Preparing for Childbirth (Labor and Delivery)

Pregnancy is a wonderful time filled with anticipation of the baby's birth and worries about parenting. During this period, women experience various feelings — from joy to the fear associated with childbirth. It's a common feeling for many expectant mothers, especially for ‘newcomers.'

To help you prepare properly – both physically and emotionally – we've compiled some helpful tips below on what expectant moms need to do to have a smooth labor and delivery.

Educate yourself about childbirth

A new expecting mother can't help but worry about her upcoming delivery whether or not she has any complications during pregnancy. There's always some fear lurking around that might trip us up. Let me tell ya', I had my fair share of those types of thoughts (insert nervous laugh). But as long as enough preparation goes into getting ready, all should be fine.

Today, the internet provides us with many learning opportunities — from informative websites to online courses from famous doctors and experienced moms. If you purchase a paid online course from a certified professional, we recommend using a screen recorder during webinars. This way, you can save the information for yourself and, if necessary, review it again. Afterward, you can use a video editor to trim it up so it's nice and concise.

Consider exercises to prepare for natural childbirth

Fearing to harm themselves and the baby, expectant mothers often refuse to exercise, and it's not always the right decision. An inactive lifestyle complicates the childbirth process, causing obesity and depression.

In addition, pregnancy exercises normalize the work of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and strengthen the muscles. These have a beneficial effect on the growth and development of the fetus and prevent the occurrence of edema.

There are also exercises that can help you train for labor and delivery:

A) Kegel Exercises

Pelvic floor exercises may be one of the best-kept secrets to preparing for natural childbirth. Pelvic floor muscles support pelvic organs, help control urination and play a critical role during labor by allowing contractions to move the baby through the birth canal. Kegel exercises strengthen these important muscles so that they can provide the support needed during labor and delivery.

B) Squats

Squats are a great exercise to prepare the body for natural childbirth. Squats strengthen and tone your legs. This will help you cope with labor pains and reduce the likelihood of feeling severe exhaustion by the end of labor, resulting in an easier delivery.

C) Pelvic Tilt

The pelvic tilt is one of the most effective exercises for encouraging proper alignment and opening of your pelvis during labor. In addition, it also increases your stamina and endurance.

Eat healthy food

Eating right and having prenatal care is very important in ensuring that labor goes smoothly and that you have an easier time when delivering your child.

Prenatal vitamins are one of the best ways for expectant mothers to ensure they're getting all of their necessary nutrients for their growing baby, but just taking prenatal vitamins is not enough. It's crucial that pregnant women eat well, too, in order to give themselves an added nutritional boost during pregnancy. Every bite counts!

Think positively and relax

Positive thinking includes relishing positive emotions like happiness and optimism as well as expecting good things to happen. These feelings will strengthen both the mother's body and mind, which will allow for an easier labor and delivery process.

Doctors suggest that women try relaxing activities such as yoga or massage during pregnancy.  These activities are great ways to reduce the woman's stress levels and help her prepare for labor.

See your doctor regularly

During these visits with physicians, women are able to ask questions about their pregnancy or concerns that they have regarding the health of their unborn child. Doctors are also able to give advice on how best to maintain a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy so that you have an easier labor and delivery experience.

Moreover, obstetricians can explain what will happen when in labor and offer tips for coping with contractions. If doctors find problems between prenatal visits, like an incompetent cervix, then they can help provide treatment options to help.

Labor, especially in first-time mothers, can be a very unpredictable process. It is important for pregnant women to have regular prenatal care checkups throughout the last trimester of their pregnancy so that physicians can monitor how they are progressing.

During these visits with an obstetrician, the physician will check for signs of labor by gently pressing on the abdomen to determine if it feels hard or soft and if there are associated contractions.

Final Thoughts

We hope that this blog post has helped provide you with some information to help prepare for childbirth. It can be a scary time, but by educating yourself and preparing in advance it will make the experience much easier on your body and mind. Keep calm, relax, think positively about what is coming up next!

Can you share any tips for preparing for labor in the third trimester with us?