can anyone give me tips on having an easy labor?

Question

this is my first child I don't want to be in labor for 15-20 hours like my friend were. Can you help me?

Answer 1

I would avoid being induced. I didn't have to be with either one of my children. I begged my doctor to let me go on my own with my first. He wanted to induce on my son's due date but gave me a week. I had him the day after the due date.

I was only in labor for 10 hours with no problems... I thought pretty good for the 1st time.

I also went into labor on my own with my daughter and would have probably had her in about 6 hours if she hadn't been 10lbs 3 oz. Needless to say I had a C-section.

Don't feel bad if you have an epidural... I did.

Exercise by walking a lot now... it will help later during the labor & delivery.

Whatever the case this is the most awesome thing you will ever experience.

Answer 2

Easy Labor

Answer 3

There's nothing you can do to change the course of your labor. It all depends on your body & baby. You could however minimize the pain by breathing correctly, taking warm showers... and of course the use of drugs. Using epidural could possibly lead to a C-section if taken too early... and sometimes won't help the pain (especially if you're having back labor). If you're able to tolerate pain... I would recommend skipping the drugs... because once the baby is born, the pain is gone (pushing was the best part as you'll see). Poof!! Just like that. I refused the epidural and although the pain was great... I don't regret it for a second. I'm pregnant with my second and will skip the drugs again.
Try not to eat any heavy meals a couple of days before your due date... to minimize discomfort in your abdomen. Don't eat any gassy foods (you know why), and take lots of warm/hot showers. That always felt the best. The hospital should be equiped with a shower in the event your labor is a long one.
There's always a water birth. I've heard it's amazing for numbing the pain. I would have done the same, but my hospital doesn't provide it. That would probably be your best bet. Good luck, and don't worry. I can't lie to you and say it's not painful. But you'll see that the pain is so worth it once that baby comes out.

Answer 4

I wish we women could shorten our labors significantly, but it's just not possible, especially with first-time mothers.

That said, there are things that can help speed it up a little such as:

1. Using gravity to your advantage - if you can move around, squat, sit on the toilet, etc. instead of lying in bed most of the time, do it!
2. Don't get an epidural unless necessary. Pain medication can make labor sluggish and pushing less effective (you can't feel what you're doing as well).
3. Do moderate or light exercise in the weeks leading up to delivery to prepare your body physically for labor. The better shape you're in, the better you can work with the contractions. When you work with contractions, and not against them, labor progresses more quickly.

Have a wonderful pregnancy and birth, and remember, no matter what the goal is a healthy baby and mother at the end!

Answer 5

A long labor does not mean it's a hard labor. I was in labor 17 hours with my first and I thought it was easy. The first 4 hours were totally painless and the pain was not very bad the rest of the time. Take childbirth classes and be prepared. Get well read and read about the different methods available. Compare their success rates and see which works best. I recommend the Bradley method. I used it 4 times.

Answer 6

Every woman is different. It does not matter if your hips are narrow or wide. Your body will work at it's own speed when it's ready. It was once believed that if you had an epidural before you made 4 centimeters it would slow down the labor process. Myth. My doctor let me have mine at 2 centimeters. I was stuck at two centimeters for about 12 hours. After I had my epidural I took an hour nap, and when I woke up I was already 9 centimeters and the baby was already on it's way.

Answer 7

ok, first off, don't let people scare you!! i've been there twice, and the only thing i heard both times were all the labor and delivery horror stories. well, with my first child, they induced my labor at 7a.m. i had an epidural at 12:30p.m. (right after the noon news went off) tried to take a nap while my mom and husband went to the cafeteria for lunch, and by 1:30p.m. i was ready to push. my happy, healthy daughter was born at 1:49 p.m.
my second labor and delivery went just as well, only a little shorter, as she was born at 11:30 am, after i was induced at 7a.m. and had my epidural at 10am.
so see, it's not always terrible.

the best thing you can do now, is to check with your local hospitals and see if birthing classes are offered. i know in my area, we have one specifically designed for teenaged mothers, and then another for 20and older mothers. they usually meet once a week. it's good to have a local support group, that way if you have any questions, you can get answers from people who are right there with you, and usually there are nurses and social workers teaching the classes. the more knowledge you have about what's going on in the delivery room, the less frightened you will be. i know i was freaked out when i realized that my neather regions were exposed and there were about 20 people walking in and out of the door. (there were doctors, nurses, and medical students, and they don't always shut the door) there is a lot of equipment in the room with you, and if you don't know what it is for, it can be a little intimidating. if you are stressed, it will just prolong your labor. if you've heard the 'school house rock' song, it's true, knowledge is power. the more you know about labor and delivery, the better off you are. you will be less scared about the actual process. you may still be nervous about the baby, and having a newborn to take care of, but that's normal. so try to get all the information about your local birthing center before you go. you can even call and see if they do tours for expectant mothers. and then when the time comes, you can relax and let nature take its course.

Answer 8

I am not sure if there is anything in particular you can do to make labor easier, other than getting an epidural.. = ) My first was hard, but it got easier with each one... Walking a lot prior to and during labor seems to be helpful... but don't worry too much... once that new baby is in your arms.. you will forget the pain of the labor and delivery... trust me.. you won't even be able to explain it in detail... Best wishes!

Answer 9

Only way to make it "easy" is a ceasarian, but then you'll be in bed for a month or more healing from cut muscles, etc. Just get an epidural, and you won't feel much of anything. There isn't much you can do to shorten your labor aside from drugs the doctor can give you if it's dangerous for the baby to wait too long. Go with the flow, and it'll be fine!

Answer 10

You're most likely going to be in labor for 15-20 hours, sorry to tell you.

Now, that doesn't mean that you'll be pushing for that long, but you'll most like be in active labor (that means having contractions, cervix dialating) for that long. The best thing to do (from what I've read) is to labor as much as you can at home and then come in to the hospital when your contractions are about 4 - 5 min apart consistently.

I hate to tell you, darling, but it's gonna be hard and it's gonna be painful and there's not a thing you can do about it.

Good luck!