Labour

What has helped for me with my other 3 births is raspberry leaf tea, clary sage essential oil, going for walks ( I was still doing the school run in labour with my 3rd) baking (I baked so I was prepared with nice snacks for bf) in labour with my second. Music and dancing helped. Get the partner to ‘shake the apple and pears’ (put the hands on your lower back pelvis hips and apply gentle pressure and shake) it sounds funny but it really helps… getting in and out of the bath helps me also I did eat a curry and I watched some favourite tv shows to take my mind off the contractions. As the labour advanced hypnobirthing

What do you mean by help with labour? Do you mean to bring it on? Or assistance (pain relief/support?) during? X

If you mean to help bring on birth I used raspberry leaf tea, need to make sure it’s the correct one as some contain an ingredient we’re not allowed. I got two sweeps and the last one pushed me into labour. Outside of that I just kept as active as possible and walked as much as I could cope with x

Raspberry tea leaf doesn’t necessarily bring on labour, it just helps to hopefully shorten the length of labour and strengthens the uterus. I did drink it in my last pregnancy and after being induced I barley made it to 4cm after 3 days so I got a section in the end - I am in 2 minds whether I will drink it again this time or not

Nothing worked with my first. I only ended up going into labour because I was induced at 40+4 as I had sepsis but tried everything they recommended prior 🙈

I did everything & was super active/mobile with my first and got to 41+5 with a completely closed cervix so couldn’t have a sweep. Started induction reluctantly with the pessary and then so on. She was born 42+1 via c-section due to meconium. She’d been head down and engaged from 34 weeks and perfect position. However I will be trying for a VBAC and all the same things again. -Raspberry Leaf tea from 34 weeks -Dates from 36 weeks -Active - lots of stairs/curb walking, ball bouncing, swimming, walking -Pineapple -Clary Sage oil -Colostrum expressing -Sex -Curry -Baths and aromatherapy Also going to try reflexology/acupuncture things this time. In labour before meconium, I was using a tens machine and eye mask/music and using the ball/upright. I wanted to be in the water but wasn’t allowed. Then was coaxed into an epidural which I didn’t want and felt awful. Also had a birth comb.

@Caley I mean bring it on and try to prevent tears! X

Oh forgot that part - perineal massage, got my husband to help due to bump. Obviously not to bring on labour and can’t say if it helped as didn’t get to push but it felt like it was helping when doing the massages daily and the midwives can use hot compresses too during pushing.

Thanks for clarifying! I don’t have a huge amount of advice. Personally, I went down the hypnobirthing path and it taught me to believe that my baby will come when they’re ready. I don’t like the idea of ‘forcing them out’. There are of course safeguards in place if you were to go past the safety zone if you’re late and as such your hospital and midwife will step in to keep you both safe. And I do agree with staying as active as your body allows. My birthing coach informed me about ‘no coaching in the second stage’ so I’d advice you to maybe look into that. It’s about trusting your instincts and listening to your body and only pushing when it’s truly time to push, rather that when the midwife says you should. Try not to be scared of tearing. As tricky as the healing can be or is also sometime part and parcel as all of our bodies are different but also all of our bodies are capable 🩷