How to prep for a quick and smooth labour and birth

After having 2 difficult birth experiences I wanted to do everything I could to prepare for labour with third birth. I had a c-section with Honey and a long VBAC with Olive so I know that birth is unpredictable. But I wanted to know that I’d done everything I could to have a good experience free from fear. I wanted to be confident in labouring at home longer with effective pain management as my labour stalled when I went to hospital with Olive. 

 These are the main things I did to prepare for a smooth, speedy labour and I’m so glad I did! If you are planning a VBAC or you’ve had a difficult or traumatic birth and you’re pregnant again, I highly recommend you try these. At the very least they’ll help your recovery and mentally help you feel confident and less anxiety. 

Herbal Labour Tonic 

I alternated herbs based on the stage of pregnancy. Raspberry leaf, nettle and oats were the base, adding in withania and schisandra towards the end. These tonics help to 

• – strengthen and tone the uterus for labour, birth and recovery.
• – Helps the cervix ripen and dialate.
• – Adaptogen and Nervine herbs to support the nervous system.
• – Combination of herbs help with iron levels and mineral levels.
• – These help with preventing postpartum haemorrage or bleeding issues. 

I did take this for a couple of weeks before my first two daughters were born but they both came early (36 and 38weeks) so this time I started taking them earlier. Minnie ended up being nearly 42 weeks so I was taking these for a good 6 weeks and I had been taking raspberry leaf tincture since the second trimester.

Homeopathics

Caullophylum and Cimifuga – Prepares and tones the uterus, helps with the 3 stages of labour, can be taken if labour stalls and your emotional state starts to get fearful or anxious (I so wish I had these in my second birth!)

Arnica – speeds up physical recovery taken before and after 

Gelsium – releasing fear around birth (took until I felt the shift). 

Optimising nutrients for birth and recovery 

Zinc, Iron + Co factors, Magnesium, DHA, Probiotics. 

Low zinc levels are connected to slow or stalled labours.

Iron biglycinate + Beef Liver – My ferritin got quite low in the early 3rd trimester but I raised it quite rapidly with a combination of beef liver capsules and a well absorbed form of iron. The beef liver is valuable because of the cofactors that can help address why your levels are low (Vitamin A, zinc, copper).

We have higher needs for Magnesium and DHA during pregnancy and postpartum and needed for nervous system support so these are targeted towards postpartum recovery. 

Probiotics are beneficial for you and Bub and are important if you have antibiotics during or after labour.

Birth Course 

I wish I’d done this before my VBAC with Olive. I had no idea about the different stages of labour, medical interventions or how much fear stalls labour! Looking back on my previous birth I can pinpoint when my labour stalled in hospital and it was when they started over monitoring me and scaring me about my scar/uterus rupturing.

I mainly took the course to arm myself with pain management tools and how to avoid medical interventions. I had every pain management tool ready to go lol. The main thing that stuck with me from the course was how to breath through labour and how important it is to stay relaxed. I had a moment of panic as my contractions quickly transitioned and became extremely intense. I thought no I cant do this again as I had flashbacks to my previous birth (I had ended up with an induction after an already long labour). But I immediately shifted my thoughts to relax my face, body, breaaattthhheee. A few minutes later I was giving birth, breathing slowly, calmly and 3 pushes (very different to the 1hour of pushing with Olive…)

Journalling

Journalling is something I’ve been doing for years but I started being really consistent with it the past year. I’ve found it extremely effective for regulating the nervous system, lowering stress and overwhelm and and amazing part of it is how you can use it to mentally rehearse situations so your brain knows how to react when it happens. I did that with this birth. I mentally rehearsed it at least once a week, telling myself how calm I was going to be, how I would have no fear, how it would all flow. It sounds woo woo but I still cant believe how my birth happened and felt exactly how I rehearsed it (ok without the birthing on my kitchen floor part haha! It was quicker than I’d anticipated). 

Eating Dates daily for the last few weeks.

Theres quite a lot of research showing daily consumption in last few weeks of pregnancy shortens labour time! I ate them in bliss balls or with nut butter. 

Coconut Water 

Coconut water is great for keeping you hydrated and I’d planned to drink it through labour with extra mag and calcium as an electrolyte ‘labour aid’. You lose a bucket load of minerals during pregnancy as our baby takes a lot of them so replenishing them in any way shape of form is crucial. Coconut water has a decent amount of potassium, calcium and magnesium. I was drinking a litre a day towards the end, I was craving it!

Having had 3 very different birth experiences I can honestly say that preparing for labour was the best thing I could’ve done for a very healing birth. While I believe we should trust our bodies and that birth isn’t something to fear, knowing what we can do to support ourselves and taking steps to do so can make a huge difference.

share this with any pregnant mamas you know! 

Michala xo