Ways to prepare your body for labor. Also how to prep your heart for the last leg of the pregnancy journey.
I can’t believe we are now counting down the days until this little bundle arrives.
While I’ve gone through labor and delivery 4 times now, my first birth was a very different experience than the last 3.
I was just 22 when I had our first child. In the back of my mind I wanted a natural labor but I did NOTHING to prepare myself.
I was induced 7 days past the due date and subsequently had a miserable labor and epidural.
The second time around I educated and prepared myself before the birth.
True to me, I read, and read, and read trying to arm myself with information that would help me have an easier labor and better birthing experience.
And that preparation along with the grace of God changed my labor completely!
2 of my last 3 deliveries I would describe as difficult but they were quite manageable thanks to some preparation and labor aids. And 1 was a walk in the park (for the most part!).
I’d like to share what’s worked for me!
How to prepare your body and heart for labor
Prepare your body…
Bradley Method
Learning this method of approaching birth has made ALL the difference in my birthing experience. You can attend classes, but I just read and implemented the book.
Actually practicing the method in the final weeks leading up to birth is important. In those last weeks, I often take a nap and I find that the perfect time to practice my Bradley technique.
Using this method and teaching it to Husband transformed us into birthing partners. I really couldn’t do it without him!
After seeing how different my Bradley method births have been, Husband has become a staunch supporter of the method too.
Labor Prep Tea
Waaaaay back in the beginning days of this blog I posted my DIY recipe for making Raspberry Leaf Tea.
Of course, you can also push the “easy” button and just grab some all done up for you.
Searching through Amazon’s listings, there are SOOOO many more options than 10 years ago! Any of these will work.
Since that post, I’ve been adding in some alfalfa leaf and nettle leaf to my Pregnancy Tea, which I just order off of Amazon.
It’s helpful to have a fine mesh strainer to strain the loose leaf tea when it’s done brewing.
Pregnancy Tea Recipe
You can drink this warm, but I prefer it iced!
Pregnancy Tea Recipe By the Quart:
Place ingredients in a Quart mason jar or other heat proof container. Add 4 C. of water, steep for 5 minutes and strain before drinking.
Pregnancy Tea Recipe By the Half Gallon:
Place ingredients in a half gallon mason jar or other heat proof container. Add 4 C. of water, steep for 5 minutes and strain before drinking.
Pregnancy Tea Dry Mix:
Mix ingredients together and store in air tight container. Use 1 Tablespoon dry tea mix per 8 oz. hot water, steeping for 5 minutes. Strain before drinking.
Benefits of raspberry leaf
Shortens pushing stage of labor, decrease likelihood of preterm or posterm labor, reduces risk of forcep or cesearean delivery, boosts nutrients (iron, magnesium, Vitamin C, B vitamins)
Benefits of alfalfa
Rich in many nutrients including: magnesium, iron, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Calcium, and antioxidants
Benefits of nettles
Immune boosting, gentle diuretic, good for high blood pressure, kidneys, and water retention
Dates
This is a new tactic I’m trying this time around. Apparently eating dates late in pregnancy can help your labor go more smoothly.
In summary, randomized trials have found that eating date fruit in late pregnancy, around 60-80 grams a day of fruit, may increase cervical ripening, reduce the need for a medical labor induction or augmentation, and one small study found a positive effect on postpartum blood loss.
from Evidence Based Childbirth
As someone whose babies like to come late to the party (10 days past due date is the earliest they’ve come), I’ll try anything to get them here a bit earlier and avoid having an induction!
I’ve just been getting my dates off Amazon here.
Evening primrose oil
Some midwives recommend evening primrose oil supplements to induce labor naturally. The oil is thought to help thin the cervix, which can encourage it to dilate and jump start labor.
from What to Expect
This is something I’ve used in my last 3 pregnancies and will be using for this pregnancy as well! Again, Amazon sure is handy for picking all these things up in one place!
Preparing your heart for labor
We can do a lot to prepare our bodies for labor, but there is really so little in our control.
More than anything, it’s important to prepare your heart to go through whatever labor and delivery journey comes your way.
Get into scripture
That last month leading up to birth can be especially exhausting. I usually find myself resting every afternoon.
This is a perfect time to really dig into God’s Word. Before my 2nd child’s birth, I read the entire New Testament in a week.
For other births, just reading a lot of scripture, meditating on it, and memorizing it helped me orient myself toward God and to feel peace about whatever I would experience.
There are so few times in my life where I just immerse myself in the word, but the weeks leading up to birth have been some of the most beautiful times spiritually for me.
Get into prayer
There’s God’s Word and then, of course, prayer. If you can make your scripture reading a holy conversation with God, all the better!
There are novenas and other helpful prayers for Catholic mamas as they prepare for birth.
St. Gerard Prayer for Safe Delivery Printable
And because who doesn’t love a good printable, you can nab this printable prayer to St. Gerard Majella for safe delivery and labor in the Subscriber Printable Library.
Not a subscriber? Become one here:
Gathering prayer intentions
I love to offer up each contraction for a specific intention and it is amazing how light the burden seems when I’m focusing on someone else’s needs and burdens.
You can use these little prayer intention cards to gather your intentions.
Gather scripture for labor
I also find it immensely empowering to meditate on scripture through the birthing process. This combined with intercessory prayer can make labor an amazing spiritual journey.
If it weren’t for all the unknowns, I think I might actually look forward to labor!
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