Labour- tips and tricks you wish you'd known

[user1484167681]

Hi everyone, just about to go into third trimester with first baby and starting to think about labour and childbirth itself.

Hoping to gather some collective wisdom here- what did you wish you'd known for your first labour? What tips and tricks did you learn (or get told!) that helped with the whole experience? :)

For example, yesterday I discovered that you should take lip balm because your lips can get very dry from the gas/air. Would never have thought of that myself!

Haven’t read whole thread but for what it’s worth. I’ve only delivered vaginally so have no experience of c-section.

Try to trust your body and the clinicians.

Don’t push too hard too early!

Sounds odd but try to relax and get as much sleep in early labour.

In the shower afterwards....remember that your genitals will feel different. It was a massive shock for me.

Have a zippy bag of cotton wool soaked in olive oil to wipe off that first pop from the baby.

Don’t set your expectations too high.

I wish I had had an elective c-section

Everything else is pissing in the wind really

At one point I was transferred from the midwife led unit to the labour ward; I think my midwife was aware that I was likely to end up with an EMCS. I was nil by mouth from that point. I wish I'd known to ask DH to go and buy me a sandwich at that point, because by time I made it to recovery, the only food available was tea and toast, and I'd not eaten in 24 hours!

It's not true that you won't care about how you give birth so long as the baby gets out - your consent is still important. Make sure your birth partner understands and supports you.

For postnatal, take an eye mask and earplugs - the wards are often noisy. Get shower gel in a bottle with a hook - easier than bending to get them off the floor!

Energy drinks.

Take a bottle of water to the toilet to pour over your muff when you wee. I wish someone had told me how much it stings.

Get pads with a smooth top. The tiny holes in always ultra kept catching the ends of my stitches.

Don't wear your own nightdress /shirt to give birth in. Mine was binned straight after. Forget the glamour and use a hospital gown or the like.

Not so much a tip for labour, but if you don't already do your grocery shopping online, get it set up now. An absolute godsend to be able to get your groceries delivered, including nappies and wipes etc in the early days when you're either too tired to make it round the supermarket or when feeding, changing, napping just takes over your life, and when baby is napping you'd rather just take the opportunity to put your feet up with a cuppa!

Be prepared for the after pains... it was like going in to labour all over again for me with baby no 3 😬

Plenty of hair ties!
Nothing worse than being hot and sweaty and your hair getting in the way

Get another birth partner who is not your DP/DH. Ideally a woman who has given birth, who you both like and trust, sometime with a solid head on and communication skills.

My labour was 2.5 days. DP and my female friend (chosen on criteria listed above) were doing shifts so each could get some rest or nip to the shops while the other kept me company and brought me food and drink.

My friend was also great at dealing with stressful logistics and decision making. One she was less emotionally attached, two, she could see before I even said something that I I moved to another stage having experienced it herself. My DP was relying on what he learnt in classes which is why at one point he kept saying I couldn’t be in active labour as my contractions weren’t close enough as he sat there monitoring them on an app where I was already pushing. He thought he was being helpful with all the “knowledge” as there was no way for him to know the difference where my friend simply asked me to describe the feeling and she called the midwife straight away.

She also took pictures while DP was close to me in the moment of birth.

If the pain is manageable, then suddenly becomes unbearable, it is probably a sign baby is about to come, with my first I didn't get the urge to push I was just in unbearable pain and had to be told by the midwives, your babys head is right there you need to push! With my next two I knew that pain meant baby was coming.
With my first I wanted every pain relief going, with my next two I had nothing, only clary sage oil that I inhaled from a hanky the same way you'd use gas and air, the main reason for going without is gas and air made me go a bit loopy when I had my first!