How to Manage Early Labour
Siobhan Ridley
What is early labour?
As the body morphs from pregnancy through to labour and birth, your body and baby will need to do a great many things along the way. The early stage of labour is often dismissed as ‘not labour’ but it is all part and parcel of your journey to meeting your baby. You’ll be able to recognise it when you experience sporadic contractions/surges, waters may release, body temperature may fluctuate, mood may be different, you may just ‘feel’ an inner knowing that this is different.
During early labour, the contractions of uterus are working hard to do four major things:
Draw up a layer of muscle fibres from around the uterus in order to build a muscle at the top which will act as a piston when the baby is ready to be born.
Reposition the cervix so that it’s at a better angle for the baby to descend through the pelvis.
Thin and dilate the cervix so that the baby can journey out of the womb and into the birth canal.
Work with the baby to position it in an optimal position to navigate their route skin side.
For some birthing people this stage can last days, or hours or minutes. Sometimes you can be very aware that you’re in this stage and sometimes you can have no clue. But your body is working hard, nudging you closer and closer down your birthing path!
What affects early labour?
It’s not too clear what determines how long early labour might be but what we do know is that the following things make a difference:
Sense of safety/readiness/comfort/love vs fear factor/worries/anxiety/stress
Environment (this affects sense of safety and calm)
Hormone levels (affected by emotional states listed in 1.)
Baby position
What should I do in early labour?
So how can you ensure that this part of your labour flows in the best way your body needs it to.
A lot of the things on the above list are best tackled during your birth preparation. Exploring your feelings around birth and parenthood is so important. And through doing this you can discover your own strategies for banishing fear and promoting self confidence. Use some of those strategies if you need to.
Environment - where ever you are make sure it’s somewhere you feel safe or change it accordingly. If you couldn’t be romantically woo’d in the space then it won’t be conducive to labour either (I’m not talking about the steamy quickie you once had in an elevator.)
Expectation - know that this can take a while. It can be frustrating or demoralising. Understand why it takes a while and appreciate the incredible work your body is doing. Your partner also really needs to know that this can be a pretty boring spectator sport and that a watched kettle won’t boil. Trust the process and relax.
Listen to your body - what do you feel you need? A nap? Take one. A hearty meal? Eat one. A bath? A massage? A funny film? A walk in nature? Cuddles? A dance? You can do all these things in early labour and go for it, do whatever feels right and feels good!
Fuel yourself - eat, drink, breathe, nap. Definitely nap. Even 20 mins here or there will make the world of difference. Think about the long game.
Comfort - as things progress you may want some comfort measured to take the edge off the intensity. Massage, water (shower/bath), hot water bottle, movement, breathing, self-hypnosis will all support your brain and body’s ability to manage the sensations of labour.
Protect your mindset - placing too much emphasis and focus on this part of your labour can be psychologically exhausting. You can distract yourself by nesting, knocking off the last few things on your todo list, doing something creative, baking, cooking etc.
Stay at home - this is the home part of your labour and for many people, the longest part. If you choose to transfer in, wait as long as possible, so your surges are 4 in 10 minutes consistently or you feel you’re in ‘active’ labour.
It’s hard to know beforehand how long your early labour will be or how you will spend it. Hopefully you now have some strategies to manage this time and maximise your body’s ability to do the work to bring your baby to you.
You’ve got this!