 'deal with it when it happens' basket. And keep towels handy in car and next to the bed from 38weeks

Read ju ju sundin's 'Birth Skills' and drink gallons of raspberry leaf tea (it's supposed to make your contractions more effective).

Have you made a birth plan? Worth doing.

I am in week 33 and this is my first baby, I started doing perineal message , light exercise and detached my brain to thinking about labour. 😣

What I planned to do:
Drink Raspberry leaf tea
six dates daily
P massage three times a week (as suggested by Nct)
Get measured for nursing bras
Pack bag (from about 34 weeks)
Evening primrose oil daily
Daily hypnobirthing practice

Went in to labour on the day we turned 36weeks so ended up not doing much of the above. Waters broke and ended up running around throwing stuff into my half packed hospital bag.
I would say get a bag ready sooner rather than later as I ended up sending my partner home with a list as stayed in hospital for a week with tiny baby.

Also make sure that your partner has a bag ready so you aren't waiting for him to pack when your waters break -not that my partner did that to me or anything

I didn't do any massage or drinks. I did order tens machine and pack my back at 36 weeks!

Waters at 35+4, baby the next morning. Pack the bag!

Also get to know how things work so you're not trying to figure it out in newborn haze. Breast pump, sterilisers, complicated bottles with 5000 parts, slings, how does the raincover go on the buggy...

For you, a little quiet non digital time each day spent in a way that makes you happy. Reading, yoga, meditation. Good luck!

I did what T00Many did, I feel like the dates and RLT did really benefit me, the doctor commented he was amazing how little blood loss I had and had only the tiniest tear which caused me no pain - and I had no intervention.

I also started these things fairly early on at about 28 weeks, gradually building up the RLT in the last few weeks. I wasn't aware of evening primrose oil and didn't follow through consistently with the massage but will be doing both of those things too this time :)

Obviously I can't know for sure that it was these things alone as it was my first labour so maybe body would have had a similar result on its own? Who knows!

Thanks, had forgotten about some of those. Dates are my favourite! Will try raspberry leaf tea this time too, maybe it will make a nice iced tea with some fruit and stuff?

It's my 2nd so no relaxing for me, but I'm going to get the hypnobirthing and relaxation tapes on my phone this afternoon.

Will make sure to pack my bag as soon as I get back to the UK at 34 weeks!

Please don't stick evening primrose oil up your chuff! Really not nessicary, you cervix will almost certainly do what it needs to when the time comes. And who needs thrush on top of all the other stuff that oozes out in late pregnancy :+) !

To anyone having a baby: labour wards get HOT. Boiling. I recommend to take a hand fan- my DP and DM searched for hours to try and find me one (was being induced so whilst things weren't happening, I sent them to find one) and they couldn't find one anywhere. I thought I'd pick it up when there but nowhere had one. I'd seriously advise taking one, I couldn't sleep because it was so hot. Other than that, good luck everyone

You can take it orally!