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Home › Articles › Labor Preparation › Labor Strategies

Labor Strategies

5 Ways to Make Labor Easier

By Melinda Copp

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Aside from family and friends, you may also consider having a doula support you during labor and delivery. According to DONA.org, a doula is a woman experienced in childbirth who supports an expectant mother before, during and just after delivering her baby. They usually speak in soothing tones and can make suggestions of different things to try that will make you feel more comfortable. Your doula also can act as your advocate if you need it.

4. Get Moving
Instead of rushing for the hospital bed at the first sign of a contraction, consider staying on your feet and active during the early stages of labor, if possible. "The very best thing to do in labor is to walk," says Belin. When you're on your feet, gravity is in your favor and your bones and pelvis move, allowing more room for your baby.

Activity also keeps your mind off the pain, making it more manageable. When Louise Knott Ahern of St. Paul, Minn., went into labor, she went shopping. "I shopped for five hours while in labor, and gravity took over," she says. "I pushed for 20 minutes. That's it. I have to thank my mother for it, because my gut reaction was to stay in bed. She said, 'You'll thank me for it later.' She was right."

Kate Brophy of Venice, Fla., also benefited from walking during her labor. "Walking and hip rocking helped the first baby, who was in a posterior position, turn around and ensured labor with the second baby lasted only two hours from first contraction to final push," says Brophy. "Forget drugs – stand and deliver."

5. Pain Relief

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