WHO WANTS A LONG LABOR AND BIRTH? NOBODY!

A lot of people are afraid of labor and birth. Nobody wants a long labor. If I had some fairy dust to sprinkle on every pregnant mom I know, I’d pour a dump truck amount of fairy dust and wish for a quick and effective labor. With those effective contractions the pain is something every laboring mom can handle. I am one of the lucky ones. Those are just the kind of births I had without the fairy dust. My body seems to know just what to do to have a good efficient labor and birth.

12 Things to Avoid So That You Can Have a Good
Effective Labor and Birth. 

1. Lack of belief in the process of normal natural labor and birth – how do you get that?
   Forget everything you’ve ever seen on TV or in the movies. Those births have nothing to do with reality.
   Read these books. 
2. Having someone in the room during labor who makes the laboring mother uncomfortable.
   If the laboring mother is uncomfortable or self-conscious in any way she will be unable to relax and her cervix will not open. She must feel as though she can let go, let it all hangout, or turn inward and not feel as if someone is staring at her.
3. Being spoken to unkindly by anyone, family, friend, care providers-nurses, midwives, doctors in the hospital. Every laboring mother must feel safe, secure, protected, and encouraged for her labor to progress.
4. Having unresolved issues in the relationship with the father of the baby.
5. Having a controlling personality/unable to let go/unwilling to take suggestions from birth team. Some people fight against their body. This will make contractions hurt more and be less effective. Sometimes a mom like this will benefit from an epidural so that she can relax and let go. There are risks and benefits to having an epidural during labor and birth. Read about them here. 
6. Belief that a surgical birth would just be easier. A lot of people have gotten the idea that a Cesarean would be easier. They don’t realize that a Cesarean is major abdominal surgery. Along with recovering from surgery, you will have to take care of a baby 24/7. Here are the risks of having a Cesarean birth.
7. Poor nutrition during pregnancy-not taking it seriously enough. Eating right for two people take some dedication. Pay attention to your nutrition during pregnancy, It can affect not only your pregnancy, labor, and birth, but also affect your baby’s development. Here’s how to eat right in pregnancy.
8. Baby’s position or malpresentation, posterior. You can avoid any of these problems if you stay active during pregnancy. Walk every day, swim, practice prenatal yoga, do pelvic rocking daily, and do a forward leaning inversion once a day. Starting at 37 weeks do the Miles Circuit.
9. Exhaustion-not sleeping or resting in early labor. THE BEST THING TO DO IN EARLY LABOR IS REST OR SLEEP!
10. Not eating and drinking in labor. Labor and birth are like a marathon. You wouldn’t run a marathon without food or water.
11. Going to the hospital too soon! Here’s how to tell it’s time to go to your birthplace.
12. Staying in bed. It’s uncomfortable and unproductive. Get up. Use gravity. Change positions. Walk.